Prickly City by Scott Stantis for January 09, 2021

Situation; Normal. Doesn’t get much worse than that.

Wear a mask, wash your hands, get vaccinated, the new variants of the flu are easier to transmit, we are starting the Christmas/New Year’s surge so expect numbers to go up before we get a handle on it, encourage others to stay safe….

Silly child!! Normal has been cancelled for the foreseeable future!!

/SNARK/

The “Good old days.”

I like my new normal better. I’ve been working on projects I had put off too long.

The first step is to impeach tRump, convict him in a Senate trial, and ban him from holding any position in the Federal Government. But that’s only the first step. Dealing with this continuing threat of insurrection will take a lot of effort and time. We’re going to have to release a lot of potheads from our prisons to make room for the tRumpheads.

The republicans in congress need to wake up and smell the covfefe. tRump is the greatest threat to our democracy, even more so than Russia and China. This may be their only chance to return the Republican party to the values it once stood for.

Corporate America recognizes this. Twitter has permanently suspended tRumps personal account and is actively blocking his attempts to the WH Twitter accounts to continue to incite insurrection.

“Twitter banned President Donald Trump’s account Friday, citing “the risk of further incitement of violence.””

In recent tweets “Trump stated that he will not be attending the inauguration and referred to his supporters as “American Patriots,” saying they will have “a GIANT VOICE long into the future.” Twitter said these statements “are likely to inspire others to replicate the violent acts that took place on January 6, 2021, and that there are multiple indicators that they are being received and understood as encouragement to do so.””

“The company said “plans for future armed protests have already begun proliferating on and off-Twitter, including a proposed secondary attack on the US Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17, 2021. ””

https://www.spokesman.com/picture-stories/twitter-bans-trump-citing-risk-violent-incitement/

These people are NOT “American Patriots”. The analogy that comes to my mind is 1930s Germany and the burning of the Reichstag. The Nazi Party blamed the communists for it. Now we see tRump supporting politicians blaming Antifa for this act of insurrection. These tRump supporting politicians are as guilty of inciting insurrection as tRump is!

I hear ya, sister!

Stop voting for Republicans. They have for the last 35+ years, worked diligently to undermine our democratic society and establish an authoritarian regime while pretending to be for freedom. Trump was not a outlier, but feature and the natural result of this effort.

Well, dear, normal for you is a nasty state of affairs for somebody else. Humans are best at creating chaos.

First, we will have to find out which way is up.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall plays a critical role in the group that helped organize the protest and rally that preceded the riots, attack and attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

Marshall leads the Republican Attorneys General Association’s dark-money nonprofit Rule of Law Defense Fund, which is listed as a participating organization for the March to Save America on the march’s website, as are the groups Stop the Steal, Tea Party Patriots and Turning Point Action.

The website is now down, but archived versions show RLDF as a participating group.

“I am honored to lead RAGA’s policy branch, the Rule of Law Defense Fund, and bring conservative attorneys general together in promotion of federalism, freedom, and the rule of law,” Marshall said in a Nov. 10 statement to RAGA.

Prior to the protest, RLDF sent out robocalls detailing when and where citizens should meet, which was first reported by Documented.

“I’m calling for the Rule of Law Defense Fund with an important message,” the robocall stated, according to Documented. “The march to save America is tomorrow in Washington D.C. at the Ellipse in President’s Park between E St. and Constitution Avenue on the south side of the White House, with doors opening at 7:00 a.m. At 1:00 p.m., we will march to the Capitol building and call on Congress to stop the steal. We are hoping patriots like you will join us to continue to fight to protect the integrity of our elections. For more information, visit MarchtoSaveAmerica.com. This call is paid for and authorized by the Rule of Law Defense Fund, 202-796-5838.”

Marshall on Wednesday issued a statement condemning the violence at the Capitol but did not mention his role leading a group that helped organize the march.

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https://www.alreporter.com/2021/01/07/alabama-ag-leads-nonprofit-that-helped-organize-march-at-capitol/

Articles of Impeachment – Incitement of Insurrection.pdf4

…………………………………………………………… (Original Signature of Member)117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION

H. RES. ll Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. CICILLINE

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

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https://www.scribd.com/document/490165056/Articles-of-Impeachment-Incitement-of-Insurrection-pdf-4

On the cusp of the second impeachment battle in just over a year, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is circulating a memo to Republican senators that outlines how a potential Senate trial would work for President Trump — proceedings that would all but certainly occur after he leaves the White House.

In the memo, obtained by The Washington Post, McConnell’s office notes that the Senate will not reconvene for substantive business until Jan. 19, which means the earliest possible date that impeachment trial proceedings can begin in the Senate is the day before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated.

Although the Senate will hold two pro forma sessions next week, on Jan. 12 and Jan. 15, it is barred from conducting any kind of business during those days — including “beginning to act on received articles of impeachment from the House” — without agreement from all 100 senators. With a cadre of Trump-allied senators in the Republican conference, that unanimous consent is highly unlikely.

“Again, it would require the consent of all 100 Senators to conduct any business of any kind during the scheduled pro forma sessions prior to January 19, and therefore the consent of all 100 Senators to begin acting on any articles of impeachment during those sessions,” the memo from McConnell emphasized.

In effect, that makes the matter of an impeachment trial an issue that will need to be taken up by Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), the incoming majority leader, in the first days of the Biden presidency — a move that would almost certainly distract from the president-elect’s immediate agenda to battle the coronavirus pandemic and ensure that his Cabinet nominees get confirmed.

~

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-impeachment-trump-mcconnell/2021/01/08/5f650ad0-520d-11eb-b2e8-3339e73d9da2_story.html

I’m not holding my breath for this to actually happen, But F.Y.I

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The 1958 Former Presidents Act assures that no president leaves office without being set for life—it guarantees a pension, access to health insurance, office space and staff, and Secret Service protection for as long as he or she wants it.

There is, however, one exception: These perks are only granted to presidents who aren’t removed from office in an impeachment trial.

For Donald Trump, who boasts of being a billionaire (though one who appeared to be headed for financial troubles, even before Wednesday’s insurrection), the pension may not be a big deal. It is lavish, set to be $219,000 this year, but a fraction of what Trump earns from his business.

But losing the Secret Service protection might be more painful. No one knows how much is spent on protecting former presidents—the Secret Service budget for that is kept secret—but it’s not a small number.

And not only would Trump have to pay for his own security, he would lose the ability to charge taxpayers when his protective detail stays at his properties around the globe.

While in office, Trump has billed taxpayers more than $1.1. million for Secret Service personnel to stay at his properties, including renting the agency a cottage at his Bedminster golf course for $21,000 per month.

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https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/01/if-trump-is-impeached-and-convicted-hell-lose-his-post-presidency-perks/

How the Insurgent and MAGA Right are Being Welded Together on the Streets of D.C. A vast constellation of American right-wing groups converged on Washington D.C. to protest what they falsely believe to be a stolen US Presidential election. The organizations include numerous violent extremist groups like the Proud Boys. Its the result of the merger between run of the mill MAGA supporters, white supremacists, and neo-Nazis. (Belling Cat) https://www.bellingcat.com/news/americas/2021/01/05/how-the-insurgent-and-maga-right-are-being-welded-together-on-the-streets-of-washington-d-c

I want my liberty back…

The paranoids are out to get us all! :-O

Good news, little girl. 11 days.

As do we all, Carmen. As do we all. But to get there, we (all of WE, not “us” and “them”) need to stop blaming and start working with, not against, each other. Because we disagree doesn’t make us enemies. But given the current climate of “with us or against us,” I don’t see that happening for a long, long time. As long as Personal Entitlement supersedes Common Welfare, it’s a hopeless dream.

For the record, not that anyone cares about my opinion, i’ve come around 180 on prosecuting the crimes of this administration. They will do it again if they’re not in jail.

Stantis is not treading new ground here, certainly not after the last week. And a Photoshop gradient doesn’t take the place of actual effort.

But at least he didn’t waste a Sunday.

The world changes. The world moves on.

It will never be back with the democrats in charge, with the way elections are ran no republican will ever win again. We need to go to a nation wide set of election rules, start with picture ID’s, no mail in or internet voting.

Still waiting for the elusive coexist tolerance that I keep reading or hearing about.

Sorry Carmen, not going to happen

Why does everybody here seem to not understand what an impeachment is?

An impeachment occurs when the House votes to bring charges against someone, in this case the President. That’s an impeachment and there is certainly enough time to vote for impeachment before tRump’s term ends.

The charges are then referred to the Senate for trial. The trial can occur after he leaves office. If he is convicted by a 2/3rds majority the Senate can then decide if he should be barred from holding federal office again by a simple majority.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/can-trump-be-tried-senate-impeachment-charges-even-after-he-n1253544

And that’s why it is important to do this. This is the opportunity for the Republicans to return the party to the values they represent and to marginalize tRump and his tRumpskis.

I believe William Belknap was impeached after leaving office.

Be careful what you wish for… don’t forget what you used to complain about during those “good ol’ days” you long to return to…

Many individuals’ backs are normally painful.

Stop supporting the party that foments right-wing populists, Carmen.