INSURRECTION AND IMPEACHMENT DAY ONE
INSURRECTION AND IMPEACHMENT
- DAY ONE
BACKGROUND
Today marks the second most important day in all of American
history. House managers will cross the Capitol rotunda marching to the Senate
chamber to begin the second trial of former president Donald J Trump. In
February this President faced his first impeachment charged with crimes
committed in the beginning of the election cycle. He was accused of manipulation
in a telephone call to newly elected Ukraine President Zalinski.
The Ukraine had been under siege since the Olympics in 2014
when “little green men” crossed borders in the northwest and into the Crimea. Zalinski
had been elected on anti-corruption in the government and to end the Russian
annexation of territories the leading politician and oligarchs funded by hiring
Russian military to cause disruption and rally Russian speaking Ukes into a
state wide insurrection against the government.
The federal government, namely the high level of the State
Department and more so the Pentagon held up crucial defensive weapons delivery leveraging
this shipment against Zalinski to launch a bogus investigation into chief
opponent Joe Biden (D). This began in the fall of 2019 well before a nomination
long before the Democratic convention where former Vice-President was far less assured,
he would be the nominee.
The trial in the Senate was a sham. Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell wielded his power to forestall the trial and set the rules for
the upcoming political event. The Senate would not allow crucial witnesses to
the prosecution from various intelligence officers across seventeen departments.
Worse, McConnell set the tone along with Sen. Lindsey Graham
by revealing their votes to acquittal before hearing one shred of evidence. Previous
impeachment trials were decided by a strict party line and this fact signaled
that Republicans would vote to acquit. One lone Senator crossed party lines and
sided with Democrats. The one was Sen Mitt Romney of Utah. In spite of
overwhelming but circumstantial evidence (as witnesses were banned) was predictably
acquitted.
House led prosecutor, Rep Adam Schiff (CA) delivered a riveting
summation before the chamber warning Republicans and the nation “He has done it
before and he will do it again. You (Senate Republicans) know how dangerous
this president is.” Schiff’s dire warning came true.
THE
INSURRECTION – THE STORMING OF THE CAPITOL – JANUARY 6, 2021.
America had faced several divisions across the country in
her past but this was unique in the fact that various Trump supporters including
illegal militias gathered at the behest of the president to “march to the
Capitol …fight like hell” to disrupt a traditional count of electoral vote in
what was largely a ceremonial event for 240 years where the Vice-President led
the procedure to count the states’ final election results of the November
election in which Joe Biden was elected as President by a 320 – 216 margin in
the electoral college and by more than nine million popular votes.
The alleged criminal had begun a propaganda campaign before
his dubious election in 2016. He preached to his MAGA base and several militia
groups including neo-Nazis, White Supremacy groups, Proud Boys and whoever
would be duped by his fiery speeches and a lie perpetuated on social media.
On January 6, Trump administration officials including his
two sons Donald, Jr and Eric led the charge along with former NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
THE
SECOND IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
After the attempted coup on January 6, Democrats and
Republican Congress decried the worst assault upon the Republic and democracy
itself. Aside from internal national security breaches the riot at the Capitol
was seen across the globe as evidence that American democracy of The Great Experiment
has failed. Several foreign leaders in authoritarian regimes public or private campaigns
pointed to their populace as a form of government that was subject to wide corruption
over decades, a system in decline subject to nefarious undercurrent of bad
actors, a deep state and where the most absurd conspiracy theories spread
online that the Trump base swallowed as truth and the programing publicly on display
and almost subliminally converted doubters of their government. The infection
had grown over the previous four years, culminating in the largest divide since
the Civil War.
On the day of the Insurrection and in the days and weeks to
follow one unfortunate fact surfaced among the American people is the extent of
a body politic embraced the corrupt and traitorous president. Second citizens
supporting the Republic became shocked at the fervor these self-appointed
patriots shouted outrage at Democrats and Republicans alike threatening them
with violence up to and including public hangings on the Capitol grounds.
THE ENEMY
WITHIN
In the dire aftermath of the mob mentality that overtook the
Capitol, several elected Republicans serving had openly supported and
encouraged the mob, incited by outgoing president slowly were unmasked. The
most prominent and actually celebrated by alternative news networks included
Senator Josh Hawley
Senator Ted Cruz
Senator John Kennedy
Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene
Rudy Giuliani
There is a litany of Republican appointees of Donald Trump,
unqualified stooges serving in high positions within security agencies across Washington,
including the Pentagon. These are loyalists strategically placed and complicit
with an active coup. Thus far in the FBI investigation conducted, the facts are
emerging where Pentagon official, Capitol police, Homeland Security and other members
circulating under the radar in all federal departments. The most harrowing is
that these officials failed to bring in the National Guard, State police in
Virginia and Maryland. These troops and police stood ready but the order to
move never came. Most harrowing, is that the inaction, the “stand down, be
ready” directive is what Timothy Snyder describes in “On Tyranny.” In his book,
Hitler did not have to order Jewish citizens executed. Nazi soldiers,
indoctrinated by the lies and misinformation, acted alone to carry out crimes that
representative of those of the Third Reich. It is tyranny carried out by
citizens.
The political members who took on the task of rallying and
provoking the mob into violent action as listed must be investigated and
expelled from Congress. Those appointees active or docile have yet to be rooted
out and face criminal charges of sedition.
DAY ONE
As reported House Managers began on fast pace toward a presentation of the “facts” said Jamie Raskin (D-MD), chief prosecutor. Raskin opened with a telling statement directed to the Senators both as victims. The evidence House managers "will show that Donald Trump surrendered his role as commander in chief and became the inciter in chief of a dangerous insurrection."
Managers wasted no time in presenting video coverage of the events leading up to the sedition by the trump mob insurrection.
The video was riveting and convincing of the President's role in his speech at the White House urging his militia to march down Pennsylvania
Avenue to the Capitol and fight for your country. He promised the crowd “I will
be with you.”
Raskin injected a personal account of that terrible day as
the mob made their way through the corridors in search of Democratic leaders
such as Nancy Pelosi and AOC. Raskin brought family members including Tabitha
his youngest daughter. As the Capitol was being breached Raskin with daughter
in tow took refuge in an office behind barricaded doors. Tabitha hid under a desk. In the ensuing
moments Raskin related the sound of a constant “boom …boom … boom” relentlessly
pounding on the doors he likened to a battering ram. Raskin relayed the haunting
sound resonating, one he can never forget. Raskin related the words of Tabitha “Daddy,
I don’t ever want to come to the Capitol again.” At this point Raskin began to
weep before the entire Senate.
The video evidence used back and for shots of the president
inciting and the actual storming the capitol. There were interspersed text
screens identifying the action and a time line. This aide no doubt supported
the crimes alleged, but I can only imagine Republican jury members, deterring
their eyes or sitting looking down at their desks. One just knows they blocked
out the audio and the video in their cowardice and fail their oath of office.
At conclusion of the video, Raskin took his place at the
podium to further the argument from a Constitutional basis refuting the
argument that the impeachment is unconstitutional as trump is no longer in office.
Raskin utilized history in first English law and moving to the framers.
Raskin argued that there is a precedent in law that most
impeachments involve the prosecution of a federal officeholder. State laws
frame the same standard. He debunked any hidden clause January exemption for
the office of the President. It is the loop-hole managers are expecting the defense
will attempt to argue as trump’s escape clause.
Raskin cited the “president may not know the framers, but
they know him.” He went forward with the constitutional amendment that individuals
Hamilton, Madison … the words were carefully explicit in that this is written
as a protection against a despot assuming office, threatening democracy and
using any means available to secure re-election.
Rep. Joe Neguse followed to begin the multi-pronged definition and duty to follow former federal officials as cited in the Constitution. He went further to describe the fallacy of the loopholes trump defense will no doubt argue. He cited several cases supporting the ability and duty to impeach. He went to the example of an 1870 impeachment of the Secretary Defense, William Bellkamp was through an extended investigation.
Following the arguments of precedence of the legality of impeachment
that now Trump is impeached for his high crimes of sedition in his coup attempt
to remain in office and overthrow the transition of power by throwing out the
validation of the electoral vote in the capitol.
David Cicilline (Rhode Island) went third by vividly recalling the events of the Insurrection and how members of this Senate were inches away from mass murder. Important was his display and recitement of trump’s tweets during the real time of the attack. He continued that trump must be tried for his crimes. He cited trump’s tweet urging his followers on, that they are heroes that are acting to overthrow his rightful claim he won by a landslide the election and this is the steal. He praised the rioters as a group that will be long remembered.
Cicillini argues against that this trial and conviction is a
dangerous precedent in prosecution of a president now a private citizen. Some
he states the President should be given a “free pass” and move on. It is
unconstitutional as he was not afforded a fair process to defend in the House
before the vote of Impeachment. But, in fact is this is a lie. House Democrats invited
the defense team to the House to put up arguments in their cause. Trump was
advised not to appear. The defense chose not to go before the House as they
realized they would expose a frivolous argument based on the “Big Lie” that he
actually won and the election was stolen by both Democrats and Republicans in states
certified election results. Cicillini did not mention the call to Georgia’s
Secretary of State demanding he “find” him some votes, about 12,000 in fact.
He began concluding in describing the gravity of the
situation in that five lives were lost and untold damage to the democracy.
ASSESSMENT OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT’S DEFENSE TEAM
Attorney Bruce Castor began the defense by first
admitting America elected a new President in Joe Biden and quickly moving the focus
on Impeachment law in their argument clauses within the Constitution. I cannot
begin to describe the defense most confusing argument that radical Republicans
cannot possibly be awake. Their lack of attention will not matter, they will
remain complicit.
“David Frum in The Atlantic offers that
the president’s
defense may center on the First
Amendment. Specifically,
his team may argue that to disqualify Trump from holding future office “would
essentially amount to punishing him for speaking his mind.”
“That is wrong,” Peter D. Keisler, a former acting
attorney general of the United States, and Richard D. Bernstein, an appellate
lawyer, argue.”
During the defense arguments I could not follow the
scattered presentation. I turned to Twitter in search of any post that
transcribes these second-rate attorneys. However, I came across a twitter post
that I was compelled to retweet and post on Face Book with my accompanying commentary.
View a synopsis of the video. https://twitter.com/deep_blue4/status/1359245897633259523?s=20
Watching the #ImpeachmentTrial, it is unbelievable house managers
must educate Republicans, explain law, Impeachment precedent. The video link,
provides an of in-your-face evidence to members who witnessed crimes including
murder. This is the alternative universe of #Republican #QAnon party who willfully betray their sworn oath,
look away and promote an insanity to just #MoveOn
Unforgivable at any time in
American history. It is an insult and betrayal of the #GreatestGeneration who gave life, limb and blood to
guarantee freedom and the very existence of a mob bent on sedition. They are
the #Cowards of their own wild, conspiracy theories of what
is now the QAnon generation. Trump's militias did not storm the beaches of
Normandy, scale steep cliffs to defeat the #Tyranny of Hitler. The election was not rigged. But
the Insurrection was. Incited by Trump, supported by certain Republican members
of Congress and those who kept security at bay.
Twitter Link https://twitter.com/politico/status/1359242022566191109?s=20
Upon adjournment Politico and others
described the scene at the Mara Lago bunker. Their sources described the reaction of
the former President who became angrier as the defense droned on.
“…
people close to the president’s defense team said they quit watching the
proceedings out of sheer frustration. Castor’s presentation” angered Trump by the absence
of “graphics or a video” to rival that of the Democrats. He expected his
apprentices to utilize a “slick” TV show, like that of “The Apprentice.”
Politico
published the critique of a famous member of the A-team who starred in
Impeachment I. “I have no idea what he is doing,” Dershowitz said of Castor, shaking
his head.
POLITICO’S REVIEW OF TRUMP’S REACTION
He evoked democracy’s origins in
Ancient Greece and claimed an impeachment conviction would lead to a “slippery
slope.” Castor said only the Senate could stop the “bitter infighting” from
decaying the country’s republic and denounced the trial as an “attack on the
Constitution.”
“And the jurors weren’t happy either: “President Trump’s team was disorganized. They
did everything they could but to talk about the question at hand,” Sen. Bill
Cassidy (R-La.) said. “And when they talked about it, they kind of glided over,
almost as if they were embarrassed of their arguments.”
Impeachment Day one should serve as Trump’s coup de grace. If fifty of his peers served as jury, seated in a Roman Coliseum the vote, a big “Thumb’s Down”
-Gary Grzymkowski
NOTE: The inspiration to write this blog stems from a history class while attending Wayne State University. The class was The Era of Reconstruction. Our main task was to research and write a thesis including both primary and secondary sources. The Burton Historical Collection within Detroit's Main Public Library provided all of the primary sources: letters, newspapers and journals written by the participants and ordinary citizens to document history in real time. The Burton Collection contained all the material needed. The paper included footnotes and annotated bibliography. I chose Andrew Johnson, the first President to be impeached. The lesson learned is that primary resources provide an important source for views written by individuals and local newspapers. They serve as further documentation to the events of the day. Today, I continue to write including footnotes whenever I can to cite my sources unlike radio and cable TV hosts who rely on conspiracy theories. I encourage anyone who writes a journal to consider.
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