Having watched three Democratic members as prosecutors of former President Donald J. Trump, I am now watching another eight prosecutors — CNN anchors and hand-picked experts, all sharing one anti-Trump brain.
So let me turn down the volume and share my impressions.
First, in a completely predictable outcome, the Senate voted that the impeachment process itself was Constitutional and could proceed, which it will tomorrow.
Sad to say, of the five attorneys in the limelight Tuesday, former Montgomery County D.A. Bruce Castor finished last.
Speaking extemporaneously from a yellow legal pad, Castor spent his first 20 minutes sucking up to his audience of “jurors,” making the case that senators are “extraordinary” people, “gallant,” and “patriotic,” which we — and they — know is a load of crap.
I guess he was trying to get them to rise above partisanship.
I will pause now while you laugh.
Spoiler Alert: The Senate will fail to achieve the 67 votes needed to convict.
Castor seemed to be editing his notes as he went along, he wobbled, and lacked the high drama delivered by, say, Democrat Jamie Raskin, who almost brought himself to tears in a melodramatic revelation that his daughter never wants to return to the Capitol.
Partly to allay Raskin’s video of the riot, Castor said his side stipulates there was a riot, he denounced it and said it was “repugnant,” but not caused by Trump.
It was kind of stunning to hear Castor claim that Trump had been punished enough by losing the election when Trump still doesn’t believe he lost the election.
His attempt at praising opposing counsel was unbelievable, and his mentions of unnamed other parties — did he reference screwball U.S. Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene? — was confusing.
His colleague, David Schoen, worked from a script, and was more effective in attacking the Constitutional basis for the action.
At one point he waved his copy of the Constitution, followed by what seemed like Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book, to demonstrate a system that believes in due process and free expression, and another that doesn’t.
He ticked off many examples of the House action lacking due process and fairness, to no avail.
Anyone with common sense knew the outcome was preordained.
Oh — social media will have a field day with the way Schoen took a sip of water from a small bottle, and held the top of his head with his other hand. (Remember Trump’s two-handed water grip?) My guess is Schoen, an Orthodox Jew, usually wears a yarmulke, and uses that move to keep the skull cap from falling off.
On the other side, Raskin was polished and effective and, as I said, dramatic.
“It’s all about the facts,” he said, but many of his “facts” where not relevant.
There is no question a riot/insurrection took place. The issue was causal — did Trump cause it?
Everyone has already made up their mind.
The video was very effective, and should be embarrassing to Trump supporters. Not because he caused it, but because some of them were chanting, “Fuck the police.”
These are supposed to be the “law and order” people?
The opening day went to the prosecution.
Thank you for pausing. I did laugh…
Unless you can count to 67 (votes needed to convict), this is a complete waste of time. Let’s play fair and examine the rhetoric of some in Congress starting with Maxine Waters who urged her supporters to harass (at a minimum) Trump administration members and Trump supporters. It is a lengthy list of Progressives who engaged what they characterize as “protected political speech.” When is “Auntie” Maxine’s impeachment & Senate trial?? Likely the 12th of Never. This is the last gasp of those infected with what appears to be a terminal case of TDS. Next…..
P.S., we will not know for sure about the 67 votes until they are cast.
Each night we can watch, if we choose, theater on cnn & msdbc. Those involved in this sham of an impeachment have no shame or conscious like the lot above. I choose to watch neither. They’re making history and will be remembered as one of it’s ugly parts.
If the rioters had guns I’d agree with you on insurrection.
Tom, a number of the rioters did indeed have guns as well as other types of weapons.
HAPPY WEDNESDAY !!!
Sorry buddy,
There was reported a number of weapons seized, a car full of explosives and other less memorable items.
It doesn’t matter what was found nor who it belonged to. The far left will continue to read into the story, whatever they want. As will the far right.
Tony
Tony, I replied to the statement by Tom in which he said to Stu “If the rioters had guns I’d agree with you on insurrection.” I was pointing out some of them did have guns.
HAPPY TUESDAY !!!
I didn’t watch the first circus, and I’m not watching this circus either. It needs to be said. The government is very good at wasting taxpayers’ dollars ! It would take an excellent accounting team to give a fair guess at last year’s loss. FORTY MILLION is probably low if you include many of the reports and accusations leading up to the trial. The Mueller investigation took a big chunk, but we did our part by keeping the swamp employed.
What ever the cost, you can not measure the loss of actual government legislation NOT being acted upon.
Tony
Tony, you said, “Whatever the cost, you can not measure the loss of actual government legislation NOT being acted upon.”
That is my biggest beef and complaint as well with the current and recent Congress. They don’t call it “Poli-Tricks” for nothing.
TRUTH ! your tax dollars not at work !
My difference from Stu on this cogent commentary is: Stu’s “There is no question a riot/insurrection took place” before his asking the relevant question “Did Trump cause it?” “Riot” and “insurrection” aren’t synonyms. Webster defines “riot” as “1 wild or violent disorder, confusion, etc, esp. a violent public disturbance. 2 …..” and “insurrection” as “a rising up against established authority, rebellion.” Jan 6 was a riot, not rebellion to overthrow the government. And it was not instigated by “peacefully and patriotically”-pleading Trump. What was supposed to take place in the Capitol was GOP Senators and Congressmen presenting evidence challenging the conduct of the election. Trump wanted supporters to show public support for this, not to prevent that evidence from being presented, which rioting not surprisingly caused. What’s going on now, Pelosi says, is furthering Americans’ “Unity.” Right.
Riot/insurrection offered a choice, and I believe each meets the definition you provided, but that is ooinion.
Stu
Get a life. Why bother trying to make something dramatic out of a book long ago written. A handful of RINOs will jump to the other side as they always due with Romney leading the charge. Let’s instead worry about something that can be cured (if possible) like Pennsylvania’s political mess. And at the same time you can like on King Andrew the First and hopefully rid New York of our dragon.
Talking about a book we know, the last time you gave me an assignment was 1961. 😃 I provide nonpartisan analysis, and, check the record, have done many pieces on local and national topics.
A local issue is on the runway now. Since it attacks a Democrat, you and Tony will love it. But Bogart won’t. Such is life for centrists.
Frankly, I find it encouraging that there still are people in the USA who are willing to ‘riot’ against government, to rise up and say “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more!” Governments at all levels (federal, state, and local) have played the ‘salami game’ with our freedoms for far too long. The salami game, in case you didn’t know, was an idea promulgated by Nikita Khrushchev during the Cold War. As he said to Richard Nixon, “We will take a thin slice from the salami, not enough to go to war over, and we will keep taking thing slices. Soon, all you will have left is the salami’s string — and who wants to go to war over a string?” That is how our freedoms are being taken from us… one thin slice salami at a time. Soon, all we’ll have is the string. To paraphrase Jefferson, the tree of liberty needs to be watered occasionally by the blood of patriots.
This wasn’t “riot” in quotes. It was criminal and I am really surprised at you. Democracy offers plenty of ways for PEACEFUL protest. You don’t like the way things are going, win at the ballot box.
In your next column — Let’s get rid of Independence Day — you address the issue of the Left and their antics, answering my post about the ‘riots’ in DC. The Left owns the media, the entertainment industry, the colleges and universities, and now the high- and grade-schools. The coming generations of USA citizens are already doomed. The Left went after DT with unbridled hatred from day one of his presidency and continued unabated for four years, and the anger and frustration finally boiled over into… the ‘riots’ in DC. Odd how the REAL riots of BLM and other Left groups never got people as exercised.
Vince, if BLM had attacked the Capitol, like the rioters did last month there would have been a massive killing of them. There should have been a massive killing of those SOB’s when they stormed the Capitol. I will say if I had been one of the many people who were trying to protect my/our Capitol and the people inside I would have killed as many of the rioters as I could.
I am not disagreeing with what you say here. What do moderates (me) and conservatives (you) do about it?
Spot on Stu! Thanks!