3rd Insurrection hearing

Judge J Michael Luttig has the manner of an old judge who is dictating to an old secretary who takes everything down in longhand, with as many pauses as spoken words.  Half the time I forgot how he started a sentence by the time he got to the end of it.

At one point, Congressman Aguilar asked the Judge if he could briefly explain something he had written.  Oh hell no he can't! I thought.  And I'm sure I wasn't the only one.  But then toward the end of the hearing he was asked what he meant by something he said, and he answered, "Just what I said."  That was exactly what I thought and was crying in my head, "Don't make him explain it!"  I guess even he was tired of hearing himself.  LOL.

Thank god he didn't give an opening statement.  But the written statement is here if you'd like to read it.

The other witness was Mike Pence's chief counsel on January 6, Greg Jacob.  Who wouldn't like that he sent an email from inside the capitol while under attack to Trump lackey, attorney John Eastman saying, "Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege."  That can be our marching motto.  Say it to anybody any time you're in trouble.

Attorney Jacob says he got Eastman to agree that Al Gore didn't have (nor should have had) the right to throw out electoral votes or return them to the states in 2000, and that Kamala Harris shouldn't have it in 2024; nevertheless, Mike Pence should "do it today."  And why would Eastman have a problem with that?  That's the way Mitch McConnell has run the GOP for years.

Also:

So much criming going on.

Trump decided otherwise.  Maybe Eastman and Rudy can ask to get on the list to be cellmates.

I would say Eastman will be doing time, but he strikes me as the type who will flip and sing like a canary.  If Trump doesn't put a hit out on him first.  Which makes me wonder who replaced Michael Cohen.

And we can only hope precious Ivanka withstands the fallout from the clip in this hearing where she testified that Trump called Pence to berate him when he wouldn't perform.

The "P" word, is what the deposed woman said.  That pee business never dies.

From another deposition, Trump also called Pence a wimp during that call.

This three hour (thanks, Judge Luttig!) hearing was definitely not prime-time material.  Those it didn't put to sleep probably would have changed the channel 20 minutes in. 

And yet, there was some good stuff that came out.

Over to Aaron Rupar for the highlights.  Begin here:

And beware that the woman sitting behind Greg Jacob is scary.  I saw her smile once, though, so it's probably okay.

Previous hearing.