Three Kings Koup

[Bruno]

What are the odds that Don Jr. will be indicted?

[ursus arctos]

For seditious conspiracy? Rather low

Tax evasion and corruption crimes, on the other hand . . .

[Bruno]

Liz Cheney will vote to impeach.

[Bruno]

(she's the #3 Republican in the House)

[ursus arctos]

The establishment is trying to take back control

Will be interesting to see how this goes

[ursus arctos]

[San Bernardhinault]

That's very interesting. She was talking about the non-ratifiers as being pretty rotten before.

I can't tell if she's making a personal power-play which could lead to schism. It's possible given that she was taking a very different approach to McCarthy, Cruz, and many of her House Colleagues.

I think it's more likely that McCarthy and McConnell had a chat and decided that the most viable route forward is to throw Trump under a bus and pretend that they were always trying to do the right thing and were always the adults in the room making sure that Trump didn't get out of hand and now they have to do this, and they'll have almost all the caucus on board.

[ursus arctos]

There's a real split between the House and Senate that reflects the different electorates

McConnell has virtually all of his caucus. Even some of the objectors will fold (though Hawley and Cruz are likely in too deep). McCarthy has almost 140 yahoos who voted against certifying Pennsylvania and include the likes of Nunes, Jordan, Gohmert and Greene. He may not even be able to deliver a majority.

[San Bernardhinault]

McCarthy himself is in pretty deep. Apparently he and McConnell agreed to state that they were going to certify Biden last week and then he left McConnell out to dry. I wonder if Cheney is trying to oust him - may be hard with, as you say, 140 fruitcakes in the Republican caucus (although my guess is that a number of these are just following whichever way the wind blows in the party and will rapidly pretend to be mature believers in democracy).

[ursus arctos]

Dunno about that

From where I sit, most of that 140 are much more afraid of a primary challenge from their right or themselves the product of such a challenge.

Especially when they are out of power, US "parliamentary" parties lack many of the means of persuasion over members that are common elsewhere.

[Hot Pepsi]

They all took notes on a criminal fucking conspiracy

You know who else did that? It rhymes with Potzi.

[Patrick Thistle]

Not that we needed more evidence that Trump supporters are bipedal scum, but anyway

BBC News - Florida manatee with 'Trump' etched on back prompts investigation
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55631498

[tee rex]

Tuning in to the House and the Republicans are summed up by two consecutive speeches ... 1) "it's time to heal and bring our country together, we are all Americans" 2) "those machines are violating our 2nd amendment rights, that's Biden's America".

You could make this a useful teaching exercise, remove captions, fingers on buzzers, name the party after fewest possible words:

"The events of last week were regrettable ..." - buzz! Republican.

[ad hoc]

https://twitter.com/TBPInvictus/status/1349083395784118275

[Nefertiti2]

https://twitter.com/andrewsolender/status/1349208280535617536?s=21

[Nefertiti2]

This is really worrying

https://twitter.com/shannonrwatts/status/1349238896953987073?s=21

[Snake Plissken]

The latest accusation is that the rioters had been given info the day before by Republican members of the House of Representatives.

To be honest, this is all drowning in claim/counterclaim.

[Greenlander]

There was a good programme on the events on ITV last night with loads of their own, terrifying at times, footage from inside the building. At one point they identified a woman in a green top who was directing the mob up a spiral staircase (think they were in the crypt at this point) which led to Pelosi's office. The most striking thing was that she really didn't look like one of the demonstrators and I'm sure she wasn't wearing a coat, almost like she'd been inside all along.

The presenter and his camera operator were lucky they didn't get in more grief, saying they were from ITV in the UK didn't pacify a couple of the MAGAs and they got at least one whack from one.

[ursus arctos]

I have never had any doubts that there were communications between some of the insurrectionists and some of the more unhinged GOP legislators. The question is how extensive they were and to what extent they included aid, comfort, intelligence and even active assistance.

I expect at least one member to lose his or her seat once the truth is out.

[Satchmo Distel]

And then go to jail, or do sitting Congresspersons have immunity?

[Bruno]

I have never had any doubts that there were communications between some of the insurrectionists and some of the more unhinged GOP legislators. The question is how extensive they were and to what extent they included aid, comfort, intelligence and even active assistance.

On that:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...l-biggs-gosar/

[San Bernardhinault]

I can think of almost nobody more deserving of ejection and imprisonment than Mo Brooks, but one of those people in Paul Gosar.

[Satchmo Distel]

Who would be allowed to take him in for questioning - FBI?

[Hot Pepsi]

The latest accusation is that the rioters had been given info the day before by Republican members of the House of Representatives.

To be honest, this is all drowning in claim/counterclaim.

It seems that the source for this is the lunatic who organized the whole thing, so maybe not the most credible source.

[ursus arctos]

Yes, the FBI would be the most likely investigating agency.

Members of Congress are entitled to a rather narrower version of immunity than that enjoyed by their counterparts in many other countries. They are immune from prosecution for "speech and debate" on the floor of the chamber and other actions in the sphere of legitimate legislative activity, but there is no blanket immunity.

Discussion here
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitu...ion-6/clause-1