January 6th Committee Broadcast

[StringJunky]

It's just started today. Here it is on YT. For the UK it looks like it starts at 1am and will last a few weeks.

 

Edited June 10, 2022 by StringJunky

[iNow]

It began an hour and fifteen minutes ago. Is being aired live on all major US networks, except Fox

[StringJunky]

4 minutes ago, iNow said:

It began an hour and fifteen minutes ago. Is being aired live on all major US networks, except Fox

Yeah, I watched it. If this doesn't open peoples minds I don't know what will. I think it's going to be hard to watch some of it.  No guesses where Donald is right now.

[iNow]

You used the past tense “watched.” It’s still on. 

And now 5 minutes later they’ve adjourned. 

[Peterkin]

4 minutes ago, iNow said:

You used the past tense “watched.” It’s still on. 

I'm tired already. This is going to be long; no way can i sit watching all that time. I think from now, I'll just catch up on highlights from time to time.

Besides, we watched the actual event, live. We have a pretty good idea what happened. The only suspense is how it ends.

[iNow]

I prefer getting info from first sources. Doesn’t matter. It’s over for now.

Your apathy and lack of interest is the very inertia on this topic they’re seeking to dislodge by doing it this way.  

[StringJunky]

13 minutes ago, iNow said:

You used the past tense “watched.” It’s still on. 

And now 5 minutes later they’ve adjourned. 

I watched the beginning.

Cheney does speaking  well. She doesn't look like she's reading, like the others so far.

Edited June 10, 2022 by StringJunky

[geordief]

10 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

I watched the beginning.

Cheney does speaking  well. She doesn't look like she's reading, like the others so far.

Yes she does.She certainly gets your attention,whereas the chair   drains it I feel

 

[iNow]

It’s a congressional hearing. That’s sorta how they go, but y’all are tuning in thinking it’s another episode of America’s Got Treason. 

[StringJunky]

lol

 

Are they doing it everyday in the week? That lasted two hours. I can handle that. 

Edited June 10, 2022 by StringJunky

[iNow]

11 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

Are they doing it everyday?

Next ones will be Monday then Wednesday morning US time, and there will be a few more now through July. I believe 5 in total, but am not certain 

[Peterkin]

1 hour ago, iNow said:

Your apathy and lack of interest is the very inertia on this topic they’re seeking to dislodge by doing it this way.  

I don't think so.

[StringJunky]

25 minutes ago, iNow said:

Next ones will be Monday then Wednesday morning US time, and there will be a few more now through July. I believe 5 in total, but am not certain 

I'll try and watch them all. Thanks.

[Peterkin]

51 minutes ago, iNow said:

It’s a congressional hearing. That’s sorta how they go, but y’all are tuning in thinking it’s another episode of America’s Got Treason. 

To the rest of the world, that's pretty much what it is.

[TheVat]

12 hours ago, iNow said:

I prefer getting info from first sources. Doesn’t matter. It’s over for now.

Your apathy and lack of interest is the very inertia on this topic they’re seeking to dislodge by doing it this way.  

I hope the group interested enough to watch are those uninformed and undecided.  I'm sticking with checking paper summaries, since I followed this story, already aware of the serious crimes against democracy that were committed.  To me, the big question will be if the bright lights succeed in showing enough people what a pack of lying scoundrels TFG and his minions are.  Enough to keep TFG or one of puppets from pulling a Grover Cleveland.   

[iNow]

41 minutes ago, TheVat said:

I hope the group interested enough to watch are those uninformed and undecided. 

There are basically 3 groups of people on this topic:

1. Those who know what Trump et.al did was wrong and don't want it to ever happen again

2. Those who know what Trump et.al did was wrong and are totally fine with that / ready to let it repeat and recur so long as their "team" wins

3. Those who are too busy with life and bills and putting food on the table to pay much attention to any of this / those who for whatever reason still don't know enough to have an opinion one way or the other

It's really that 3rd group where change will happen on this... if change happens at all. 

[iNow]

The committee finished Day 3 hearings yesterday. Two more scheduled next week. A few points stand out:

• It was violent, intentional, and people got hurt. The goal was to hurt even more people than they did, especially elected officials
• Trump had been informed by nearly everyone on his team and in his cabinet that he lost, that the election was not stolen, that his comments were bullshit, and yet he kept repeating them
• Trumps team knew they were lying as evidenced by conversations they had, they were aware they'd lost, and yet still went out after acknowledging those things to say otherwise in public
• VP Pence told Trump repeatedly he had no power to overturn the will of the people, as did his own WH attorneys, legal team, and others, yet he kept suggesting otherwise in public and thus Pence's life was at risk from the mob Trump was feeding red meat to
• Trump used election steal lies to rake in something like a half billion dollars in donations to help him "fight the steal," but he's instead used those funds to put an infrastructure in place around the country to steal future elections
• 2024 will see the same thing happen, potentially worse, unless something more is done

As today is also the anniversary of Nixon Watergate coverage regarding the illegal bugging of hotel rooms of his Democratic competitors, I realize another key possibility with Trump...

Would anyone be at all surprised if we later find out that he also attempted to use the NSA and various US Intelligence services (or even just contractors with relevant access) to tap into the Biden teams phone, text, and email records in parallel to all of his various other election stealing shenanigans?

[StringJunky]

18 minutes ago, iNow said:

The committee finished Day 3 hearings yesterday. Two more scheduled next week. A few points stand out:

• It was violent, intentional, and people got hurt. The goal was to hurt even more people than they did, especially elected officials
• Trump had been informed by nearly everyone on his team and in his cabinet that he lost, that the election was not stolen, that his comments were bullshit, and yet he kept repeating them
• Trumps team knew they were lying as evidenced by conversations they had, they were aware they'd lost, and yet still went out after acknowledging those things to say otherwise in public
• VP Pence told Trump repeatedly he had no power to overturn the will of the people, as did his own WH attorneys, legal team, and others, yet he kept suggesting otherwise in public and thus Pence's life was at risk from the mob Trump was feeding red meat to
• Trump used election steal lies to rake in something like a half billion dollars in donations to help him "fight the steal," but he's instead used those funds to put an infrastructure in place around the country to steal future elections
• 2024 will see the same thing happen, potentially worse, unless something more is done

As today is also the anniversary of Nixon Watergate coverage regarding the illegal bugging of hotel rooms of his Democratic competitors, I realize another key possibility with Trump...

Would anyone be at all surprised if we later find out that he also attempted to use the NSA and various US Intelligence services (or even just contractors with relevant access) to tap into the Biden teams phone, text, and email records in parallel to all of his various other election stealing shenanigans?

There is no depth he won't stoop to.

[MigL]

On 6/10/2022 at 11:16 AM, iNow said:

It's really that 3rd group where change will happen on this... if change happens at all. 

Can criminal charges be be brought at a Congressional Hearing, and associated jail time ( or execution for treason ) ?
If not, I don't expect any change from the principal players.
They will simply claim they were prosecuted onfairly by the 'criminal' oppposition, again as in past attempted impeachments, and their followers will believe them, again.

Who was that black comedian whose punch line was "These people need to go to jail" ?

 

Say what you will about the Cheneys and their political legacy, but at least Liz is willing to put her political carreer at risk, in order to do the right thing.
Mike Pence, not so much ...

Opinion: Mike Pence, come to your senses (msn.com)

[swansont]

1 hour ago, MigL said:

Can criminal charges be be brought at a Congressional Hearing, and associated jail time ( or execution for treason ) ?

My understanding is no; the criminal charges have to come from the department of justice. The J6 hearings are bringing information to light, some of which (apparently) was previously unknown to the DoJ.

The hearings may also serve to light a fire under their asses to bring charges. Up until now the public focus has been on the folks that breached the capitol, with nary a peep about the ones who were serving in government, and IMO that's not a good look, since it seems that just about everybody on the GOP side was in on it.

2 hours ago, iNow said:

Would anyone be at all surprised if we later find out that he also attempted to use the NSA and various US Intelligence services (or even just contractors with relevant access) to tap into the Biden teams phone, text, and email records in parallel to all of his various other election stealing shenanigans?

Since he's accused others of doing that and it seems like all accusations have been projection of things he/they have done, no. Not at all surprised.

[iNow]

1 hour ago, MigL said:

Can criminal charges be be brought at a Congressional Hearing, and associated jail time ( or execution for treason ) ?

7 minutes ago, swansont said:

My understanding is no; the criminal charges have to come from the department of justice. The J6 hearings are bringing information to light, some of which (apparently) was previously unknown to the DoJ.

That's correct. The Congressional Committee is doing an investigation and ensuring the details of that investigation are put formally into the record. They are also referring potential charges to the Justice Department, but it's the DoJ's job to determine whether or not to pursue criminal charges. The body of congress cannot bring charges, and the DoJ under Merrick Garland must walk a fine line here. Any action they take will get painted as "politically motivated" regardless of how overwhelming the evidence. 

Edited June 17, 2022 by iNow

[TheVat]

Let people paint however they will.  Since pretty much everything the RW does these days is a political maneuver, they are going to see everything that happens through those lenses.

  A public trial, and a conviction, would throw a wrench in the Trump machine and narrow the base further.  And send a message to future would-be fascists.  Of which I am sure there are plenty waiting in the wings.  

 

[swansont]

3 hours ago, TheVat said:

Let people paint however they will.  Since pretty much everything the RW does these days is a political maneuver, they are going to see everything that happens through those lenses.

  A public trial, and a conviction, would throw a wrench in the Trump machine and narrow the base further.  And send a message to future would-be fascists.  Of which I am sure there are plenty waiting in the wings.  

 

The problem is finding an impartial jury. All you need is one secret Trump supporter voting to acquit regardless of whatever volume of evidence is presented.

[TheVat]

4 hours ago, swansont said:

The problem is finding an impartial jury. All you need is one secret Trump supporter voting to acquit regardless of whatever volume of evidence is presented.

The process of voir dire is supposed to filter out the biased, but I agree that in this case the imperfections in that process would likely manifest.  And, once a prosecutor has used up peremptory strikes, they can't move to strike on the basis of voting record.  Yes, you've hit on a big problem in a country so polarized - hard to imagine any pool of jurors that wouldn't be reeking with bias.  And some of it quite secretive.

[uncool]

8 hours ago, swansont said:

My understanding is no; the criminal charges have to come from the department of justice. The J6 hearings are bringing information to light, some of which (apparently) was previously unknown to the DoJ.

As an explanation of what is likely to happen, I think this is correct; as an explanation of what can happen, I think this is incorrect.

Congres has the inherent power to hold people in contempt, and can do so without involving the executive branch whatsoever, and this can include fining or imprisoning the accused contemnor for the length of that session of Congress. And this can be for either a coercive purpose - trying to force the accused contemnor to do something - or a punitive one - punishing them for failing to do so.

https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/RL34097.pdf

With that said, it apparently hasn't happened since 1935, and was rare before then as well.