Impeachement: The sequel

There is always prison. Even Mitch McConnell is banking on it. We will get to his Emmy winning performance at the impeachment trial in short order. But before we do, let’s take a look at the trial.

The house managers did a great job, but I believe they posed the wrong question. Instead of focusing on “inciting an insurrection,” which The Don was guilty of, they should have impeached him with these words from the constitution: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…”

Their case would have been simpler and made it more difficult for the Republicans to reject. (Though it probably wouldn’t have changed the end result.)

They could have presented it in a few minutes. In fact, for simplicity’s sake, they could have just presented one thing to support their case:

When The Don knew that the vice president had been whisked away (from his phone call with Tommy Tuberville), and was watching in real time the chanting of “hang Mike Pence, the gallows for a hanging erected before his own eyes, what did the president do?

He incited them more with this tweet:

“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!”

Senators, look into your hearts and Mike Pence’s eyes in the photo on the screen and think: Can I vote to acquit the man who cravenly urged a mob on to kill his vice president?

Yes? Wow. Mikey, Mikey, is your life that cheap? After all the genuflecting at the feet of The Don, you became a traitor just like the rest of them and your fellow Republicans didn’t seem to care. If you were actually hung, would that have been enough to break the spell he has over your party? Would they still have acquitted him on a technicality?

Let’s try again.

Ok, Law and Order Party. Please turn your attention to the photo of slain police officer, Brian Sicknick and say out loud: “Blue Lives Matter.” In your hearts, can you vote to acquit?

Yes? So now repeat after me: “Blue Lives don’t matter. Blue Lives don’t mater.”

If you wanted to hammer the nail further you mention that the Don watched it all on TV with glee.

When implored by Ivanka, Chris Christie and others to intervene, to say something to put an end to the madness, he ignored them and probably asked for more ketchup for his burger and another Coke.

When Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington made a formal request for assistance in a phone call with the Army secretary, Ryan D. McCarthy. At 1:49 p.m., as the Capitol Police asked Pentagon officials for help from the National Guard, Mr. Trump tweeted a video of his incendiary rally speech.

When Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader of the House, implored him to do something to calm things he said:

“Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,” he said.

And to add a cherry on top they could have used The Don’s final words to the rioters:

“Go home. We love you. You’re very special.”

Say what? “We love you? You’re very special? Tell that to the family of officer Sicknick. Tell them how special these people were who were acting on your behalf and murdered this police officer and injured more than 100 others. BTW, have you even sent your condolences to the family? Do you even think about it for one minute?

And what about a second cherry-on-top from his last communication, five hours after the insurgency began?

“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!”

The only thing missing from this was “all of you patriots are entitled to two free nights at Mar-a-Lago for a big reunion bash.”

But that’s the thing. The Don would never do that because he actually despises and has disdain for the very people he has built his brand on. They would desecrate his property. To him, like those in the military, these people are losers and lowlifes. They have been, and will continue to be, just a means to an end to his desire for adoration and power.

Now let’s circle back to the “Grim Reaper,” whose performance as a morally outraged politician was so extraordinary it made me wretch. He is nominated for a special Emmy for playing a politician pretending to give a shit when he couldn’t care less.

In a cynical display of ‘now you see it, now you don’t’, McConnell, who refused to call the Senate back into session to hold the trial while Mr. Trump was still in office, argued that he could not be convicted once he no longer was in office. In other words, once he made the decision to delay the trial until The Don was out of office, he had already created an escape hatch for himself and his cronies despite the fact that there was legal precedent for the trial.

After acquitting, McConnell went to the podium and delivered a blistering analysis of The Don’s actions.

“There’s no question — none — that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. No question about it.”

“The leader of the free world cannot spend weeks thundering that shadowy forces are stealing our country and then feign surprise when people believe him and do reckless things.”

“Whatever reaction he says he meant to produce by that afternoon, we know he was watching the same live television as the rest of us. A mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name. These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags and screaming their loyalty to him.”

He added: “He did not do his job. He did not take steps so federal law could be faithfully executed and order restored. No, instead, according to public reports, he watched television happily — happily — as the chaos unfolded.”

And then the great pivot:

“We have no power to convict and disqualify a former officeholder who is now a private citizen.”

Some are praising McConnell for blasting The Don even though he didn’t vote to convict. At lest he finally spoke the truth about The Don. To this I say: Fuck that noise!

McConnell is a spineless, immoral sleaze bag. The Don incited the riot and was derelict in his duty to protect, but you allowed him to promulgate the “Big Lie” (that he won the election) for so long, that he was able to stir his troops into believing that the election was stolen. So despite your political move to express outrage, you and your Republican cronies bare responsibility for the insurrection. You as their leader bare the most. You are a national disgrace and will be remembered as a man who colluded with a would be demagogue for four years. You fed the monster who became more and more bloated with his power. You allowed his behavior to go unchecked for political expediency and your intoxication with your own power. You have let our country down and contributed to the madness we lived through for four years. You are a coward. History will remember you for this and it won’t be fondly!

I end as I started: There is always prison.