First Draft

I wanted to let the dust settle before writing my detailed thoughts about the second impeachment trial. I dispensed hot takes during the five days of the trial. It’s time for reflection.

I’m disappointed but not surprised by some of the reactions to how the final day of the impeachment trial played out. As always, some Democrats are lost in the weeds. Details *do* matter but so does the big picture. I consider the 57-43 vote to be both a rebuke to Republicans and a moral victory. In an election, 57% is a landslide. For example, in the 1984 Reagan landslide he received 58% of the popular vote. Saturday’s vote is only a devastating loss if people allow it to be.

The “always blame Democrats” group is apoplectic about the witness kerfuffle. They say the managers should have stuck to their guns. Many of them were among the most ardent proponents of a second impeachment. They knew, or should have known, that the Senate would vote to acquit. The final vote was no surprise. The current GOP is the party of selfishness and cowardice.

The fact of the matter is that none of the potential witnesses was willing to come forward voluntarily. Subpoenas would have to be issued. That could have delayed the trial indefinitely. The House Intelligence Committee ordered Don McGahn to appear before them in April, 2019. That’s 22 months ago. It’s still in the courts. I am not making this up.

The House managers threw a Hail Mary pass on witnesses; it was not entirely a flop: they got Congresswoman Beutler Herrera’s statement into evidence. It would have been posturing for them to press on without the voluntary cooperation of witnesses, not to mention Senate Democrats. I’m not a member of the “heroes and villains” caucus, I’m a member of the “get shit done” caucus.

Delivering on the Biden agenda is the most important thing Congressional Democrats can do. When the Senate is in impeachment session, it cannot conduct any other business. In a 50-50 Senate that could have resulted in a prolonged deadlock. People are suffering: the COVID relief bill cannot wait. If Democrats don’t deliver, the 2022 mid-terms could be an undeserved windfall for the GOP. They deserve to be beaten like a drum.

It may not feel like it, but a reckoning is on the horizon. This was the most bipartisan presidential impeachment vote in American history. Senate GOPers relied on a procedural fig leaf to justify their cowardly vote. Defenses of Trump’s conduct were rare after the vote. Mitch McConnell’s speech was another attempt to have it both ways, but he denounced Trump’s actions before, during, and after the Dipshit Insurrection. He made it clear that his defense of Pennywise was over.

After the first impeachment, most Republicans defended the Impeached Insult Comedian’s “perfect phone call.” This time, they’re trying to split the difference and looking ridiculous in the process. They’re all Lamar Alexander this time.

The Kaiser of Chaos remains in serious legal jeopardy. There are criminal investigations in Georgia, New York, and the District of Columbia. There will be civil lawsuits from those harmed during the Twelfth Night White Riot. The reckoning will not come as quickly as we would like but it’s coming. A slow-motion reckoning is better than no reckoning at all.

Notice the difference in Trump’s “celebration” this time. He issued a written statement. As of yet, he hasn’t called into Fox & Friends or Hannity. His profile remains low because he’s frightened of what is to come now that he’s out of office. He incited an insurrection for purely selfish motives: to save his worthless ass from jail and/or penury.

While he’s not disqualified from running for president again, Pennywise will spend most of the next four years in court as a defendant in civil and criminal cases. The slow drip of revelations will damage his standing among his supporters. They’re not all QAnon shamen and Proud Boys. Many of them will want to get on with their lives. Donald John Trump is the past, not the future.

A reminder of why I started calling him President* Pennywise in 2019:

We recently watched the 2017 movie IT, which is based on the Stephen King novel. I wasn’t terribly familiar with that terrible tale except for the sinister clown Pennywise. I loved the movie and realized that it was remade for two possible reasons: the popularity of Stranger Things and the rise of Trumpism.

Pennywise the evil clown (is there any other kind?) thrives on fear. He gets stronger the more he fearmongers. It’s what emboldens him to get out of the gutter and come into the open. The Insult Comedian never leaves the gutter BUT he too thrives on fear. That’s why I mock him: he feeds off our fear and recoils from our scorn.

He wants his enemies to fear him. He feeds off that fear. It’s time to eject him from your heads and turn him into the joke that he is. He tried but failed to destroy our country for base and selfish reasons. Don’t let him do it again.

His transformation into the Kaiser of Chaos is complete. He’s an old man in exile at Mar-a-Doorn. He’ll spend the rest of his life bitterly complaining about his mistreatment. He has much to complain about but so do we. He’s a coward who threw his own Veep under the proverbial bus on that fateful day. The betrayals will keep mounting and his support will erode. Will it be as fast as we would like? No, but it’s already happening.

A slow-motion reckoning is not the most desirable outcome, but it will have to do. It’s time for the legal system to deal with Trump and for Congress to do the work of the American people.

Repeat after me: former President* Pennywise is a pussy. He should grab himself.

More quasi-crypto-pseudo live blogging.

Closing Argument By The House Managers:

The post title is a quote from Hundred Dollar Bill Man Ben Franklin that was used in Jamie Raskin’s opening. It clearly applies to the Senate Republican caucus. They’ve dug their grave, now they can lie in it.

House Managers opened strong with Raskin and Ciccilline. Then shit happened.

Mike Lee pitched a fit. He claims that Coach Tubs did not get a call on his phone. It’s the White House’s fuckup, not the House managers. Talk about a shitty Mormon, most LDSers are almost eerily polite. He’s an asshole he can go fuck himself.

Lee’s intervention was a way to distract attention from the power of the closing argument. That meant they were scoring points with the American people. I, for one, do not care about senate Republicans. They’re the sheep who will be eaten by Trumper wolves.

Lee withdrew his tantrum. Back to the House Managers case.

Madeline Dean was interrupted by Trump’s lawyers. Big mistake on their part. She was stronger after the objection failed.

The youngest manager Joe Neguse appealed to the senate’s history and to the better angels of the senators. Hopefully, some Republicans still have them. I think they knocked them off their shoulders four years ago.

Raskin: Trump also betrayed his followers, the insurrectionists.

The managers emphasized uplift, patriotism, and the best of human nature, which the defense is incapable of. They’re as nasty as their client.

Closing Argument For The Defense:

Van der Veen began with another rant denouncing his opponents. VDV still thinks this is a regular trial. He’s in over his red-faced head. Schmuck.

VDV blew his intro by attacking the other side instead of mounting a positive defense.

He made a ridiculous claim that Pennwyise has denounced the rioters. He’s done no such thing.

At least VDV isn’t shouting. Yet.

I wonder if VDV was a projectionist before he worked for Trump. This shit wouldn’t work in a prdcuct liability or medical malpractice case.

VdV repeated the lie about Rand Paul being attacked by a leftist mob. That was only one of his egregious lies. It was the second incarnation of the American Carnage speech.

VdV is fond of saying the attack was “pre-planned and premeditated.” Too bad his defense was not.

The entire argument was dishonest, disingenuous, disgusting and Trumpier than Trump. It’s unworthy of further commentary. In in the immortal words of Garth Algar of Wayne’s World fame, “I think I’m gonna hurl.”

Raskin rebuttal was fiery and forceful. He’s my new hero.

THE VOTE:

Holy moral victory, Batman. 7 Republicans  voted to convict with 2 surprises Burr and Cassidy.

I am thrilled to be wrong about Cassidy. He did the right thing. Thank you, Senator.

I rarely agree with the Impeached Insult Comedian, but he was right when he said: “History will never forget.” We have different interpretations, he said it in praise of the Dipshit Insurrection, and I use it in condemnation. So it goes.

Once again, I wrote this post over the course of the day in dribs and drabs and bits and bobs. The tone is a bit lighter and the writing looser than yesterday’s installment. There were no beard jokes on Day Two. This entry is more or less live blogging that’s not live. I hope that’s lively enough for you.

FYI, I had manifold technical problems starting with Act Two. Oy, just oy.

ACT ONE

Today’s first act began with a look at Trump’s lack of remorse and refusal to express regrets over the loss of life. As far as he was concerned his conduct was “totally appropriate.” Yeah, right.

We saw a medley of Trump’s greatest stirring up violence hits. There’s nothing worse than someone who incites violence but is unwilling to participate. It’s called cowardice. He’s much like World War II draft dodger John Wayne who was a rabid hawk during the Vietnam conflict. There’s a word for this: Chickenhawk.

As far as the insurrectionists were concerned, they were following orders from their hero. He invited them to walk to the Capitol, so they did. The responsibility should rest at the top with the former president*.

Neither Ted Lieu or Diana DeGette are as compelling as some of their colleagues BUT her section about the cost and long-range impacts of Trump fueled white nationalism scored points. She quoted the head of Cowboys for Trump who channeled General Phil Sheridan, “The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat.” After making that statement, he met with Trump and was one of the Twelfth Night rioters. Nice.

I wonder if Willie Nelson wants to retract this:

I’m joking. Right-wing hero John Wayne was a phony cowboy too. He hated and feared horses. Some cowboy. Some he-man.

The act one finale was a presentation by David Cicciline about the devastating personal effects of the insurrection on staff and support personnel.  Yet many want us to move on. Why? Where? Like history, I will never forget.

The abuse of Capitol police was vitriolic, racist, and obscene. They were called traitors and one woman even spouted this nonsense: “1776, bitch.”

Was she talking to herself?

ACT TWO

Joaquin Castro kicked off the second act with a discussion of the impact of the Trump mob on our national security. The mob stole a laptop from the Speaker and documents from the Turtle’s desk. The whole thing was a blatant violation of Pennywise’s oath of office. Of course, the only oath he honors is one to himself. He has no interest in protecting us from “all enemies foreign and domestic.” We need protection from his running in 2024.

I’d like to thank Mr. Castro for having a goatee so I can tell him apart from his brother, Julian. Very thoughtful unlike Eric Swalwell who shaved off his pandemic beard for the trial.

Even better was the quote from Marco Rubio, a man who used to tell dick jokes about Trump but has become as sycophantic as the Incredible Mr. Lindsey.

As always, Trump’s actions and non-actions have helped our adversaries and puzzled our friends. Anyone surprised?

At this point I had cable issues and had to switch to an audio live stream. Holy electrical storm, Batman.

According to Joe Neguse, Team Trump has a warped view of the First Amendment. Nothing unusual there, they have a warped view of everything.

Neguse argued that Trump “lit the match and aimed it at the Capitol.” Incitement speech is NOT protected even when it comes out of Trump’s big fat bazoo. Once again, they have their own set of facts, which are misaligned with reality. No surprise there.

I had more electrical issues, so I moved to the radio as Jamie Raskin hit the stage. It felt like 1940 at Adrastos World HQ.

Raskin stressed that there is NO first amendment defense to impeachment. It’s bunk, crapola, and bullshit. My words not Raskin’s.

Raskin quoted Scalia: “You can’t ride with the cops and root for the robbers.” That applies even more when you’re POTUS. He definitely rooted for the robbers on Twelfth Night. Schmuck.

Raskin made a forceful case for banning Trump from office based on his conduct. I gave him a sitting ovation.

In his dry manner, Ted Lieu focused on Trump’s claims of due process claims. They’re without merit much like my AV issues this afternoon.

The Closing:

The managers brought out their heavy hitters: Raskin and Neguse.

Raskin posed the ultimate question: if this is not an impeachable offense, what is?

Neguse recapitulated the evidence that the managers maintain proves that Pennywise should be convicted. I concur. The man is a helluva lawyer. He’s got a promising future in public life.

Raskin closed with an ode to democracy. He reminded us of the rarity and fragility of democracy and how the Impeached Insult Comedian and his mob stomped all over the system.

He went on to remind Trump’s lawyers that the constitutionality of this impeachment has already been decided. To do so is “frivolous and wrong.” He then posed a series of questions for Team Trump to answer. Talk about painting your opponents into a corner.

Just as importantly, Raskin ran such a tight ship that they came in under time without making major mistakes. The entire country is grateful for your brevity.

The prosecution rested.

The managers factual and legal case was clear and convincing. They were well organized at every stage. They had a more compelling and dramatic case to argue than the Ukraine/perfect phone call impeachment. But Adam Schiff’s closing in that case remains the gold standard: “He will do it again.”

He did.

This post was written in bits and pieces as I watched the trial. Hopefully, it’s coherent but what’s a little incoherence between friends?

ACT ONE

I was bowled over by the first two hours of the House managers presentation. They have methodically built a case starting with tweets and public comments made months earlier. It was drummed into his dimmer supporter’s head: RIGGED, RIGGED, RIGGED. That’s, of course, a LIE, LIE, LIE. The Dipshit Insurrection was a, CRIME, CRIME, CRIME.

Jamie Raskin has become a Democratic superstar this week. He is clearly the team leader and referred to as such by his colleagues. The post title comes from his presentation. It was a comment by a black capitol cop who was repeatedly called the N-word by the mob. He tearfully asked a colleague, “Is this America?”

A question I’ve asked myself. How can anyone sit through this searing presentation and vote to acquit? Only the soulless and unscrupulous, which includes a majority of senate GOPers, alas. The Turtle has purportedly told his members to vote their consciences. I’m skeptical: the field of political combat is littered with the bodies of those who believe Mitch McConnell. The only time he isn’t lying is when his mouth is closed.

Josh Hawley was spied in the gallery, with his feet up, reading unrelated papers like the insurrectionist fellow traveler that he is. He should do his fucking job and listen to the mounting evidence. He might learn something. That was a joke: people like Josh Hawley never learn. It’s what happens when you’re a walking resume calculated to impress older, powerful men. I’m glad that at least two have bailed on him.

ACT TWO

In the first afternoon session, Reps Dean and Lieu discussed Trump’s attempt to steal the election by going after state and local officials. It should serve as a reminder to Republican senators that the Impeached Insult Comedian’s loyalties are only to himself. He will abandon and betray his current allies whenever it suits them. He doesn’t care who you are as long as he gets his way. If it could happen to Bill Barr and Mike Pence, it could happen to anyone.

Speaking of stars, Stacey Plaskett has the right stuff. She did a superb job tying online activities to real world violence. She’s on the way to becoming the most famous Virgin Islander ever. I’m also glad I googled her: initially, I called her Plunkett like former football great, Jim. Stacey is, however, every bit as tough as Jim.

I saw Rep. Madeline Dean on MSNBC not long after the Capitol siege. She was asked if she felt safe at work. She did not. Today, she was in charge of dissecting Trump’s incitement speech. Trump said fight 20 times in his speech and mentioned Pence 9 times with increasingly ferocity. The crowd was ready to rumble. Pennywise threw his Veep to the wolves. Make that rabid wolves.

ACT THREE

Reps Plaskett and Swalwell presented unseen video in the day’s third act. The footage was dramatic and deeply disturbing. I am shaken to the core. We learned that Senators Romney and Schumer were nearly grabbed by the Trump mob. They might not know who many members of Congress are, but they know those two guys. They barely escaped with their lives as did Mike Pence.

The MSM needs to stop focusing on the vote count/horse race aspect of the trial. The focus should be on Trump’s guilt. He’s as guilty as sin of this atrocity against American democracy.

It’s also time for Senate Republicans to cease and desist claiming that they honor the police and are the party of law and order. Unless they vote to convict, they are the party of anarchy and insurrection. We saw the extreme bravery of the capitol police today; some paid with their lives, others were seriously injured but they did their job and protected lawmakers. The mob was out for blood.

That’s all I have for now. I’m gutted.

I didn’t expect day one of the second impeachment trial to be so emotionally gripping. Debates over standing and jurisdiction rarely are but they were today. Between the video of cosplay patriots storming the Capitol and Jamie Raskin’s powerful closing, I was shaken and moved.

All three House managers were outstanding. They argued the law, the facts, and the constitution and argued it well. Joe Neguse emerged as a star today with a brilliant disquisition of the history of impeachment, but it was Raskin who conveyed the fear and terror felt by members. They thought they were going to die in their workplace. Is there anything worse than that?

The phrase that stuck with me is part of the title of this instant analysis post. Trump’s shysters want to carve out a January exception to the rules governing presidential conduct. If it happens at the end of their term, it’s okay. None of this was okay. Murder, mayhem, and madness are never okay. If Trump is not somehow punished for this atrocious conduct this will happen again and again. It looks as if the only punishment will be the vote of the House but his presidency* will forever be associated with lies and violence.

As I said earlier, the video presentation was overwhelming. It evoked the use of George Stevens’ concentration camp film at the first Nuremberg trial. Some of the defendants were defiant, others were devastated, still others accused the prosecution of Hollywood fakery. It’s unclear if Senators reacted in any of those ways but I’m sure many Trumpers will react like the Nuremberg defendants.

I don’t feel like writing about Team Trump’s presentation today. I’m too raw to do so with even a scintilla of objectivity and fairness. They can go fuck themselves. They’re going to lose this round in any event. I may chime in about them later. Bruce Castor is droning on about how awesome senators all are. He claims to like his senators. I don’t like mine.

Republican senators have a lot of nerve calling themselves conservatives. Genuine conservatives would take a stand against the Dipshit Insurrectionists and the loudmouth president* who incited them to riot. Not the current crop of GOPers. They’ve sold their souls to the Impeached Insult Comedian. Here’s hoping that some of them have the decency to vote to convict. A conviction remains unlikely but I’m glad that the House managers are playing to win.

Repeat after me: There is no January exception.

The answer is typo. It’s in the very first line of Team Trump’s legal submission to the “Unites States Senate.” Anyone with an ounce of sense knows that running a spellcheck is not enough. The proof is always in the proofreading, which is something none of Trump’s lawyers seems to get. This isn’t the first typo in a document submitted by a Trump shyster, and it won’t be the last. One word they know how to spell is, L-I-E.

The content of the pleading is almost as ridiculous as the typo. It advances three claims each more specious than the next.

First, a former president cannot be impeached. The problem with this argument is that he was IMPEACHED while in office. The timing of the senate trial was solely at the discretion of the former majority leader. To allow this argument to prevail is to invite future presidents to flout the law in their final days in office. It was bad enough that a drunken Tricky Dick spoke to portraits of dead presidents in the waning days of his administration.

Speaking of Dead Presidents:

Unlike them dead presidents in the song, Trump’s mug will never appear on coins or currency. Make that real money, there’s bound to be some counterfeit MAGA bucks floating around the internet already.

Second, Pennywise did not lie or do anything wrong whatsoever on Twelfth Night 2021. This is, of course, laughable on its face. He told and retold the BIG LIE that there was election fraud and that he won in a landslide. There’s mountains of evidence to disprove this point as well as a Stevie Nicks song to refute these claims:

Yeah, I know it refutes nothing but it’s a helluva song. Beats the hell outta YMCA.

Third, FREEDOM, MAN. The Impeached Insult Comedian’s shysters argue that his Twelfth Night rant is protected by the First Amendment. FREEDOM, MAN.

There is, of course, an exception to this rule: incitement speech. Here’s how the Supremes dealt with it in the landmark case of Brandenburg v. Ohio:

“The constitutional guarantees of free speech and free press do not permit a State to forbid or proscribe advocacy of the use of force or of law violation except where such advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action.”

I seem to recall a certain orator urging his followers to march on the Capitol after whipping them into a frenzy. And he claimed that he’d walk with them. Another lie that the MAGA maggots should regard as a betrayal, but gullibility is par for the course in the Trump cult. They’ve given Pennywise a mulligan on everything else…

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, if this were a legal, not a political proceeding, Trump would be convicted on this evidence. Instead, 45 senators are on the record as thinking that Trump’s behavior was acceptable. He’s never taken responsibility for anything in his life, why start now?

The upcoming trial may seem like an exercise in futility, but it makes an important point: NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW. It’s a point lost on some contemporary observers, but history is a sterner taskmaster. Of course, the essence of Trumpism is short-term thinking and amnesia. Their Dear Leader lies so often that he doesn’t bother to keep track of the lies. That’s up to the WaPo and Daniel Dale.

Finally, I’ve come up with a new Fog of History photo meme thing for Trump’s second senate trial. It didn’t seem fair to lump Bill Clinton in with the two worst presidents in history since his offense was lying about a blow job as opposed to blowing up the country.