DL Open Thread: Friday, January 8, 2021

Filed in Featured, Open Thread by on January 8, 2021

Capitol Police Officer Dies.  Beaten by a thug wielding a fire extinguisher.  Trump should be tried for murder.  ‘Reckless disregard’, I know, I’ve watched way too much Law & Order.  Police Were Complicit In RiotCapitol Police had more than enough resources to handle this, but didn’t.

It’s True: Law Enforcement More Than Twice As Likely To Break Up A Left-Wing Rally Than A Right-Wing Rally:

Between May 1 and November 28, 2020, authorities were more than twice as likely to attempt to break up and disperse a left-wing protest1 than a right-wing2 one. And in those situations when law enforcement chose to intervene, they were more likely to use force — 34 percent of the time with right-wing protests compared with 51 percent of the time for the left. Given when this data was collected, it predominantly reflects a difference in how police respond to Black Lives Matter, compared with how they respond to anti-mask demonstrations, pro-Trump extremists, QAnon rallies, and militia groups.

Arrest ‘Em All.  They’re on tape, they’re on social media.  They were right there on Wednesday, but weren’t arrested.  What a fucking disgrace. So far, only 79 arrests.

Betsy DeVos Resigns In Protest.  Joke of the day. Puh-leeze spare me.  Read the link for Elizabeth Warren’s reaction.

Meanwhile, The Covid Pandemic Careens Out Of Control.  Over 4000 deaths yesterday as we begin to see the post-holiday surge due to travel and gatherings. Nobody’s in charge.

Hawley Loses Book Deal.  No biggy. He’ll sell ’em at his rallies, it’s not as if there aren’t plenty of right-wing  publishers willing to print it.

Trump Considers Self-Pardon.  If he pardons himself, DOJ must take this all the way to the Supreme Court. Which reminds me, why aren’t Rudy and Donald Jr. in jail?

RWNJ’s Cry That Trump Has Betrayed Them.  Well, he did incite them to riot, and now he’s reading from a teleprompter to castigate them.  Poor babies.  Maybe this will be a learning experience for them.

I’m sure there will be plenty of stories breaking today. We’ll try to keep up, but this is more than enough to start with.

What do you want to talk about?

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  1. jason330 says:

    It is infuriating to me that DEGOP gets to simply clam up and is never asked about all the support they’ve provided to Trump over the last 4 years.

    Until they clearly and unambiguously repudiate Trump, every Republican is guilty – elected Republicans more so.

    • All Seeing says:

      You are so right. The play it safe Republicans think they can walk away from this shit. All the Tea Party elected officials in Delaware should be called out and it would be nice if your great publication could start from now to “let voters know who they are”? Please help the citizens out. There are loads of TEA PARTY officials here in Delaware.

  2. Trump announces he will not attend Biden’s inauguration.

    Nobody will miss him.

  3. Alby says:

    Dominion Voting Systems has filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump lawyer Sidney Powell and her law firm asking for $1.3 billion in damages.

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/01/08/dominion-voting-sues-sidney-powell-for-defamation-over-election-conspiracy-theory/?sh=4cc3f10f20f2

    While going after Powell was Dominion’s first priority, Dominion attorney Thomas Clare confirmed Friday the company will file subsequent lawsuits against others who have spread the conspiracy theory.

    Dominion has sent letters warning of potential litigation to the White House, Fox News, Newsmax, One America News and a number of Trump-allied individuals, including his lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Rush Limbaugh, Fox News personalities Sean Hannity and Maria Bartiromo, conservative attorney Lin Wood and Melissa Carone, who Giuliani has pushed as a witness to the purported election fraud.

    The Powell lawsuit is the “first in a series of legal actions that Dominion will be taking,” Clare told reporters Friday. The attorney noted that subsequent litigation—which is expected to be filed in the “near term” while the litigation against Powell is still pending—will likely include right-wing media outlets who have promoted the false claims, and Clare did not rule out that the company could sue Trump himself.

  4. jason330 says:

    $1.3 billion….. I hope they get it.

  5. Alby says:

    I haven’t seen Rachel Maddow in years before last night, and I have to say she’s gone far, far around the bend.

    Everywhere else I look the reaction to this has been awful for Republicans, but there was Rachel telling me that they consider this a victory and that it was a good day for them. What the fuck? What Earth are you on, Rachel?

    If she’s on our side, it’s no wonder we’re losing.

    • She said that those who attended the rally viewed it as a victory–that they succeeded in what they set out to do.

      • Alby says:

        Yeah, right. That’s why they’re all posting “I didn’t mean it” messages on social media today.

        It was a shit take. They did NOT succeed in what they set out to do, and quite obviously so — they intended to prevent Biden from taking office. They failed.

        Republicans do NOT still support this, at least not the elected ones. Watch and see — even those who voted against certification are busy explaining that they wanted to challenge it within the law. Citing a poll taken before the events of the day had even sunk is was bullshit, too.

        This was fear-mongering bullshit. Fuck Rachel Maddow and fuck MSNBC, a completely phony “liberal” outpost of NBC, the most fascist-enabling of the three major networks.

        • Jill says:

          “…fuck MSNBC, a completely phony “liberal” outpost of NBC, the most fascist-enabling of the three major networks.”

          Why do you think NBC is the worst? I sincerely want to know.

          • Alby says:

            They have been friendliest to Trump since the beginning. CNBC. Rick Santelli started the Tea Party right on the air at CNBC and was never even suspended let alone fired. And of course the “liberal” MSNBC is kicked off every day by Republican Joe Scarborough — and I don’t care that he “quit” the party, he changed nothing but the letter behind his name.

            Plus Chuck Todd. Plus it’s owned by the worst company in America for customer service, Comcast.

            Really, the list is nearly endless. That’s all I have off the top of my head.

    • Jill says:

      MSNBC: hadn’t watched before but had heard very positive things about Rachel. My friends like her. I watched MSNBC, along with CNN on Tuesday and Wed. nights. I think Rachel thinks the mobbers won because they were allowed to breach and vandalize and not many arrests were made. Thus far, they got off mostly unpunished. Trump is still President; Hawley and other Repubs still tried to quash certfication. Mobbers won in that they haven’t suffered commensurately. I am absolutely disgusted that the mobbers walked away, that either by intention or incompetence the police presence was woefully inadequate and that Trump is still Pres. I share some of Rachel’s viewpoint that “they” won. I hope the enablers and perpetrators all get what they’re due sooner rather than later.

  6. Jim C says:

    I read an article that says it is possible to ID eveyrone who was in the the Capital illegally. Without a warrant, they can ask for cell phone tower readout. After you weed out the folks who have a reason to be there, that rest are insurgents! The writer of the article suggested while you are preparing to prosecute them, you put them on the the no sly list just for giggles!

  7. bamboozer says:

    Hoping to see lots of trials and to see them all apprehended, but as noted the police were in on the game, opened gates for them and posed for selfies. The police are all authoritarians and racist in my opinion. As noted seeing more then a few “I didn’t mean it” posts, we’ll see how many actually pay the price. In addition there’s another million moron march coming on the 20th, fairly sure they’ll flood Washington with National Guard units.

  8. John Kowalko says:

    Trump should be arrested, charged and tried for:
    1) Homicide due to depraved indifference for his COVID failures resulting in hundreds of thousands of lost American lives.
    2) Conspiracy to incite sedition
    3) Conspiracy to incite terroristic violence
    4) Conspiracy to overthrow the legitimate U.S. government
    5) Treason
    6) Terroristic threatening
    7) Malfeasance and misfeasance in office
    8) On and on and on and on

  9. Andrew C says:

    https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/08/tech/trump-twitter-ban/index.html

    BREAKING: Trump banned from Twitter PERMANENTLY.

  10. Alby says:

    Here, Rachel Maddow, chew on this:

    Support for Trump supporters breaking into the US Capitol via new PBS/Marist poll:

    Republicans:
    18% support
    80% oppose

    https://twitter.com/ryanstruyk/status/1347674222194253825

    • That’s NOT what she said. She was talking about the mob members themselves considering it a win.

      They, uh, may reconsider their position as they lose jobs and get arrested, but you’re misrepresenting the point she was making.

      • Alby says:

        IIRC she cited a poll that said over 60% of Republicans supported it.

        Misrepresenting it my ass. Yes, she said the mob considered it a win — and it was clear she, too, considered it a win for them. She said nothing contrary to that.

        Disgusting TV version of clickbait.

    • Headball says:

      What is your beef with her? Her broadcasts often bring breaking journalism and in normal times always tie historical context to the point she’s making.
      I usually agree with your posts and enjoy your perspectives but I dont get it. She’s on “our side”
      It doesn’t matter but still.

  11. Alby says:

    Let me put it this way: If one of our trolls came here and posted “the right wingers won on Wednesday” we’d heap him with abuse and tell him he was full of shit.

    The same thing is true no matter who says it.

  12. puck says:

    They did win on Wednesday*. When they finally walked out of the Capitol door un-cuffed and giving thumbs up, that was a win. They didn’t start losing until Thursday, and after that federal prison awaits, so not a win past Wednesday.

    *I don’t get cable channels so I don’t watch Maddow unless somebody points out a clip to me.

    • Alby says:

      I haven’t watched cable news in years. Back in 2015 I thought she was among the best at what she does.

      Yes, the worst of them still think it was a win. So what? She was doom mongering. I could only take five minutes of it before I had to wipe the spittle off the screen, but I heard nothing along the lines of “here’s what has to happen next.” Just “be afraid, be very afraid.”

      If you check the record I’ve been quite consistent about this over the past four years. This hand-wringing, surrender-monkey “Oh we’re doomed” bullshit has hurt, not helped, the resistance to fascism.

      For four fucking years I’ve heard these useless natterers tell me “be afraid, be very afraid,” and I don’t think it’s because they’re helping in any way. They’re trolling for an audience, and there’s always a decent-sized audience of liberals cowering in the corner.