Hodad

Are we at the "Just throw shit at the wall and hope something sticks!" phase? Was the protest at Pelosi's office (not the Capitol, BTW) a violent attempt to overthrow the government? (That's not hyperbole, BTW, it's the literal consequence of killing Pelsoi, Pence etc. and negating the outcome of the election.) How many people died as a result of the climate protest? None? So these events have very little in common and would be rightfully handled differently? Okay then.

I would disagree to some extent. He's a conventional Republican, or an actual Republican of the Nixon, Reagan, Bush variety. Trump is truly the RINO. He and his inexplicable cult of personality did effectively take over the Republican party, alienating principled Republicans like Brooks. If the inmates continue running the asylum in the GOP, Brooks may indeed become a RINO. Or he may abandon the party altogether if it no longer represents his views, as other principled conservatives have done. But Brooks status is currently TBD as the civil war inside the GOP shakes out. But, honestly, if Trump's brazen parade of inexcusable behavior hasn't lost him the populist base then things aren't looking good for traditional conservatives.

Nah, Tucker is just the favorite megaphone boosting conspiracy nonsense right now. As expected, your facts aren't correct. This woman, Pam Hemphill of Idaho did, in fact, enter the capital. You can see the evidence in the complaint. What's worse, this wasn't her first Rodeo. She claims to have also broken into the state capital in Boise. She's an Alex Jones nutter type and frankly got off lightly. But to circle back to the point, this is totally consistent with what we've generally seen so far. People who stormed into the capital get charged, people who were in the crowd outside do not. Can I assume that you'll stop holding her up as a contrast to Epps? To the earlier point about Tucker-- and maybe it wasn't him, but you listented to someone of his ilk who told you that Ray Epps was an FBI plant and blah blah, and to convince you they told you about this woman. "If a 60-something grandmother is being prosecuted for "parading" and Epps isn't being prosecuted then it's evidence of special treatment." When in fact, as I've said before, there's nothing unusual about the picketing and parading charge and indeed that was a plea down from more serious charges. Whoever it was that you were listening to, they told you lies and manipulated you to further their conspiracy theory. The way you fight back against being manipulated by misinformation is to turn it off. Turn it off.

There was a time when I would have thought that conspirators planning to kidnap and murder any person -let alone a state governor- would be indefensible. But political forums have disabused me of that notion. And of course, we see here again that some people will defend *anything* if it suits their politics. There is no right and wrong for them, there is only tribal identify.

It's called prosecutorial restraint. You think they should put everyone who passed the barricade in prison? I wouldn't mind, but I think it's reasonable to reserve serious consequences for the more serious offenders. If you want me to speak to the issue of the 65 year old grandma you'll have to identify her. I don't mainline Tucker's bullshit.

Have you not followed the Stewart Rhodes Oathkeeper trial for seditious conspiracy? Pre planned well in advance, with documentation to support. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2022/10/20/us/politics/oath-keepers-jan-6-trial.amp.html

I rejectt the premise. The "MSM" thinks he's and idiot, but in terms of "a pass" he seems to have been treated as like transgressors by the law. The only reason the media has any reason at all to talk about Epps is because of the cockamamie conspiracy theory. Otherwise he's just another red hat atop an empty head in the crowd of many.

It says in the quote you've quoted multiple times that that violation- going onto the grounds- has largely gone unpunished. I thought you understood what it meant, but just to be clear they are not saying that it has largely gone unpunished in Epps case. They are stating, as I did, that people who went on the grounds but not into the capital have largely gone unpunished. Meaning Epps is being treated like everyone else who didn't enter the building. Also, I believe you misunderstand Shroyer's legal situation, which began prior to Jan 6. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1428181/download&ved=2ahUKEwiPy9-P0IH7AhUxlIkEHVz2AMUQFnoECAwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0QNp9F4SceTYPJV0JtDV6E

I am a bit confused, because the Trump apologists have spent the last 7 years telling us that "no" sometimes means "yes"-- whether it comes to women or the electorate. But more seriously, people are going to prison for planning a pre-meditated, violent insurrection, and you honestly believe that the best your twisted version of the FBI could come up with was an unknown dude from Arizona with no organization and no influence? That makes sense in your mind?

You could indeed accuse me of being a person who knows that the Republican-led Senate Intelligence committee report established Russian "collusion" and that the COVID vaccines reduce transmission. Both of those things are factually true. And yet you've provided no evidence. Hm... He did not, in fact, cross the Rubicon. He did not enter the capitol and was indeed able to turn aside from that ruinous course. Where I see a dipshit political hobbyist with little brains and less courage you see that the FBI asked some random dude with no network or influence to transform a peaceful gathering into a murderous mob. Because Epps is apparently the world's most charismatic and influential man. While you're weaving a conspiracy of wild speculation and zero evidence, you might as well wrap in the Illuminati and the lizard people.

That video is weird. -- At any rate, both of the other guys you mention entered the capitol. People who entered got prosecuted. General rabble rousers outside did not.

Wow, that is a deeply paranoid group. -- Given how many had already planned to storm the building with violence I wonder if they are changing "Fed" because he added "peacefully?"

Yes, Alex, and no children were killed at Sandy Hook. They were all crisis actors, right? I'm not aware of Epps urging people in on Jan 6, but he is certainly on video stressing "peacefully." And it's not any kind of stretch for someone to bail out on a peaceful protest when it turns violent. There were a LOT of people there who didn't join the riot. Your "reasoning" is that the FBI did it, and anything that contradicts that conclusion--including sworn testimony from any of the parties involved--is that the FBI made them say what they said. With thinking like that, you're literally beyond reach. Everything contrary to the conspiracy is part of the conspiracy! There's no way to drive a train back onto the tracks and I don't have a crane handy.

You're just spewing conspiracy nonsense. There's not really anything to say about it, because anything said becomes part of the conspiracy. Exactly as you did in point 2. -- One of the rioters validates Epps claim and you spin it right into the conspiracy. -- Thanks Alex Jones. Sigh.

Epps is on video the night before the riot saying they need to go into the capitol peacefully. (Perhaps he thought better of it on Jan 6 once the violence started.) At any rate, Epps didn't go into the building (and most who didn't haven't been charged). Epps claimed that he tried to stop Samsel from attacking police and barricade- and Samsel confirmed Epps' story. I mean, he's an idiot to be on that bandwagon in the first place, but he didn't cross any bright lines on Jan 6, so I'm not sure why folks think he should have been arrested. -- He's also not a mysterious figure. He has a life and history both before and after Jan 6 and there is frankly no reason to think the FBI brought in older, wedding-venue owner from Arizona to incite a riot on Jan 6. He's just a dude who got hopped up on MAGA. No special influence or position. It takes a lot of conspiracy magic thinking to imagine that this would even seem like a feasible plan to the FBI. -- And honestly, if just some random dude saying a few words can inspire the violence of Jan 6 those rioters have bigger problems than the election. I'm not familiar with the grandmother to which you refer, but despite the name "parading" is not a rare or bogus charge. It's a misdemeanor with light sentencing. I'm not aware of anyone getting 6 months, but chances are if that happened it was a plea down from a more serious charge.

Ray Epps is just a gullible old conservative who became a convenient scapegoat as the far-right disinformation apparatus turned their sights on him. It's hard to feel sorry for anyone who supported Trump enough to travel cross-country to Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally, but even stupid people can learn--and Epps learned a very hard lesson in what the modern GOP and conservative media is all about. He is just thrown away from the movement as grist for their mill. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/13/us/politics/jan-6-conspiracy-theory-ray-epps.html

Maybe, but he certainly found his backbone when it was most important. Mike Pence and Dan Quayle are two very unlikely saviors of the Republic, but here we are...

I think it's fair to blame him for the actions outside of the pandemic though. For example, Trump assumed office amidst a robust and growing economy, but decided to feed his ego and ambition for re-election by stimulating it further through spending and tax cuts. Inflation is one reason not to goose an already healthy economy, but the other is that there is no room left to apply counterpressure to declining fortunes. Ideally economic and monetary policy are tools to smooth out the natural swings of the economy, but if you've got the economic levers at full tilt for no reason then when things go wrong you've got less room to react. ETA: For sake of clarity, he was already choosing to run large deficits for no reason. If he had been fiscally responsible then even the pandemic-fueled deficit would be dramatically smaller.

Oh, I think you can make that stuff up. He answered the question. The interviewer didn't have to repeat himself. I think odds are pretty slim that he actually fell asleep- or he's a pretty damn talented sleeper to keep the conversation going. But I don't think you actually care. There are multiple videos of Trump falling asleep on the job-- the COVID briefing comes to mind first. Does that disqualify him in your eyes? If not, then you post is just more hyperpartisan twaddle. -- For my part, I'm certain we'd be much better off if Trump had nodded off for the whole 4 years.

i believe you made your debut here by trying to seriously reference a satirical The Onion-style article that was actually poking fun at your position, so I think your ability to critically analyze media is already pretty well established, but the film you're referencing is pure propaganda and has been thoroughly debunked by people across the political spectrum. There's nothing factual about it. D'Souza has made a lot of money selling pure, distilled crap to people dumb enough to buy it, and he'll continue to make more until you stop buying it. If you're into fiction, there are a lot of better options out there.

Well, yeah, but if we leave we're probably coming to Canada. Maybe he should rethink his rooting interests.

Jeebus. You have to misrepresent an article so that you can disagree with it because it's not from some fringe cesspool site? What a goof. Again, the amazing part isn't that the people of the FBI are imperfect. The amazing part is that Trump and the conspiracy kooks have suckered you and millions like you into believing that the FBI is persecuting Republicans, when it's been run by republicans for the last 20+ years--including current Trump appointee and member of the Federalist Society, Christopher Wray. Are they persecuting themselves? No, of course not. They are declared enemies of the Trumpist regime because they make an effort to serve the country instead of the whims of the most corrupt president in American history. If they can't pass the Trump purity test they must be corrupt. Like the KGB even. You people are off the rails.

Great. You seen to agree with the article, which is titled, "The Massive Case Of Collective Amnesia: The FBI Has Been Political From The Start" There have always been things that make politicians unhappy. The magic of this moment is that a wildly corrupt megalomaniac has convinced you that anyone who opposes him is out to get him, and that you're being "persecuted" by association.

If you mean to say that the organization is staffed by humans and humans are inherently political, it that any organization led by political appointees is inherently political, that's reasonable. https://www.npr.org/2018/01/26/580677742/the-massive-case-of-collective-amnesia-the-fbi-has-been-political-from-the-start Things happen that are sometimes inconvenient to one political party or the other. Comey spiked the Clinton campaign with nonsense right at the finish line, but he also didn't try to put her in jail over the silly email stuff. It's political, but it's not the damn KGB. That's Republican victim complex, "deep state" Q conspiracy nonsense.

All eyes will be on any of her possible attempts to cheat. It's like going to a David Blane magic demonstration. You know he's going to try something and you're watching him like a hawk, but begosh and begora, he does it anyway. What Mike Dense, er Pence orchestrated was to put us only one triggering event away from possible civil war. Normally, iinm, it takes two or more elections with instances of voter fraud before partisans can "sell" others on the idea that they will never be able to trust the system to assure a fair election unless the activists take things into their own hands. By Pence failing to do a 9 day quick review of the nationwide election system, future activists (from any of three motivations or more) can say that the fraudulent 2020 results were the first of the two required compromised election events. Pence was stupid. He should have followed the advice of the 100 nationwide lawmakers who united to formally request Pence take the time to review the system before giving the 2020 election results to Speaker Pelosi and thus certifying to her and the people of this country, that the results are honest and accurate. And everyone knows there was reasonable doubt. And anyone who knows how important an honest, transparent, healthy and well run election system is to our Republic would tell you that no expense should be spared or effort not taken to dispel ANY DOUBTS about the system's integrity which might be used to rig a one trigger any future existential threats. That's one possibility. Another is that Pence wasn't dense. Pence was possibly made an offer he couldn't refuse. So, he possibly sold Trump down the road, and in the case that this is true, would bear the responsibility for inflicting the greatest potential damage to this country since the first shot was fired at Ft. Sumter. And if you consider Trump's attitude toward Pence since J6, I think it is consistent with how I would react if I knew Pence HAD to deliver the bogus results to Pelosi or something very bad would have happened. I would wish he could have resisted that pressure. But I would know he only did what he had to do. That's the attitude I detect when I see him speak of Pence. This is ridiculous. After 6 months of partisan recounts, "cyber ninjas," coercion of local officials and 60 court cases (laughed out of court) there was not a shed of evidence of anything except Trump's lust for power and his disdain for American democracy. No, there was not reasonable doubt, and no, Mike Pence wasn't going to magically do more in 9 days-- and none of that is relevant because the election was already certified and delivered. Pence did the ONLY thing that he could legally do: his job. The only scheme to steal the election was Trump's play with the Eastman mem and literal "fake electors." He tried to steal it right in front of you, on the record, and you still worship him. It's lunacy. You cannot stand with Trump and with the constitution at the same time. He is anathema.