Post titles are important to me. Some of my posts were only written because I had a killer title. I wracked my brain over this instant analysis of Jack Smith’s testimony before calling him the Village Smithy. Blacksmiths did dirty and occasionally dangerous work, so did Jack Smith in his capacity as special counsel for the Trump cases. Hence the post title and this quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

Under a spreading chestnut-tree

    ⁠The village smithy stands;

The smith, a mighty man is he,

    With large and sinewy hands;

And the muscles of his brawny arms

    Are strong as iron bands.”

Instead of physical strength, Smith exhibited moral and intellectual strength, something his MAGA Republican adversaries are incapable of.

Back to the title. Another reason it works is all the hot air that billowed out of the mouths of Republicans during today’s hearing. Their goal was to dirty Smith up. He stood his ground and refused to cooperate. It was a textbook example of how to stand up to bullies.

In their questioning, House GOPers were fixated on phone subpoenas issued by Team Smith, claiming they violated privacy and free speech rights. In a word: Poppycock. The only information contained on these records were phone numbers from incoming and outgoing calls. There was no substantive info whatsoever, but Gym Jordan and his minions acted as if this was a deep state plot designed to destroy their messiah leader.

Jack Smith was an excellent witness. He used lawyerly caution on some answers because House GOPers hoped to set a perjury trap for him. It may be sprung anyway. The MAGA DOJ indicted James Comey for lying to Congress, it blew up in their face. Charging Jack Smith for the same fake offense is apt to yield similar results.

I marvel at Smith’s patience with all the stupid thrown at him. Few Republican committee members knew the facts of the case as well as Smith. In this instance, ignorance was not bliss.

Democrats did a good job of defending Smith. They repeatedly pointed out that Team MAGA is trying to rewrite the history of January 6. Dipshit insurrection? What dispshit insurrection?

I watched most of the hearing but turned it off when the titanic twit from Texas, Chip Roy opened his big fat bazoo. Life’s too short to listen to that shiny headed boob for more than a minute.

I don’t expect minds to be changed by Smith’s testimony. It confirms my belief that he’s a fine man and an even better lawyer. If Jack Smith is deranged, what does that make Donald Trump who live tweeted the event. Doesn’t he have anything better to do with his time? Past presidents actually did the job. Imagine that.

The last word goes to The Band: