Pelosi Destroys Select Committee’s Credibility
I recently wrote that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Select Committee on what she describes as “the insurrection that occurred on January 6th“ was doomed to failure. At the time, I had no idea that she would throw the Committee into the death throes so quickly.
Using her power as Speaker, Pelosi did two things that are crassly political. She named Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney, of Wyoming, to be one of the eight Democrat members. Pelosi did this for one reason – to give her the ability to claim that the Committee is bipartisan in the event House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy refuses to participate by not naming any Republicans to the Committee. I do believe she hoped he would not.
But McCarthy did appoint Republican members to the five slots provided by Pelosi to the GOP. According to the long tradition of the Congress, that should have settled the issue of Committee membership. But noooooo.
Since Pelosi has the exclusive power to name ALL members of ALL committees – which most fair-minded Americans may be surprised to learn – the Speaker rejected two of McCarthy’s choices on the absurd rational that she thought they may not be sufficiently impartial. They might ask difficult questions that the Democrats might find embarrassing to answer.
Republicans wanted the Committee to explore why there was such an enormous security failure in terms of protecting the Capitol Building, despite advance warnings of potential violence. That is not an unreasonable subject to explore if there is a sincere desire to examine ALL the factors that resulted in the breaching of the Capitol –and the damage and injury that followed. If you do not want this to happen again, security should be a front-burner issue.
Pelosi ruled that topic to be out of bounds. It could be because one of her prescribed duties as Speaker is to oversee security of Capitol Hill.
There should be no doubt in any objective person’s mind that had there been a much stronger presence of police and military on the steps of the Capitol Building, the amount of damage – and even the death of Ashli Babbitt — might have been prevented. A large presence may have prevented a breach of the Capitol entirely.
I lived in Washington during the Days of Rage in the 1960s and 70s. The police had to handle crowds in the hundreds of thousand. And they managed to curtail serious violence with only minimal breaching of the Capitol. And no, this is not the first time there has been a breach at the Capitol since the War of 1812, as Democrats allege – although clearly the most serious. That is why the lack of proper security is one of the central questions.
Part of the inquiry should be the definition of what happened that day on Capitol Hill. Democrat and their media allies prejudge the event by using such terms as insurrection, sedition and even attempted coup as if they are fact.
I personally call it a riot because it had all the characteristics of what we have seen in our cities over and over. And in none of those cases were the words insurrection, sedition or coup ever used. And they lasted longer, were more deadly. Rioter attacked government buildings and stopping the operations of government. In a few instances, they seized and controlled portions of the city. They declared them to be no longer part of America. And that is NOT insurrection?
We may all have differing opinions of what constitutes a riot or an insurrection – or even terrorism, another term thrown around in conjunction to the January 6th riot – so it would be good if Pelosi’s Committee would examine that issue.
But they will not – largely because they are all using those terms as if that are correct and factual. To me, that is just more political hyperbole.
There are two reasons why the so-called bipartisan commission failed.
First, Pelosi put restrictions on the scope of the investigations – eliminating anything that would undermine their preordained conclusion that it was a coup attempt orchestrated by Trump, Republican leaders and supported by millions of cultists. It would be a prolonged dog-and-pony show.
Secondly, there was no need for a commission – or even Pelosi’s Select Committee. Law enforcement and the courts are extensively investigating the events of January 6th. They are the only agencies that can bring justice. You need to keep in mind that no matter what Pelosi’s Select Committee finds there is nothing they can do about it other than appropriate more money for security. Congress has no authority to indict, convict or send folks to jail on criminal charges. Even criminal charges of perjury and contempt of Congress have to go to the Justice Department.
Pelosi complained that Congressmen Jim Banks and Jim Jordan were too partisan in their views. How can Pelosi make such an excuse after putting Congressmen Adam Schiff, Jamie Raskin and Zoe Lofgren on the Committee? It tends to make the word chutzpah – a Jewish term for unmitigated gall –much too mild.
This may be the first in American history that a speaker has so blatantly abused power in such partisan manner. Pelosi is not driving an inquiry. She and the Democrats have already reached their conclusions. The Select Committee is just another political effort to desperately try to stave off a Republican resurgence in 2022. She knows that she has the advantage of a compliant press. It will spin every bit of the testimony against the Republicans.
It could work because never has so much of the major media been so shamefully aligned with one political party and philosophy –and so corrupt in the abuse of journalism’s standards of fairness and honesty. We can only hope that Lincoln was correct when he said, “you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
So, there ‘tis.
There’s no sane person that would vote for that old bag of shit. But wait. I forgot where her district is. Good old san fransodomy!!!
Larry, I don’t know what DC you lived in during the 60’s and 70’s cuz I certainly witnessed a good amount of police and protestor violence. Perhaps not a Capitol breach, but it took awhile for police to train well for handling the protestors. I took a pretty good billy club during Nixon just for jaywalking on Pennsylvania Ave. Although we did stop traffic, play Frisbee on Pennsylvania in front of the White House, ah, the memories….
The Senate through Mitch McConnell destroyed any committee credibility long before it got to the House. And McCarthy’s selects just out and out ridden with reasons for recusal, including continued meetings with the man in the middle. Worse than a slap in the face, it was spitting in Pelosi’s soup.
Before Trump, I was all for Pelosi’s retirement from the Speaker slot. Post Trump, I was ever so glad she remained to haunt his every malfeasance. And now with the Progressive acceleration, both you and I should thank our lucky stars she’s at the helm.
As to Dan’s rant, feels like it’s a case of haters gotta hate. Only a hateful troglodyte, probably with a deep seated sexual secret shaming him, would toss sodomy and San Fran in the same sentence.
Well you gave me a hint of your age since you were there during the demonstrations of the 1960s. We need to compare notes. Actually, the Capitol was breached. One of my recent commentaries featured a photo I took of demonstrators atop the statue ion the grounds of the Capitol and the steps. I did not photograph those who entered because I did not enter.
I am surprised you got batoned just jaywalking across Penn Av. I do not dispute your claim, but wonder is you were heading to the White House. What was the full situation? There were violent outbreaks at times, but compared to the size of the crowd, they were not major. I say more of the frivolity that you describe. I have photos of folks splashing around in the fountains … wading in the Reflecting Pool. I recall the White House been walled off by the “Chalk Line” — bumper to bumper city buses owned by O. Roy Chalk — in the days when such transportation lines were privately own.
You may have been one of the rare injuries. One of my volunteer activities was to man the medical operation in front of the National Red Cross building. We never got any serious injuries and not a lot of others. If you recall the building, we were in the thick of things. The chap I do recall was brought in to be bandaged up after falling out of a tree. Not long after we sent him off he was brought back for … falling out of a tree.
I was in praise of how well the police managed the huge crowd without provoking violence. I recall the had massive presence but mostly out of sight. If things got out of hand they appeared in force, got things under control and again disappeared from view. There were visible only around the major hot spots … the Capitol Building, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial. All you need to do is compare that to the riot during the Democrat National Convention in Chicago — and other riots in several other cities. In fact, the effect handling of so many major demonstrations and riots in DC made me wonder what happened to all that training in terms of Capitol Hill.
As a small indication of the differences, you should recall how Nixon left the White House and traveled to the Lincoln Memorial unannounced to have a rap session with the protestors. The 1960s anti war demonstrations and MLK’s speech were great examples of HUGE crowds assembling in the best tradition of the Constitution. That was also the case until the rioting started on January 1st. The vast majority were not violent and left when the violence started. the entire thing was over in three hours. But that is a different isssue.
I have to confess that you admission that you had “seen” many outbreaks of violence make me wonder what your role may have been….lol
No, I have no love for Pelosi. In my view, her harsh –sometimes viscous — strident partisanship has played a significant role in the political divisiveness we see today. I know a lot on the left cheered when she ripped up the State of the Union speech, but I so it as utterly contemptable. Talk about violating norms and traditions. To me, Trump can be accused of worsening her worst instincts — as she has done to him. But her ugly instincts have been part of Pelosi for a lifetime. Maybe it is in her formative years as the daughter and sister of two of the most thuggish and racist Baltimore mayors.
Dan’s style is a bit beyond my taste, but hate seems to be the operating method of politics today. I noticed that you did a bit of name-calling — and give you credit for inducing a new pejorative into the conversation — troglodyte.
Frank I see that you are accusing me of being a fag. Not so. I have never been attracted to males. But if I was and my partner died, I would have his ashes put in a pot of chili and invite my queer friends so he could tear our ass up one more time
Actually, I said”probably,” not an accusation, and “ deep seated sexual secret shame.”
Thanks for filling in the blanks even if I doubt many here think you have said friends.
I think you are better than this and shouldn’t have to demean yourself because of your fears. It’s OK to be you, just don’t take your frustrations out on others, especially entire groups of people. People just like you and me.
Let’s move on, name shaming is so base.
Larry, it’s refreshing to talk to a real conservative again. Too bad there aren’t more of you on this board.
First, the easy one…troglodyte. You’re a conservative and this is a new one? :>) That’s about as close as I come to name calling, my error, my attempt was to talk about actions, not people. You’re right, “a bit of name calling.” Apologies.
We moved every five years from around the Northeast down to MD. DC was the first area I stayed for a decade. And then I went “meh,” and moved. I returned to NJ where I have been for decades. With those interesting times, with a sibling having 5 years on me, I sort of vicariously lived the late 60’s while coming of age in the mid 70’s. Remember, I said “witnessed a good amount” from both sides. Guess over time, my miniscule amount became “good.”
I have “memories” of May Day, 1971, starting when we woke to Dad yelling: “Mary, get down here, there’s girls and boys sleeping together” only to hear: “we’re all boys, sir.” Not at the protest, I lived it through these kids staying with us, and those few that returned with stories. The rest came back after release. There were many stories of abuse.
3 days, 12,000 arrests, police and military deployed, swept up anyone with a freaky look. Copters landed at the Lincoln as if Saigon, troops departed, protestors threw up barricades, gas, beatings, a “concentration camp” set up outside RFK stadium, little sanitary facilities for prisoners, it was a military occupation with all the problems that includes. A planning disaster by both sides, the DC police learned a lot those three terrible days. Our “guests” ran for dear life, spent the day being chased, gassed, and physically threatened. There were injuries. Those are my big memories of police and military abuse, it was Nixon ordered abuse, it really struck home. Even the house smelled of teargas.
Myself, a child of the 70’s, I was more like “Dazed and Confused,” than SDS. Our mantra: “it’s Springtime, halters are in full bloom, it’s time to protest, what’s todays’ cause?” It was Nixon, I was at the White House, my trusty half-gan dog at my side, festooned with an Impeach Nixon bumper sticker on each side. I was getting excellent press coverage although I just wanted to meet girls. The police by this time were, as you noted, well behaved and very professional in handling us nicely. I knew that as I breached the police wall to jaywalk across PA Avenue to get to the park. He might have meant to block, but I took a shot that sat me down. No harm beyond a black n blue mark, just surprise, maybe it was the dog….
Later, we took the street, again showing how the police would rather retreat a little, for a while, than get into confrontation. We played frisbee on PA Ave. for a bit. Another time, at a protest in front of the Capitol, a little dazed, and certainly, confused, I followed what I kept repeating “the hat, the hat,” of Bell Abzug. Unfortunately, she was going on stage, and apparently so was I as a bunch of plain-clothed dudes with rubber soled shoes roughly grabbed me, tossed me around, and dragged me away. Ruffled, dented, bruised, but undaunted, they let me go after a brief detainment. There’s a few more, but mostly of that lighter touch. Still can smell that smell from May Day, but my actuals were with well trained folks and pretty light. Bruised but not beaten, shaken but not stirred.
On a number of occasions I witnessed how things can spiral and how training matters. Once, we faced off with a line of mounted blocking the entire street. Some jerk tossed an m-80 like firework. Bang, horse went up, cop fell off, and we tensed ready for the expected reaction charge, fully warranted IMO. The other cops just laughed and pointed at the guy on the ground. Apparently, it’s a funny mounted cop thing if they can’t hold their horse, points to well trained, well-practiced team. Saw lots of that.
At one point, a friend and I wondered — can one man make a difference. Big crowd facing police, this time on the other side of the street in Lafayette Park. My buddy has the best whistle, I have a rebel yell like no other, together we have moved many a concert venue to full volume for encores. We stood at the back, made a slowly rising sound as we slowly pressed forward. Larry, the entire crowd, 500 people or more, moved forward pretty damned hard and fast. We immediately backed off and shut up, we got really scared. It was clear to me that in a crowd situation, it takes very little, even one man who knows what they are doing (or gets lucky), to move the entire thing like a tsunami. Think that happened, in spades, on January 6th. Still does not excuse anyone, but may explain a lot.
That pretty much explains my role, D&C in DC, but I do take credit for the great Nixonian horn honk where we would stand on PA Ave, with “honk if you hate Nixon” signs, and the result was really raucous, and constant. I know they have sound proofing, but I also know he heard it. Had to be a pisser.
As a funny, but since you be a DC brat, a friend worked on the White House electrical staff. He used to say: “Nixon was the nicest guy, always said hi, always knew your name, regular guy. But when we saw Carter coming, head down, moving fast, we just jumped into the nearest closet.” Funny how he used to be able to give me the inside scoop on personalities and how public and private can be very different. I went to High School in Kavanaugh country, not that I went often, but trust me, he did it. Not that it should have precluded his Supremacy, but I guarantee he did it. Saw these rich jerks do lots of that crap and laugh. Love to trade DC stories, it’s a great city even if I was a Monkey County guy, UofM graduate, and hold the record for running the 20 miles at 3am, through the city, from Georgetown to College Park without stopping until arrested on campus for a stop sign. I’m so proud…. D&C.