Whatever kind of column Chris writes on Friday, I'm gonna go ahead and consider it a Friday Talking Points column and start the CW Sunday Night Music Festival and Dance Party, anyway.

Because, I've got a tune by the Wailers I want to play!

Just in case enough of them decide to either vote to Convict or vote "Present," claiming that they were abstaining because they didn't think the trial was Constitutional in the first place.

Some Trumpanzies will stop voting but most will stick to the GOP, so the political pain will be minimized. This releases Trump to the civil and criminal legal deathmarch that awaits him and lets Repugs focus on the Midterm Bounce.

Is that "Madam" as in chief of the...

Only if you believe the United States Senate is that term of yours. It is full of a bunch of servile Senators who are bought and paid for by Donald (the) John Trump.

Would you please stop calling me 'ma'am?

Well, bless your heart. I never called you quote unquote 'ma'am... I called you ma'am. It is primarily used in the military and across the Southern United States... a version of the word madam... you know, like, for instance: Madam Vice President.

It makes me feel old.

Eh?

'Tis nothing to do with age, but okay... skookum.

Yes, the House managers are doiong an exemplary job of presenting their case. I am duly impressed.

I have heard one conservative jurist who agrees with the Dems that this second impeachment trial is entirely constitutional but say that he thinks they made a big mistake in charging the former president with incitement to insurrection because that is a criminal charge and, even in a criminal court, would be hard to prove. A better charge, he surmises, would have been violation of the his duties as president, his oath of office and the constitution.

I say, maybe so but, I doubt that would have made any more senate Republicans vote for conviction, anyway.

Would you please stop calling me 'ma'am?

It makes me feel old.

Copy that, Board Mother!

Holy Moly! The Dems sure effing prepared for this edition of Impeachment 2.0. Skillfully weaving together words and audio-visual material, the Dems brought their A-game. Ballin! They really exceeded my expectations.

At the least every House manager is increasing the pain for voting to acquit.

And, I believe Bob Marley has made an appearance or two at the CW Sunday Night Music Festival and Dance Party...

Yes, ma'am. :)

http://www.chrisweigant.com/2020/11/20/friday-talking-points-the-keystone-koup/#comment-172416

See, one can mix music and politics. And don't even get me going on Bob Marley.

Indeed!

And, I believe Bob Marley has made an appearance or two at the CW Sunday Night Music Festival and Dance Party (which can be found at the latter part of the comments sections of the Friday FTP columns and which is why I was sad that there may not be one this week ...).

While any commentary of a political nature is frowned upon at these shindigs (leaving politics aside for a few hours was the originial impetus behind them, after all), it should be understood that the tunes we enjoy here may be as political as we wish!

Bingo! Hitler feared the SA Sturmabteilung "Brownshirts" and in the spirit of the finest Stalinesque tradition of Purges, had Ernst Rohm.

[17]

Patriots?!?! Not unless PATRIOTS stands for Punk Assed Traitors Residing In Orange Trump Shat!

True, that!

[20]

Ain't holding my breath. But Trump out of the way makes too much sense for the GOP to not do the deed. Pragmatism, not optimism.

Outstanding summary!!! I have not read or seen or heard anything better.

This! All this, Russ. It isn't just history who has its eyes on them... it's also their victims and law enforcement in this life.

And while we're both busy helping the POS's -- Party of Stupids -- to "connect the dots" on this thing: What is all the repetitive bullshit I keep hearing coming from multiple media outlets of the right-wing echo propaganda chamber whining incessantly that this was "Antifa" and "Black Lives Matter"!?

Hey MAGAts:

* Are y'all so dang dumb that you think Donald Trump doesn't know exactly whom he repeatedly conned, lied to, and enlisted to perform his dirty work... but not before he issued all the pardons to his elitist friends and left you to rot in prison and fend for yourselves?

* Do y'all really believe that Trump was sending all his love and hugs and kisses to the patriots of BLM and Antifa?

* Are y'all seriously that gullible?

Rhetorical questions.

Yeah, if Repugs vote to Convict or abstain en mass, us Americans could have our very own "Night of the Long Knives."

Nacht der langen messer. The Purge.

"Destroy the GOP":

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/protesters-chant-destroy-the-gop-at-pro-trump-rally-1102967/

I dunno. It's seems the GOP doth NOT protest too much, too much more than pro forma stuff.

They're liars of Trumpian proportion.

Plus, Mitch started things off by being publicly open to convicting Trump and telling fellow Repugs to "vote their conscience."

Mitch floated a trial balloon to see if it would set sail; it did not. Also, one has to have a conscience in order to "vote their conscience." Having a conscience requires having a brain that can connect dots without being too shortsighted... and so on.

So that's different from the first Impeachment.

I will give you that, but I will remind you it was also Mitch who refused to reconvene the Senate so that an impeachment trial could be held before Trump left office, and it was also Mitch who voted that it would be unconstitutional to hold an impeachment trial since Trump was no longer in office... and thus it was Mitch who produced the very excuse they could use to refuse to convict him.

Just because Repugs are keeping their heads down doesn't guarantee acquittal.

I like your optimism, and I don't wish to play the role of the board meanie who informed the very nice lady from Australia that there was no way in Hell that the Democrats were going to win 60 seats in the Senate... but I implore you not to hold your breath on this because I like you too much and want to keep you alive and posting. :)

If Trump is acquitted, again - and that remains likely, it seems - and he comes out completely vindicated, again to say that the fight not only isn't over but it's just beginning then what message will that send to violent hate groups like the Proud Boys and how will it aid in these groups recruiting efforts?

Yes, ma'am, and as we "eternal optimists" are "programmed" to do, we must endeavor to find the "upside" in the gloomiest scenarios, and that is this:

If the GOP is going to greenlight Trump's elevation of the ceremonial role of the Vice President's counting of the electors into that of a unilateral arbiter of which votes are to be counted, isn't it fortuitous that this role now belongs in the quite capable hands of a member of the Democratic Party!?

Do I really believe that? Of course not. Okay, maybe not. Let's just settle on... probably and/or hopefully not.

And she's a woman... a woman of color.

For a Trumpian Party of guys who thrive on the seething white grievance of groups like the He-Man Woman-Haters Club (fictional), that'll surely be painful for all those Proud (little) Boys.

This is very scary stuff.

Yes, ma'am, and the Stupid Party best be careful what it will be de facto rubber stamping with the acquittal of Trump. Somebody has to save the "Grand Old Party" from their own shortsightedness, and it seems like Democrats are forever having to clean up their messes and take out their trash.

Wouldn't it be a shame if President Biden and Vice President Harris were "forced" to have to duplicate that -- what'd they call it -- January Exception? President Biden doesn't give a "spit" about getting reelected; in fact, cancel the whole dang thing. Vice President Harris is only going to recognize the votes from her home State of California because none of those other voters really count anyway. ;) Heh.

I'm just saying: If the GOP wants to greenlight a monarchy, Emperor Biden has a son. ;)

Listening to the Capitol Hill Police’s radio traffic was extremely upsetting, but nothing prepared me for the rage that I felt watching the POV angle that the officer’s body cams provided us. Seeing what the police faced — experiencing through the police’s eyes what it was like when you have a mob trying to kill you as you are thrown to the ground and beaten by a dozen or more rioters wielding metal rods, hockey sticks and baseball bats.

Patriots?!?! Not unless PATRIOTS stands for Punk Assed Traitors Residing In Orange Trump Shat!

I still think Republicans should do what I suggested they do during the first impeachment trial: Vote unanimously to convict. Donald is going down. If they act as one, it is less likely that Trump can really do anything to hurt them when he pitches a fit!

I would also remind Republican Senators that even if they do vote to acquit Trump, nothing prevents Trump from turning on them the moment they do not give up their own free will and Trump thinks they have failed him. Look no further than to how Mike Pence was treated after 4 years of keeping his lips pressed against Trump’s big ass — he could not do what Trump demanded because he did not have the authority under the Constitution to do it!

I also think Republicans need to know that they either stand by law enforcement, or they stand by Trump — they cannot do both! They should invite all 144 officers injured during the insurrection and the families of those killed to encircle the entire Senate when it comes time to vote! They are evidence in this trial. Let the Republicans make their choices when they have the victims eye’s on them!

This is very scary stuff.

Wow. Stellar writeup.

My continuing motto:

"I watch this stuff so you don't have to!"

When they took a dinner break, apparently I zoned out and woke up when it was over having missed what I believe is the most important evidence. Thank you so much for covering this, Chris.

While there is a plethora of damning video evidence against Trump spanning several months (and years) and hundreds of tweets, these GOP Senators who aren't likely to convict Dear Leader are just as much on trial for what they did/did not do and for what they know and will be choosing to ignore if (when) they ultimately choose to acquit: Those GOP Senators know exactly who controlled that mob because they begged him to make them stop.

I take no pleasure in agreeing with Liz Cheney, but she has come close to nailing the description:

On January 6, 2021 a violent mob attacked the United States Capitol to obstruct the process of our democracy and stop the counting of presidential electoral votes. This insurrection caused injury, death and destruction in the most sacred space in our Republic.

Much more will become clear in coming days and weeks, but what we know now is enough. The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have happened without the President. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.

I will vote to impeach the President.

~ Liz Cheney

*
The only thing I would add to that:

For hours we begged him to stop the mob. At the end of the day, he justified and glorified the mob.

*
Trump's intent was made clear via tweet at the end of the day on January 6:

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!

6:01 PM * 1/6/2021 * Twitter for iPhone

*
Of course, Twitter added their disclaimer to the Trump lying tweet:

! This claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet can't be replied to, Retweeted, or link due to a risk of violence

Currently, the Department of Justice is busily working to bring these domestic terrorists to justice for all manner of various assorted crimes up to and including capital murder, and at the end of the day, I cannot fathom how Donald Trump and any other elected officials involved aren't criminally indicted right along with the members of the mob. There is no question whatsoever who orchestrated the premeditated mob hit and their intent in doing so. If the GOP Senators refuse to do their jobs and hold Trump accountable despite the mountain of evidence, the United States DOJ has an obligation to the People.

Thanks again, Chris! :)

Of course, he did. A simple mistake we have all made. :)

And, his plan to have the 2020 presidential election deligitmized as being rigged and stolen has quite a lot to do with the attempt to nullify the votes of Black Americans.

Did this come up at the presentation by the prosecutors on this second day of the impeachment trial?

Did you mean to say Senator Mike Pence in the last paragraph before 'Conclusions'?

If this security camera footage was the 'secret new footage' that we've been hearing about, did you think it had the impact that was promised? Were minds changed? Oh, sorry, silly question. It's as hard as ever to imagine minds actually changing during an impeachment trial.

I was hoping the secret new footage was of Trump at the White House on the day, chortling and laughing at the violence on screen. Though I admit, even that would not have been able to bring anyone around who wasn't already appalled and horrified by this entire episode of constitutional wreckage.

Please continue.

Interesting.

I had no idea just how bad it really was. I hope all of those people in the Capitol and the Capitol police get the help they need to deal with the aftermath so that there are no more suicides stemming from this horror.

"I watch this stuff so you don't have to!"

:-)

We aim to please...

-CW