January 7, 2021

"America’s shellshocked politicians regrouped in sombre mood after the broken glass of the Capitol had been swept up and the blood cleaned from the corridors...."

"... determined to resume the work of democracy. The violence of the mob appeared to have instilled a sense of common purpose that has been sorely lacking during the partisan clashes of the Trump years. Senators reconvened at 8pm and after two hours of debate voted by 93 to 6 to reject the call to oppose Arizona’s results. Members of the House came back an hour later and also threw out the rebellion, by 303 to 121. It was emphatic confirmation that President Trump’s fantasy of overturning the election was as dead as his shredded reputation. There were portentous words at the outset from Mike Pence, the vice-president, back in the chair after being whisked to safety by armed guards almost six hours earlier. 'To those who wreaked havoc today: you did not win,' he said. 'Violence never wins. Freedom wins. This is still the people’s house.'... James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, then resumed the debate in a more contrite manner from where he abruptly left off while setting out his objections to the results in Arizona. After stating that he believed Joe Biden won the election and all he wanted was a study of claims of fraud, he quickly sat down.... [Defeated Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler said,] 'I fully intended to object to the certification of the electoral votes, however the events that have transpired today have forced me to reconsider and I cannot now in good conscience object... The violence, the lawlessness and siege of the halls of Congress are abhorrent and stand as a direct attack on the very institution my objection was intended to protect, the sanctity of the American democratic process.'"

77 comments:

rwnutjob said...

"Mob violence." Nice description. Don't think they ever used it while America was burning down during the summer.

rehajm said...

The day US elections died.

Shouting Thomas said...

The Democrats sponsored, funded and directed Antifa and BLM riots, looting, arson and cop murder in all our major cities.

What in the fuck did they expect in return?

The platitudes from the respectable pols on both sides are worthless.

One side is not going to agree to unilaterally disarm.

Jersey Fled said...

Dems may be able to rig votes to win elections, but they are still accountable to the people. Some may have learned that lesson yesterday.

edutcher said...

Mob violence instils sense of common purpose in US Congress after Capitol stormed

More like gives the Whigs the excuse they needed to turn their coats.

tim maguire said...

On the one hand, it is said that a movement has come of age when it can control the radicals on its own side. The right is showing the left how to do it but I doubt the left will learn any lessons from this.

On the other hand...

"Senator Kelly Loeffler said, 'I fully intended to object to the certification of the electoral votes, however the events that have transpired today have forced me to reconsider and I cannot now in good conscience object"

So 100 people behaving badly has convinced her to embrace a fraud that disenfranchises 75 million people. I suddenly care a lot less that she lost.

Laslo Spatula said...

All we are saying is give Pepe a chance.

I am Laslo.

Breezy said...

Barr told Blitzer last October that they are playing with fire to allow excessive mail in voting. Here we are.

Fernandinande said...

Washington: In Defense of Rioting

Riots are a necessary part of the evolution of society. Unfortunately, we do not live in a universal utopia where people have the basic human rights they deserve simply for existing, and until we get there, the legitimate frustration, sorrow and pain of the marginalized voices will boil over, spilling out into our streets.

As “normal” citizens watch the events of Washington unfurl on their television screens and Twitter feeds, there is a lot of head shaking, finger pointing, and privileged explanation going on. We wish to seclude the incident and the people involved. To separate it from our history as a nation, to dehumanize the change agents because of their bad and sometimes violent decisions—because if we can separate the underlying political tensions that clearly exist in our country from the rioting of select individuals, we can continue to ignore the problems of the deplorables.

++

Should the Washington Protestors Be TIME’s Person of the Year? Vote Below for #TIMEPOY

rehajm said...

If they keep pulling the banana republic 'election' stunts they shouldn't believe they're immune to the inevitable outcome.

exhelodrvr1 said...

Excellent thread on this:
https://twitter.com/Doc_0/status/1347157599695859712

rhhardin said...

They certainly took over the narrative quickly. Senators are the good guys.

narciso said...

And chuck excuses deliberate murder, that escalated quickly.

Fandor said...

It was a disgraceful day in the Capitol building.
Such hypocrisy, mayhem and death.
The death of a citizen, shot to death, and the US Constitution, smothered in the halls of Congress.
You reap what you sow.

Kate said...

The United States Congress is just another Regular Joe storefront that can be vandalized. The Senators seem more offended by the comparison than the action.

Richard Aubrey said...

It doesn't say much for ordinary people to take so long to figure out that the feedback mechanisms supposedly operating in our government don't work.

BillieBob Thorton said...

“The whole point of protesting is to make ppl uncomfortable. Activists take that discomfort w/ the status quo & advocate for concrete policy changes. Popular support often starts small & grows. To folks who complain protest demands make others uncomfortable... that’s the point.”

AOC

stlcdr said...

Mob Violence vs. Mostly Peaceful Protests.

Kay said...

I read that Mike Pence unfollowed the Donald on Twitter.

Howard said...

This is what a free country looks like. It ain't pretty but it's all we got.

Todd said...

So lefties/Democrats have "justifiable grievances" and are simply engaged in "mostly peaceful" protests when they don't get their way, to include burning, looting, assault, and murder. When done by the "wrong folks" it is "lawlessness". Well they are just doing what "they learned from you!"

Welcome to the new normal?

Greg Hlatky said...

It's not rioting, it's the Winter of Love!

The Skeptic said...

Hard to believe that the conservative base didn't turn out for RINO Kelley Loeffler, isn't it?

mockturtle said...

Most of the 'broken glass' was from the Capitol Police to poke their rifles through the windows.

wendybar said...

I hope they are scared. They scare the hell out of us everyday with their insane stupid laws and money bribing, and I really don't care about any of them at all. Let it burn down. We will come out of the ashes stronger.

sterlingblue said...

My wife was watching CNN last night (blech). I figured the woman who died was a Trump supporter when they took "Woman Shot and Killed" off the Chyron and stopped mentioning it.

Reporting on a Republican dying would divert CNN from their primary purpose, which is to make their audience feel superior to the Deplorables.

Our media is vile.

sterlingblue said...

Everyone -- the media cannot make you hate others, no matter how hard they may try. The decision of whether to hate is up to you. I choose not to hate.

Rusty said...

My vote isn't sacrosanct? Then neither is you're phoney political job. Suck it up buttercup.

CStanley said...

Of course I voted for Loeffler but never liked her.

Her explanation for switching her position is as vacuous as I’d expect from her. She could have made a strong statement condemning the tactics of those who breached the Capitol by voting the way she’d originally intended and standing in solidarity with all of the peaceful protestors outside.

I say that even though I’m not convinced that the votes in protest were the correct path to take. I’m no Constitutional scholar but I think Congess’s role under ECA is quite limited and the time to contest electors is before state certification.

But having come out in support of the Senate challenge, it’s appalling to flip flop because you’re afraid that your side has started to lose the PR battle.

Owen said...

Two wrongs don’t make a right. The mob’s behavior should not be used to justify a refusal to examine the legitimacy of the election. But logic doesn’t matter now. Everything Trumpian —the man, his works, his words, his adherents, anyone who ever sent him money or stood in the rain to hear him or has a MAGA hat in the back of their closet— is now utterly and forever tainted. Debate is over. STFU.

Biden could not have imagined a better inaugural gift. No one will ever be heard to question his election.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

McConnell supported China’s nominee Loeffler and this is the obvious result of running a shitty candidate married to the president of the NYSE, who was caught profiting off COVID last April. That’s the GOP that needs to be taken over by a pro-American group of propel. The USA can’t survive without at least one pro-American political party.

Michael said...

Did any lawmaker lose his job, miss a paycheck or have to beg an insurance company to survey the damage? Was their place of work boarded up with graffiti smeared plywood?

Owen said...

Ashli Babbett. R.I.P. With what unseemly haste the powers that be will seek to forget her and make their subjects forget as well. But I suspect some will remember her name and her fate. Out there in flyover country, some will remember.

Increasingly the situation reminds me of “Hunger Games.”

cacimbo said...

Fully expect Congress to take the wrong message from this.They will quadruple the budget for their own protection while not addressing any of the voter fraud issues that inspired the peaceful protest.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

.........direct attack on the very institution my objection was intended to protect, the sanctity of the American democratic process.'"

Yes. And that is why you were attacked...you aren't doing your effing JOBS.

The intentions of the founders are being thrown away, frittered away and corrupted. Since YOU won't do your jobs, guess what recourse the people will have to resort to in order to protect those "intentions".

The People have been trying to send you a message for years. You won't listen. The People have decided that actions speak louder than words. Surprised???

Intentions are nothing without follow through action. If YOU won't do it. Someone else will.

John henry said...

America’s shellshocked politicians regrouped in sombre mood after the broken glass of the Capitol had been swept up and the blood cleaned from the corridors...."
"... determined to resume the work of democracy."

That is the kind of thing that really pisses me off. It is the reason why nobody trusts the media.

Yes, Ann, I know you were quoting.

The only blood, as far as I can tell was that of an unarmed AF veteran shot, apparently, y the police.

The only broken glass I saw, the ONLY physical damage I saw, was the broken windows and doors to get in. There was no damage or vandalism of anything inside the building. I say none because if there had been it would be all over the news.

Offices "broken into"? As far as I could tell there was no breaking into, just people walking through unlocked doors.

The protest was not just "mostly peaceful" It was almost entirely peaceful. Tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of protesters. A few, perhaps a thousand, broke some windows and then wandered around like tourists. No fires, no papers strewn, no vandalism, no violence by protesters.

Did I say FUCK THE PRESS? Just in case, FUCK THE PRESS!

John Henry

John henry said...


One of the things I have seen repeated is that somehow the American flag flying over the capital was replaced with a Trump flag. I've also seen statements that this is not true. A very quick search a bit ago turned up no pictures.

Was there a Trump flag over the capital? I want to see pictures, preferably video or I consider I am being lied to again.

Does anyone know?

John Henry

Static Ping said...

It's good to see elected officials immediately bend their knee to the mob when made even slightly uncomfortable. It shows the true character that we all want in the people representing us.

On the plus side, we got less failure theater.

Oh well.

John henry said...

To those who say we are powerless, we have a great weapon we can use against the media:

Their advertisers.

We need to be writing, not emailing, writing and sending by mail, to the CNN, WaPo, Fox, NYT etc advertisers saying that if they continue to advertise on these lying POS outlets we will boycott their products.

It doesn't take much. A few thousand letters, especially if over period of time, as opposed to a single burst, will make advertisers sit up and take notice.

The rule of thumb is that for each person motivated enough to write a letter, there are a dozen or so who are pissed off but too lazy o write.

An organized boycott campaign would work wonders.

John Henry

DavidUW said...

"common purpose"?

well, I guess the protest failed.

Next time, use the noose.

Instill fear. not purpose.

Narayanan said...

The Senate and House Galleries are open to visitors whenever either legislative body is in session; ------per US Capitol website

---------===========
were Galleries open yesterday?
if not by what authority were they closed?

why could they not do the everyday TSA circus that all are familiar with to get on planes?

John henry said...

I don't watch CNN or MSNBC (We don't get Fox) but my wife does and I am often in the living room when she has it on.

She told me this morning that a woman was shot and killed by the protesters inside the capital building. I asked where she heard that and she said CNN.

Apparently CNN is reporting that a woman was killed (true) but not reporting that the was (apparently) killed by police. The language of the report is structured to imply that she was killed by other protesters.

John Henry

Narayanan said...

John henry said...
To those who say we are powerless, we have a great weapon we can use against the media:

Their advertisers.

We need to be writing, not emailing, writing and sending by mail, to the CNN, WaPo, Fox, NYT etc advertisers saying that if they continue to advertise on these lying POS outlets we will boycott their products.
------------=======
I invite our hostess to disconnect Amazon link and so notify Amazon in writing
- failing which disconnect hostess

DavidUW said...

I really can't muster up a shit to give about congress critters' feelings.

Ditto for all levels of government, but then again i live in california, the epicenter of incompetence.

they're lucky random people don't punch them on the street, never mind tar and feathers.

Dude1394 said...

The democrat media finally finds a mob they don’t like. Whatever.

John henry said...

Where is the violence?

Other than breaking windows, what violence was there?

Was anyone physically attacked BY the protesters?

Were any fires set?

Were any offices trashed?

Was any graffiti sprayed on the walls?

Was anything damaged?

WHERE WAS THE VIOLENCE!!!!!

As another commenter mentioned, the number of people inside the capital was perhaps a couple hundred. The other 10s of thousands stayed outside, peacefully, not "mostly" peacefully but completely peacefully.

Had they gotten involved, there might be a single stone standing of the capital this morning.

"Violence"? BULLSHIT!

John Henry

rehajm said...

WHERE WAS THE VIOLENCE!!!!!

There was that one guy that brushed against one of the velvet ropes inside the hall...

hombre said...

So no expression of outrage by these Congressthings about the apparently unarmed young woman, reported to be an Air Force veteran with four tours overseas, who was likely shot to death by capital police.

Well, she wasn’t a black male convicted felon. No harm done.

We are ruled by assholes.

John henry said...

Speaking of the velvet rope, Rehajm,

Watching the protesters wander through the rotunda, staying inside the velvet ropes for the most part, socially distanced, it seems like it would have been pretty easy to stop them.

I did see one instance of a security guard (police?) in the rotunda apparently saying "You can't be here, you have to leave" (there was no audio) and the protesters turning back the way they came.

John Henry

John henry said...


Blogger hombre said...

We are ruled by assholes.

You are way too kind.

John Henry

rehajm said...

Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable is what some forgotten media raisin dun said. The media abandoned that post, so someone needs to step up...

Big Mike said...

Other than breaking windows, what violence was there?

@John Henry, I have read, in multiple places, that the windows were broken by he Capitol Police and Secret Service (Pence’s detail) themselves. Can anyone confirm or prove otherwise?

Matt Sablan said...

Big Mike: We have at least one video of protesters (some claim them to be Antifa, but I'll stick with the generic "protesters" for now) breaking at least one of the windows.

John henry said...

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night. Alive as he could be.

As Joe Hill said, just before he was murdered by a firing squad:

"Don't mourn. Organize"

He was speaking in another context, union organizing. But his point is valid today.

Rather than whinging about this on internet groups we need to organize. We need to withhold our support from advertisers as I mentioned. We also need to withold hour support from Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so on.

They need us more than we need them. There are plenty of alternatives. Many as good or better. And even if not quite as good, they are good enough. Are you willing to subsidize out enemies because they are marginally better than something else?

https://www.techspot.com/news/80729-complete-list-alternatives-all-google-products.html

I mainly use Duck Duck Go and occasionally Bing for search and have for almost 20 years. I find absolutely no difference between them and Google in terms of search usefulness.

I use Firefox mainly for a browser but will use Comodo Dragon when I need a Chrome browser. Same open source code as Chrome, same extensions, themes and plug-ins but does not phone home to Google.

At some point in the future you are going to need strong encryption. When the time comes that we need it, it will be illegal.

Even if you don't need it now, go to www.openpgp.org and download PGP encryption. It is open and very secure when used properly with a big enough keysize. Probably uncrackable using current known technologies.

Download a copy and squirrel it away just in case.

John Henry

Big Mike said...

Senator Hawley’s wife could explain to his colleagues what real mob violence feels like, with the difference that in the case of her and her child the police stood by idly.

Big Mike said...

@Matt, thank you.

Skeptical Voter said...

Fat Jer Nadler hurt worst; has significant laundry bill.

Iman said...

I would’ve loved to see the “Nadler Shuffle” yesterday, Skeptical Voter!

readering said...

Big Mike we watched what real mob violence is like for hours yesterday.

readering said...

At least by Senate going out of session until January 19 the mob ended Trump's deranged plan to ram through more of his judicial and other nominees over the next 2 weeks.

Matt Sablan said...

"Big Mike we watched what real mob violence is like for hours yesterday."

-- Mob violence? How many non-protesters were injured?

If you're going to call it violence, you've got to compare it to the violence of riots over the last several years where rioters killed people and assaulted the police with explosives. The closest you've got is someone, as of now we don't know who, planted bombs at the RNC, DNC and maybe a few other places (reports are sometimes just saying those two, sometimes including Congressional buildings.)

So. Yeah. I'm going to push back on "mob violence," especially from people who insisted property damage wasn't violence and that protesters don't need to be polite or peaceful, like most of the media and left wing political leadership.

I can be consistent and say I didn't like the riot yesterday, but I won't stand to be gaslit by people who had a sudden change of heart -- and will change it again as soon as BLM or Antifa threaten some Trump voters.

TheOne Who Is Not Obeyed said...

Pence is quite wrong, violence has been winning quite a lot lately. That's why it was used by a small portion of the mostly peaceful protest yesterday.

What you reward, you get more of.

Anonymous said...

Are the Congress-scum scared? Good! They should be scared. This is only the slightest foretaste of what will come if we continue down the path of the Beltway Uniparty.

The cat is out of the bag, the genie is out of the bottle. Mob violence gets results. Everyone is saying this is bad for the Republican Party, and that may be so, but I’m not a Republican and I don’t care. I think it’s great that the playground bully has been given a bloody nose by the class punching bag. There is a new spirit of resistance that we’ve been needing for a long time. They were laughing at the Gadsden flags and tricorn hats, but they’re not laughing any more. If a few thousand unarmed middle aged rednecks took over the US Capitol and pissed on Nancy Pelosi’s desk for nothing more than a lark, what hope do they have if thirty million of them decide it’s time to get out the deer rifles and AR-15 and permanently excise the Deep State cancer?

Also don’t overlook the misjudgment that gave the Right a martyr, and one of the most sympathetic martyrs possible. Ashli Babbitt, wife, mother, veteran, died for her country and her name will never be forgotten. She is us.

Lucien said...

As I write this the S&P 500 is over 3,800, the DOW industrial index is over 3,100 and NASDAQ is over 13,000. Election results, Brexit deals, Georgia Run-offs and yesterday’s DC mayhem seem not to daunt the animal spirits of the financial markets, which I honestly expected to be jittery.

On a tangent, the fight for “wrought” over “wreaked”, “protege” over “mentee”, and “nth anniversary” over “n-year anniversary” appears lost.

Friedrich Engels' Barber said...

My day later take on the John Roberts Riot: except for the hugely regrettable lack of fire-arms training and preparation by apparently the Capitol Police and the terrible death of Ashli Babbitt, not the fault of the demonstrators, the demonstration was a nicely calculated shot across the bow (no double meaning) of the powerful and the Republicans that elections better get absolutely strictly cleaned up in this country by next time. And while we are at it, let's clean up the nasty Press as well. Living by the Constitution? Well that is probably too much to ask. Of course, that is not how the events will be presented for interpretation by the Press and powerful, not when there is a chance to blame Trump.

ga6 said...

Common purpose against the proles...chicken in every pot does not work anymore in the age of th EBT, WIC..

mockturtle said...

Lucien, I'm sure you mean the DOW is over 31,000. Says a lot, doesn't it?

BUMBLE BEE said...

Take a look... https://apelbaum.wordpress.com/

Readering said...

One person's riot is another person's mob violence.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Swing states chose to not obey their election laws or provide secure trustworthy elections.

Jim at said...

Big Mike we watched what real mob violence is like for hours yesterday.

Hours. Got that? Hours.

Meanwhile we've been watching what real mob violence is like - committed by your thugs - for months.

Seriously. Just shut the fuck up.

Leland said...

Was any graffiti sprayed on the walls?

There was graffiti on the street. Oh wait, that was put there by the DC mayor, who accepted the rioters message but isn't getting the blame for inciting violence.

Readering said...

Jim at, I don't believe you are serious.

Kirk Parker said...

Readering, you aren't fooling anyone -- with the possible, pitiful exception of yourself.

PB said...

To change your mind about objections because of a mob means you don't belong.

Readering said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Readering said...

Means you have come to your senses.