J6 pardons immediate fallout

The largest police union in the country - the Fraternal Order of Police, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police both denounced Trump’s pardon of J6 insurrectionists. Their joint statement: “Allowing those convicted of crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families.”

More from the statement: “It sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence.”

Oathkeepers leader Stewart Rhodes walked out of prison and was asked by a reporter what he wanted to see happen next. He said that he wanted the Capitol Police officers prosecuted for supposedly lying on the stand in his trial. He specifically mentioned Harry Dunn.

Former Capitol Police Office Michael Fanone was asked if he had anything to say to Stewart Rhodes on CNN: “This is what I would say to Stewart Rhodes - go fuck yourself. You’re a liar.” Since it was live, CNN apologized for the F word.

Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio walked out of prison and immediately called for Merrick Garland and others to be arrested: “We need people like Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, and the rest of the Trump cabinet to right all these wrongs. The people who did this, they need to feel the heat. They need to be put behind bars.”

J6 insurrectionist Vital Gossjankowski also walked out of prison. He tried to attack his judge during the sentencing and had to be tackled and physically restrained by court bailiffs.

  Meidas Touch

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

MAGA

link

Sweet

Ouch.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Leniency in Jan 6 sentence

I understand the leniency and approve of it for people with mental impairments, but may I ask what mob influenced him to arrive with a hatchet?

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE:  On the other hand...

Fanone interview

In an F-bomb-laced interview of officer Michael Fanone (J6 victim), he relays outrageous interactions with GOP congresspersons about the capitol riot/coup attempt, including these bits about Lindsey Graham: 1) in a meeting that included suicided officer Brian Sicknick's mother, Graham snapped at her that if there were any more talk laying any responsibility at Trump's feet, he would end the meeting, 2) he refused to watch Fanone's J6 video from Fanone's body cam, and 3) he said about the J6 rioters, "We give you guns, you should have shot them all in the head."

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Policing in America

Important conversation, lots to think about on this Michael Steele podcast:

More on the 1/6 Commission

It was negotiated between the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Homeland Security Committee.

Predictably, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) immediately said he hadn’t agreed to the deal. What’s still unclear is how many Republicans will support it. The bill will pass in the Democratic-controlled House, but it will also need GOP support in the Senate, since it could theoretically be filibustered.

Perhaps the most important thing is that it focuses the scope of the commission on “the facts and causes” related to the Jan. 6 attack and to “the interference with the peaceful transfer of power.” It will also look at the “influencing factors” that “fomented” this attack.

Importantly, it describes Jan. 6 as a “domestic terrorist attack” waged against “American representative democracy.” That counters the GOP whitewash effort by framing the mission around the need to explore the deep radicalization that led to an effort to overthrow U.S. democracy itself.

  WaPo

I'm still skeptical that it will be anything but worthless.

Republicans will never go for calling it a "domestic terrorist attack."

They wanted the commission to also look at allegedly widespread leftist violence, including protests against police brutality. Their aim was to bury the role of right-wing radicalization in driving us into crisis, and the active efforts by President Donald Trump and Republicans to feed and exploit that radicalization.

[...]

It will have five members appointed by Democratic congressional leaders — including the chair — and five by GOP leaders. No current elected officials are allowed, which keeps away House Republicans who’d sabotage the inquiry.

Well, that is important, but I'm sure GOP leaders can find five Republicans outside currently elected officials who are Trumpists.

Subpoenas require a majority of the commission, or an agreement between the chair and vice chair (picked by Republicans), so Republicans might be able to block uncomfortable subpoenas.

And they will.

But the chair alone has the power to secure relevant information from federal agencies, and to appoint senior staff, which should give Democrats some real control.

[...]

“The Chairperson would be able to move ahead quickly with getting information from the government without needing a vote,” [New York University law professor Ryan] Goodman continued, noting that the chair can “appoint staff” who would help “shape how the investigation and hearings unfold.”

The next step is for House Democrats to hold a vote on this right away. This could put Republicans on the defensive.

That’s because, as a senior House GOP lawmaker told Punchbowl News, as many as 20 Republicans might be willing to support it.

[...]

Broadly speaking, Republicans want to bury some fundamental truths. Many of them actually did go all in with Trump’s effort to overturn the election. They actually did sustain his lies about our political system’s ability to render legitimate democratic outcomes.

That deception campaign actually did help inspire the deadly mob violence. Trump actually did incite that violence for the express purpose of disrupting the peaceful transfer of power.

[...]

Which brings us to [Capitol police officer Michael] Fanone. CNN obtained extraordinary footage from Fanone’s body cam that shows him under assault, screaming in pain and pleading for help.

[...]

This hints at how a real inquiry could look to the American people. Perhaps Republicans will oppose such an inquiry; perhaps they will not. But right now, the truth is overwhelming the lies. And that’s only going to continue, no matter what Republicans do.

CNN sourced video

There's enough in that video for the coup-supporters to claim the problem was only a few bad apples, though.

UPDATE:  Guess what?