Election 2020: Congress Cancels Marjorie Taylor Greene

Before we get to the exciting part of today's news, the cancelling of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a bit of Shampeachment 2.0 doings to cover. At Town Hall, Jacob Sullun admits The Constitutionality of Trump's Impeachment Trial Is Not 'Crystal Clear' Ya think? Nothing is clear until the Supreme Court speaks 5-4, and since it's not likely to get that far, it will remain dubious. Normy Eisen and Kathy Reisner at USA Today insist Whatever legal or constitutional test you apply, Trump incited the violent Capitol attack. Now do Chuck Schumer. 

The House, well, the House Dems To Trump: We’d Like You To Testify At The Impeachment Trial; Update: No Thanks, Says Trump Lawyer (AllahPundit at Hot Air). GFY. Ace, Trump Letter to Fake Impeachment Mangers: "We are in receipt of your latest public relations stunt."

The Fake Impeachment Mangers -- including Eric Swalwell, who was adulterously fornicating with a Chinese spy while serving on the House Intelligence Committee -- delivered a demand that Trump testify under oath, so they can use Jim Comey rules to prosecute him for non-lies.

They declared that his refusal to do so would give rise to a "negative inference" about his claims of innocence.

Trump wrote back, properly, "Go fuck yourselves, and tell Swalwell to wipe the Chinese Spy off of his dick."

Along those GFY lines, Fox, Trump resigns from Screen Actors Guild: ‘I no longer wish to be associated with your union’. Althouse, "I write to you today regarding the so-called Disciplinary Committee hearing aimed at revoking my union membership. Who cares!", Sundance at CTH, President Trump Responds to Screen Actors Guild Ridiculous Investigation.

AOC's recent death scare is still a thing, too. Stacy McCain, AOC’s Fake Victimhood Narrative 

Journalists who actually bothered to check the facts — there are precious few of those in D.C. nowadays — pointed out that Ocasio-Cortez’s office is not in the Capitol building, which was stormed by a mob of Trump supporters Jan. 6. Instead, her office is in the Cannon House Office Building, on the south side of Independence Avenue, across from the Capitol. None of the rioters ever entered the building where AOC was in her office, cowering in her bathroom and allegedly fearing for her life.

Democrats generally have lied about the Capitol riot, in which a relatively small number of angry nutjobs breached the police barricades, allowing a somewhat larger number of pro-Trump protesters to enter the Capitol, where they mostly wandered around taking selfies, like tourists. Democrats expect us to believe that this incident was a “terrorist attack” comparable to Sept. 11, 2001, and AOC’s “I thought I was going to die” sob story was clearly intended to dramatize that narrative.

TNP,  AOC’s “Big Lie.”. Matt Vespa at Town Hall Fact Checks the Left: Did Ocasio-Cortez Mislead the Public About Her Location During Capitol Hill Riot? In short, yes, watch out for her, she's a slippery bitch. PM, AOC attacks Republican colleague who set the record straight about her location during Jan. 6 riot and AOC instructs supporters to report 'misleading' information after she was busted spreading falsehoods on social media because of course she does.

Jenny Cudd

Karen Townsend at Town Hall, Texas Business Owner Charged In Capitol Riot Asks Judge’s Permission To Go On Vacation

Jenny Cudd has been charged with two misdemeanor offenses and is on pretrial release. She doesn’t just want to continue on with her plans to take her staff for a bonding-oriented retreat, she booked the retreat in Riviera Maya, Mexico. She wants permission to leave the country. She, her staff, and their spouses are scheduled for a long weekend in Mexico from February 18 through February 21. Cudd doesn’t want to lose the money she has already spent on the arrangements.

Insty, THAT’S DIFFERENT BECAUSE SHUT UP . . .

Benjamin Weingarten

Hillary Clinton radicalized and incited violence among Americans, while delegitimizing our political system and undermining it with Russian disinformation. She should be retroactively impeached. That’s how this works, right?

Of course, the "big" story of the day is the forced removal of GA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green from her committee assignments in Congress, because of stupid things she said (some of which she didn't actually say) prior to being elected to Congress. Althouse,  "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) apologized for her past controversial remarks and embrace of the QAnon conspiracy theory.... Greene told her colleagues that she made a mistake by being curious about 'Q'...."

Freezing and focusing on Marjorie Taylor Greene is not going to save us. And by the way, isn't this whole MTG kerfuffle about saving Liz Cheney? You need a prisoner to do a prisoner exchange.

Ex-Republican Capt. Ed at Hot Air, McCarthy: Greene Denounced QAnon In Our Meeting — And Now Should Do So Publicly and BREAKING: Greene Renounces Conspiracy Theories On 9/11, School Shootings In House Floor Speech, for all the good that did. Having tortured the witch to confess, they then burned her at the stake anyway. PM, BREAKING: Vote to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from her House committees passes with 11 Republican votes. Tyler O'Neil at PJ Media, BREAKING: House Votes to Strip Marjorie Taylor Greene of Committee Assignments. Insty, BREAKING: House Votes to Strip Marjorie Taylor Greene of Committee Assignments.

UPDATE: The madness of Marjorie Taylor Greene.

ANOTHER UPDATE (FROM GLENN): As long as AOC’s lies are excused and rewarded, color me unimpressed. This has nothing to do with standing up for standards, which no longer exist except as flags of convenience.

Wow, all the benefits of being a Congresswoman and not of the responsibilities? What's not to like? 

Mediate cited by Hot Air whines McCarthy Now Pretending That He Doesn’t Know What QAnon Is. QAnon = Emmanuel Goldstein. I hope Republicans are taking notes, and take revenge several fold over if they capture the House in 2022. Take out the squad to start, and then Nancy just to ram the point home.

AllahPundit wonders Did McCarthy Save Liz Cheney Last Night? Probably not, there are plenty of old line Republican willing to bail her out. Paul Mirengoff at Power Line takes Liz to task, Liz Cheney adopts Democrat talking point

The Republican Party is not the party of QAnon, Holocaust denial, or white supremacy. It is in no danger of becoming that party.

The claim that the GOP may be veering in that direction is a Democrat/mainstream media talking point. Cheney should not be espousing it.

AllahPundit, Ben Sasse To Nebraska GOP: Frankly, I Don’t Care If You Censure Me For Not Being Part Of The Trump Cult "Golly, this guy certainly did locate his balls after he won his primary."

From Zero Hedge, Libertarian "Domestic Terrorists"? Are you now, or have you ever been a libertarian?

Authored by Ron Paul via The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity,

The Department of Homeland Security issued on Wednesday a nationwide terror alert lasting until April 30.

The alert warns of potential terrorist attacks from Americans who are “ideologically motivated” and have “objections to the exercise of government authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives.” . . .

As Ace reminds us, cOrPoRaTiOnS aRe OuR fReNz. Sundance, Tucker Carlson Reveals Bank of America Notifying Feds of Customer Purchase History to Use Targeting Capitol Hill Protestors Have you ever attended a Trump Rally? Your credit history may be at risk. 

According to Tucker Carlson’s reporting one Bank of America was customer was targeted, interrogated and released after nothing was discovered.  However, this type of exploitation should serve as a warning to Americans…. There is a big brother, and that system can/will be weaponized by government if/when an ideological administration is in power.

Amanda Ensing

Karen Townsend at Hot Air, Conservative Vlogger Canceled By Sephora For Comments On Capitol Hill Riot

Amanda Ensing is a pro-Trump, conservative, Christian beauty influencer and vlogger. She is in the news for posts made after the Capitol Hill riot. Following a disagreement with her choice of public opinions, Sephora has severed its ties with her.

Online activists pushed back on Ensing’s collaboration with Sephora and began talk of a boycott. Ensing has been a vlogger for nine years. She has 1.4 million subscribers on YouTube and Instagram. As an influencer, she also has relationships with a number of brands lining up to get a piece of her followers’ support. After the 2020 presidential election, Ensing posted a video explaining her conservative political views. She told her audience she votes on policy and according to her Christian faith. And, she announced her support for Donald Trump.

I'd boycott Sephora, but I already am.

At Fox, John Fund says Change how we conduct elections — undecided NY congressional race shows what’s wrong and at Town Hall, Kay Cole Jones pleads Don’t Turn 2020’s Election Problems into Law, which is precisely what Democrats intend to do, because it worked out for them. From JTN, GOP state senators sponsor resolution to declare Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in contempt "for not complying with subpoenas pertaining to equipment, ballots and more related to the 2020 election."

Plenty more at The Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.03.21 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 02.04.21 (Afternoon Edition) and at JJ Sefton's The Morning Report - 2/5/21 at Ace's

Fish Pic Friday - Melayna Denmark

This week's fish chick is Melanya Denmark:

 

When not chasing tail or hunting, Melayna is a surgical nurse in Savannah, Georgia. Facebook, Instagram.

Linked at Proof Positive in the weekly Best of the Web and at The Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Hedley Lamarr Presents The Teutonic Titwillow, Lili von Shtupp! ready and willing.

Bay Report 2/4/21

A pretty nice day, for February, about 40 F, sunny, clear skies, and only a light breeze, switching over to the south.

The tide wasn't great, and we only managed 13 sharks teeth and a crab claw, but Skye met a dog, and got a treat from Cindy, so it was a success from her point of view.

While I was still on the beach, I got a call from Pete, who wanted to go check the fishing at the plant. I hustled home, and we gave it shot. We didn't catch any, but we did see one of the guys on the small boat catch a good one.

Annals of the Biden Crime Family - 2/4/21

It's been a few days, so let's open the files and see what's skaken' with the first family and the new administration.

First, WaEx, Biden Inc: White House struggles to rein in potential family business conflicts. I don't think they're trying very hard.  Now, even the WaPoo is expressing concern; or are they setting up for the attempt to take out Biden and install Harris? Biden brother’s role in Florida law firm complicates White House ethics message. "Complicates"

Western Journal, Here's What Hunter Biden Has Been Up to Since Joe Biden Became President More coke, hookers and incest? 

Hunter Biden, who will turn 51 this week, is now preparing for an art show in New York City with Soho art dealer Georges Berges, according to the New York Post.

The Post said Berges “was once arrested for ‘terrorist threats’ and assault with a deadly weapon in California and has strong ties to China.”

@TomDeFrank

En route back from church, Biden diverted motorcade so Hunter Biden could make a food run at Call Your Mother, arguably the best bagel shop in DC. Hunter stood at the window several minutes for the takeout order as his dad and daughters waited in the car, per pooler 

Nice Deb at Am Great,  Biden Inc: Hunter Biden Still Reportedly Holds 10 Percent Stake in Chinese Firm; Non-Attorney Frank Biden Shilling for Florida Law Firm.

Nothing to see here, Biden Taps Ex-Colleague Of Hunter Biden’s Lawyer To Temporarily Run DOJ Criminal Division, Anxious, cited by Ex-Republican Capt. Ed at Hot Air,  Say, Did Anyone Notice That Hunter’s Lawyer’s Partner Is Now In Charge Of DoJ Prosecution Decisions?

Wa Free Bee, Biden Justice Department Nominee Faces Ethics Minefield From Father’s Corporate Interests

President Joe Biden cast Vanita Gupta as an upstart civil rights lawyer when nominating her for the number three position at the Department of Justice. But Gupta is also the daughter of a wealthy and powerful chemical executive—prompting ethics concerns that she did not address in her Senate nominations questionnaire.

Her father is Rajiv L. Gupta, a chemicals magnate turned Wall Street adviser and board member for Fortune 500 companies. Gupta made no mention of her father's sprawling corporate network on a Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire that asked her to identify prospective conflicts, despite the fact that the Justice Department has repeatedly sparred with her father's businesses in recent years.

TNP,  Biden Treasury Sec Yellen Paid By Chinese Communist Party-Linked Group.  and REVEALED: Biden Advisers’ Deep Ties To Chinese Communist Party Military And Propaganda. To be fair, it's hard to swing a dead cat in Washington DC without hitting someone on the CCP's payroll. Andrew Kerr at Da Caller, In Historic First, Janet Yellen Becomes First Female Treasury Secretary To Request Ethics Waiver For Wall Street Speaking Fees. Breitbart,  Sen. Bill Hagerty: ‘China Is Singing All the Way to the Bank’ Thanks to Joe Biden’s Policies

@EmeraldRobinson ·Feb 2
It's Tuesday, February 2nd & nobody from the Biden Administration has "circled back" to me about China & our national power grid!

@EmeraldRobinson · Jan 28
It's Thursday and nobody from the Biden Administration has "circled back" to me about China & our national power grid.

FEE, California Labor Secretary Promoted to Biden Administration After Overseeing Massive COVID Fraud Scandal. Failing upwards. 

Da Caller, Justice Department Nominee Lisa Monaco Prosecuted Black Man Sentenced To 27 Years In Prison For Selling $20 Worth Of Drugs. A chip off the old Kamala Harris block.

John Solomon at JTN sums up, Scandal-rama: Figures tied to past controversies increasingly land jobs on Team Biden

Jake Sullivan was one of the most prolific users of Hillary Clinton's forbidden email server. Now he's Joe Biden's national security adviser.

Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland previously had ties to Christopher Steele in the Russia scandal.

White House domestic adviser Susan Rice once falsely declared the Benghazi terror attack was provoked by an anti-Muslim video and later wrote the famously curious did-it-by-the-books email in the Russia scandal during her last minutes in he Obama administration.

and that's just to start. 

Nice Deb again, Biden State Dept. Spox Calls Cops ‘Blue Klux Klan,’ and Largest Threat to U.S. National Security’ 

Breaking 911, Whistleblower Leaks Footage Showing Facebook Execs Discussing Censorship, Capitol Riot & Alignment With Biden Admin. The internet ain't gonna censor itself, that's for damn sure. 

George Neumayr, John Brennan and the Aging Radicals "They return to the repression they favored as youth." What makes you think they ever dropped it?

Election 2020: Still

Althouse reminds us "President Trump was not the first Presidential candidate who declared himself cheated out of victory." citing House impeachment managers. Why yes, I can recall John Effing Kerry and Hillary Clinton nursing similar grudges. In particular, Hillary and her crowd seem to have carried out a campaign to delegitimize Trump as a result. If they'd known she was beaten they'd have cheated harder. 

From Henry Rodgers at Da Caller, Matt Gaetz Says He Would Resign From Congress In Order To Defend Trump In Impeachment Trial. A noble gesture, I suppose, but why bother? AllaPundit, not a Gaetz fan "Is there somewhere I can donate to this idea?"

From Da Beast, Trump Keeps Begging His Impeachment Lawyers to Push the Big Lie. Da Caller, CNN Legal Analyst: ‘You Don’t Have A First Amendment Right To Lie’. In mediaspeak, a lie is a truth that contradicts the desire narrative.  

Schumer sees the light at the end of the tunnel, and doesn't like what he sees, Schumer Leaves The Door Open On Censuring Trump If He Is Acquitted In Senate. Something that doesn't take 2/3ds.

The unsinkable Mollie Hemingway reminds of the time Chucky sicced a mob on the Supreme Court, and the time the Women's March invaded the Capitol and shut it down. Chuck Schumer Used Violent Rhetoric To Sic A Mob On Two Supreme Court Justices. Spare me all the the high dudgeon now. Am Mil News, Report: DOJ may use mafia-inspired RICO charges against protesters who stormed US Capitol. Now do Schumer and the Women's March. 

Dan Greenfield at Front Page, Dems Falsely Call Capitol Riot a "Coup", Won't Call Burma Coup a "Coup" Control of the language is one of the ways they control the narrative. Buzz Feel whines Trump Supporters’ Own Explanations For Assaulting The Capitol Are Undercutting His Impeachment Defense "“President Trump told Us to ‘fight like hell,’” one Trump supporter reportedly posted online after the assault on the Capitol."  Obama - ‘If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,’” he said at a Philadelphia fundraiser. Nick Arama at Red State reveals AOC Wasn't Even in the Capitol Building During Her 'Near Death' Experience. She is kind of a drama queen, isn't she.

John Sexton, Hot Air, Members Of Congress And Capitol Police Pay Final Respects To Officer Brian Sicknick. Fox, Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick lies in honor at Capitol; Biden, others pay respects. They're turning him into a martyr, even though the cause of death has either not been determined, or is not being revealed, which would suggest it not how it's been portrayed. CNN, Investigators struggle to build murder case in death of US Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick

In Sicknick's case, it's still not known publicly what caused him to collapse the night of the insurrection. Findings from a medical examiner's review have not yet been released and authorities have not made any announcements about that ongoing process.

According to one law enforcement official, medical examiners did not find signs that the officer sustained any blunt force trauma, so investigators believe that early reports that he was fatally struck by a fire extinguisher are not true.

One possibility being considered by investigators is that Sicknick became ill after interacting with a chemical irritant like pepper spray or bear spray that was deployed in the crowd. But investigators reviewing video of the officer's time around the Capitol haven't been able to confirm that in tape that has been recovered so far, the official said.

The case could also be complicated if Sicknick had a preexisting medical condition. It could not be learned if he did.

Congress is playing games as  Marjorie Taylor Greene's, Liz Cheney's futures in balance as House GOP gathers for crucial meeting Wednesday. So what happened? Sundance is not thrilled that the House Republicans Vote to Keep Liz Cheney in Leadership Position but AllahPundit was jazzed that Liz Cheney Tells House Republicans In Meeting: I Ain’t Sorry; Breaking: Cheney Wins Leadership Vote Easily. And WSJ reporters are thrilled that Democrats Move to Pull Marjorie Taylor Greene From Panels After GOP Declines Action. Sundance, Leftists Move to Alinsky Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene For Thought Crimes Against Totalitarian State Interests  and AllahPundit whines that McCarthy says I Condemn Greene’s Past Comments — And Also The Democrats’ Unwillingness To Punish Their Own Cranks. If saying something stupid were a bar to being in Congress, the halls would be much quieter. And just to be fair,  Republican lawmakers begin effort to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar from committee assignments for a long history of anti-Semitic and other ridiculous comments. It won't work, but at least it points out the asymmetry.

 Newsmax, Mike Lindell fallout:

Newsmax host who stormed out of interview with Mike Lindell: “There is no question I could’ve handled the end of the interview differently,” adding “[Lindell] will continue to be an important guest on Newsmax”

Don't ask if you don't want to hear their answer.

Patrick Byrne on Twitter, 

Marc Elias Is the Democrat Perkins lawyer who spent 2020 getting election bureaucrats to change rules outside of state legislatures. But here, he filed on behalf of a candidate who lost, and he’s claiming precisely the vote tabulation errors that get one kicked off Twitter.

Also author of this long piece at Deep Capture, How DJT Lost the White House, Chapter 3: Crashing the White House (December 18-22). He pretty much blames Rudy for fucking up the response to the massive fraud.

Andrea Widberg at Am Think, A data maven says fraud affected the election outcome

But fraud is a different animal altogether. In the world of contract law, if the court concludes that one party was inveigled into the contract because the other party lied about fundamental facts, that contract is void ab initio. That is, it never came into being. The other way of stating this doctrine is that “fraud vitiates everything.”

Let me say that again: “Fraud vitiates everything.”

Why shouldn’t that doctrine apply to the most important agreement in America, which is the Constitution? Think about it this way: The Constitution is, in essence, an agreement between the American people and their government. It delineates the limited form that the government is to take and, in the Bill of Rights, states explicitly the powers that the government lacks. As the Declaration of Independence states, when the government fails to abide by its obligations (and limitations) the people can dissolve that agreement. Again, it's a contract.

When it comes to elections, the Constitution is predicated upon elected federal officials, including presidents, taking office honestly. If the agreement is breached through fraud in the elections, that fraud should vitiate an alleged president’s right to occupy the office he claims.

If Matthew Braynard can prove that, in at least three of the contested states, massive fraud in the form of fake paper ballots led to Biden’s so-called victory, Biden has no right to occupy the White House. And if he has no right to occupy the White House, every act – every Executive Order, every person appointed, every rule made – is null.

I’m not saying this is a winning argument but it’s an argument.

In response, Sarah Hoyt at Insty,  THANK YOU MUCHLY, BUT WE ALREADY KNEW: A data maven says fraud affected the election outcome.

1) We remember the impossible numbers in the middle of the night (those of us who were awake.)

2) Even if we didn’t, the courts’ refusal to let anyone present a case often on bizarre, spurious “standing” grounds, would be a red flag.

3) The democrats trying to shut up anyone who even mentions fraud is as good as an admission of guilt. What the innocent do, like say the Republicans after 2016, is make sure the opposition gets all possible opportunities to show what they think is evidence.

4) The military-occupied capital is totally what people who didn’t steal the election would do.

Ex-Republican Capt. Ed at Hot Air snickers Too Ironic To Check: Lin Wood Under Investigation In Georgia For Voter Fraud. It's beginning to look like he has mental issues. 

Dave Drucker, WaEx, House Republicans bearish on big gains via redistricting despite census edge

And more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.03.21 (Afternoon Edition) and JJ Sefton's The Morning Report - 2/4/21 at Ace's.

Tattoo Thursday

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Hedley Lamarr Presents The Teutonic Titwillow, Lili von Shtupp! ready and willing.

Beach Report 2/3/21

We made it back to the beach today for the first time since Snowmaggedon 2021 started; a three day gap. The temperature was still in the middle 30s and a strong WNW wind seemed to howl down the beach

A fairly low tide, but not a great day for fossils; only 9 teeth between us.

Not a lot of demand for the beach, only a few of the regulars, including the owners of Obi (as in Obi-Wan Kenobi), an adorable English Sheepdog/ Poodle cross puppy. 

Election 2020: Ground Hog Predicts 6 More Weeks

Yep, old Punxsutawney Phil was rudely roused from his winter nap at Gpbbler's Nob, promptly saw his shadow and predicted 6 more weeks of Election 2020 garbage. Althouse, I hope we open up Pandora's Box! I mean, if we're going to have a show trial, at let it be a good show.

I'm reading "Lindsey Graham Warns Democrats Against Calling Witnesses In Trump Impeachment Trial/'You open up Pandora’s box if you call one witness,' cautioned the Trump ally, who claimed a lengthy trial of the former president would be 'bad for the country'" (HuffPo).

“If you open up that can of worms (by calling witnesses), we’ll want the FBI to come in and tell us about how people actually pre-planned these attacks and what happened with the security footprint at the Capitol,” the South Carolina Republican continued, parroting a right-wing talking point that the attack was planned well before Trump urged his supporters at a pre-riot rally to march to the Capitol.
Graham did not mention that Trump ― even before the election ― whipped his supporters into a lie-fueled frenzy about voter fraud. “You open up Pandora’s box if you call one witness,” Graham said. “I hope we don’t call any and we vote and get this trial over next week when it starts.”

It's hard to parse these "warnings." I assume that if a politico warns the other side not to do something, he's worried about damage to his own side. But that's so obvious that the warning should backfire. Does Graham actually want the Democrats to call witnesses and open the door to weeks or months of testimony that might serve the interests of Republicans? If so, wouldn't the Democrats know that and resist the temptation to call witnesses... or does Graham know that and hope to con the Democrats into not calling witnesses? Infinite layers of potential interpretation.

 More Graham from AllahPundit at Hot Air, Lindsey Graham: If Trump Tries To Prove Election Fraud At The Trial, He’s Going To Lose Everybody

Sundance at CTH, House Managers File Legal Brief for Impeachment Article on Insurrection – Trump Legal Team Respond. 80 pages with circles and arrows and a paragraph on each one to be used as evidence against him. TNP, BREAKING: Democrat Brief Claims U.S. Election Results Never Rejected Before – That’s A MASSIVE Lie.. Twitchy, ‘The House impeachment brief is garbage’: Breitbart’s Joel Pollak says Democrats could at least ‘take the time to impeach properly’

The House impeachment brief is garbage. How does it deal with the fact Trump told the crowd to demonstrate "peacefully"? It claims that was canceled out because Trump later told them to "fight like hell." It also obscures the 1.5-mile distance between Ellipse and Capitol. Absurd.

Althouse again, "President Trump was reportedly 'delighted' by the mayhem he had unleashed, because it was preventing Congress from affirming his election loss." Quadruple hearsay. 

Ex-Republican Capt. Ed at Hot Air,  BREAKING: Trump Defense Files First Response To Impeachment. Neener, neener, neener, you can't convict me. But it has a typo, so it's all null and void.

The response makes two basic arguments simultaneously — that the Senate now lacks jurisdiction because Trump is a private citizen, and that Trump never incited the crowd nor lied about the election. In almost every instance, David Schoen and Bruce Castor answer the House using some form of “Admitted in part, denied in part as not relevant to any matter properly before the Senate.”

Tyler O'Neil at PJ Media claims Trump Eviscerates Democrats' Impeachment Charges, while Acem never one for hyperbole says Trump Submits First Reply to Farcical, Fascist Fake Impeachment Charges "LOLGF."

Capt. Ed has the sads, Kaine: Let’s Face It, My Trump Censure Proposal Is DOA and Politico thinks Conservative groups go MIA on Trump’s impeachment "They were vocal in backing him the first go around, but they’re sitting on the sidelines now. Acquittal, after all, seems guaranteed." Are they sure they're just not ignoring them as usual? Reuters, 'He invited us': Accused Capitol rioters blame Trump in novel legal defense Especially the agent provocateurs. Meanwhile, Bail fund backed by Kamala Harris freed same rioter twice – now he's been charged again "In addition to the latest arrest, prosecutors say Thomas Moseley is under investigation in another matter" (Fox).

Tristan Justice at Da Fed Reports House Republicans Prepare To Oust Liz Cheney From Leadership for her impeachment vote. But wait, Sundance says Lindsey Graham Supports Liz Cheney and Choosing Sides: McConnell Slams Marjorie Taylor Greene, Praises Liz Cheney (AllahPundit). With friends like those. . . Swiped from Insty, WHEN THE ESTABLISHMENT CAN’T EVEN DO WHATABOUTISM RIGHT:

Courtney in reply to Frank Luntz,

Liz Cheney, even if she is removed from House GOP leadership, is not being canceled. She is a sitting member of Congress. This is a gross misuse of the term cancel culture which largely refers to people who have no social capital, no leverage, no platform. No means to fight back.

Frank Luntz

It's ironic that GOPers who are most outspoken against Cancel Culture (as they should be) also want to cancel Liz Cheney for her vote of conscience and courage. Cheney put country ahead of career.

Also at Insty, THE CHATTERING CLASSES ARE TRYING TO WISH AWAY REALITY

Rasmussen Reports

@Rasmussen_Poll · Jan 31

Note to Self-Appointed Elites: Almost half of ALL VOTERS are concerned about US election integrity: - President Trump left office w/ a job approval of 51%. - 47% of ALL VOTERS believe there was election fraud in Nov 2020. - 45% of ALL VOTERS want a debate on election integrity. twitter.com/Rasmussen_Poll…

 The Morning Report - 2/3/21 [J.J. Sefton] 

Wednesday and the big story is President-in-exile Donald Trump's second "impeachment" trial. On the face of it, it's an absolute farce; Trump cannot be subject to a process the sole purpose of which is to remove him from an elected office that he no longer occupies. If one needs to go beyond that, the "charges" against him are completely baseless, without merit, and defy the timeline of events that occurred on Black Wednesday, January 6th.

Just off the top of my head, these are the events as I have seen, heard and read about them from multiple, reliable eyewitness sources:

1-The overwhelming majority of rally-goers on January 6th were no doubt fired up and passionate about showing up as a way of registering their displeasure at Congress and VP Pence giving the Good Housekeeping seal of approval to the Electoral College vote.

2-In calling for his supporters to come to DC, at no time did President Trump demand, encourage, promote nor even hint at anyone "getting in the faces" of elected officials or being in any way, shape or form destructive.

3-DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and other Democrat elected officials knew in advance that there would be trouble and yet did not call for reinforcements nor did they take any other precautions. There is ample reason to suspect that she and the echelons of the DC cops as well as high level Democrats colluded with Antifa/BLM agitators in advance to stage Reichstag Fire 2: Electric Boogaloo.

4-The actual breaching of the Capitol buildings were led by Antifa/BLM confederates dressed in MAGA gear and in fact were shown to be let in and guided by Capitol Police. It is they who caused whatever minimal damages to property that occurred. John Sullivan, a rabid racialist BLM-tifa leader called for burning the place down on social media whist wearing a MAGA hat and Palestinian terror towel around his neck. Those few dozen who followed them in were seen to be behaving as if they were on a guided tour instead of the mostly peaceful Democrat arsonists who torched a dozen cities over the course of the summer and afterwards.

5-The breach occurred on or about the time Trump started speaking, so he could not have ordered the storming of the Bastille as it was already well under way. Plus, any honest analysis of what he said will show at no time did he tell people to storm Congress or act in any way, shape or form that could be remotely construed as violent.

6-Ashlii Babbitt was shot in cold blood by a Capitol cop and, surprise surprise, no reasonable prosecutor will hold the killer to account. One has to wonder beyond the actions and mindset of the assassin what would be revealed about his higher ups regarding preparations for that day. But that's just conspiracy talk, right? The others who sadly died that day evidently were not as a result of any violent confrontation.

7-When he learned of what was going on in Congress, Trump himself told everyone to disperse and go home as quickly, quietly and peacefully as possible.

8-"Bomb planted at the RNC headquarters the night before? Never heard of it!" -- Charlie Gibson

 and more links.

Trump Legal Brief Response Blasts Democrat Efforts as "Moot" And "In Violation of the Constitution"

DC Police: Likely "Not Enough Evidence" to Charge Capitol Police Officer In Ashli Babbitt's Death

It Was the Supreme Court's Liberals Who Established Protests Are Not 'Sedition'

Why Trump Should Press His Case On Voter Fraud

Titty Caca AOC Dismissed the Suffering of Riot Victims But Now Wants Us to Have Sympathy For Her

Trump Will Play the Senate's Game Using the Democrats' Chips

Leftists Impeach Trump But Endanger Biden

"I Banish You!"

AllahPundit proudly proclaims, Hoo Boy: Unusually Large Number Of Georgia Republicans Who Voted In Presidential Election Skipped Senate Runoffs and has the The Obligatory “Newsmax Versus Mike Lindell” Clip also, Sundance Newsmax Host Walks-Off Set During Segment With Mike Lindell

And don't say I didn't warn you yesterday: NY-22: Judge Delays Certification Of The Vote For At Least Another Week, while the Democrats go shopping for more ballots. 

Linked at 357 Magnum in the Saturday Roundup of Link Roundups.

But He Seemed Like Such a Nice Young Man

Althouse: "Evan Rachel Wood Accuses Marilyn Manson of Abuse ... Hours later Mr. Manson’s label dropped him."

The NYT reports.

“The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson,” Ms. Wood wrote in an Instagram post. “He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.”

Wood was 19 — a teenager — when the relationship began. Manson was twice her age. His Instagrammed response is:

“Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality. My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how — and why — others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth.”

From the NYT:

As often is the case most of the fun is in the comments. 

Ms. Wood, who supported a California law that extended the statute of limitations on domestic abuse, testified before the State Senate in 2019 that a man whom she did not identify by name had groomed her when she was 18. “He cut me off from my close friends and family one by one, by exhibiting rage in some form or another when I was in contact with them,” she said in her testimony. “He had bouts of extreme jealousy, which would often result in him wrecking our home, cornering me in a room and threatening me.”

She said that she felt terrified for her life, and that he broke her down through starvation and sleep deprivation, and by threatening to kill her. In one instance, he forced her to kneel in their bedroom, tied up her hands and feet, beat her and shocked sensitive parts of her body....

Mr. Manson told Spin magazine in 2009 that he had called Ms. Wood 158 times one day after a breakup. “I have fantasies every day about smashing her skull in with a sledgehammer,” he said. 

Marylin Manson was a monster? Who could have guessed. I suppose girls like bad boys, until they don't. 

Some NSFW just to spice things up.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Hedley Lamarr Presents The Teutonic Titwillow, Lili von Shtupp! ready and willing.

Snowmaggedon 2021 - Day 3

After yesterday's report, we had a few snow flurries in the evening, barely enough to whiten the decks. More of the same today, a few flakes, with temperatures are hovering just above freezing, even as we took Skye for a walk, but no accumulation. Too much wind to go to the beach, though. It looks like we have some chance for more snow tonight, but clearing later tomorrow.

Worst Snowmaggedon ever. 

Just One Word: Plastics!

Evil plastic - take it off!

There's money in plastics, just not the way you think: Morgan State U Gets $1 Million to Study Bay Microplastics

Baltimore’s Morgan State University is diving into the issue of microplastics in the Chesapeake Bay, thanks to a nearly $1 million federal grant.

Morgan State is Maryland’s largest Historically Black University, a research institution along Herring Run in Northeast Baltimore, which leads into Back River.

The $999,999 funding, announced by lawmakers U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.), focuses on microplastics’ impact on marine ecosystems, with the Chesapeake Bay serving as a model.

Microplastics are very small (less than five millimeters) pieces of plastic debris that can be ingested by marine life, settle on shorelines and in underwater grasses, and even attract other chemicals to carry along with them.

Attracting pollutants is a thing that particle in general do, whether they are sediment, biological detritus or plastic. Evidence that property is a problem for biota and not a benefit are still lacking.

The Chesapeake Bay Program warns that alarming amounts of plastics, often too small to see, are increasingly being found in the Bay. To date, the U.S. Geological Survey has found microplastics in all samples taken at nontidal stations in the Chesapeake watershed—not just the Bay proper, but also its rivers and streams.

With the new funding, Morgan State students will participate in STEM research, and the funding will allow the university to recruit and support students pursing doctoral degrees on this important issue.

“This new federal grant funding will help Morgan State University lead the way in microplastics pollution research and accelerate aquatic cleanup efforts. It’s a clear win-win – helping us to improve the health of the Bay while investing in the capabilities of our researchers at Morgan State,” said the lawmakers in a joint statement.

The funding was awarded through the National Science Foundation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Research Infrastructure in Science and Engineering (HBCU-RISE) program, which supports STEM research at HBCUs that offer doctoral degrees in science and engineering disciplines.

I was in the business back when they first started about worrying about microplastics in the ocean and in the bay. As far as I know, they've never really demonstrated that microplastics really have any negative effects on biota; they spin theories, but either they never get tested, or they get tested and prove false, and never see the light of day because of the known scientific publishing bias for positive results. 

Back when we were looking for materials that were largely inert to contain organisms, we would often choose plastics of various sorts. Mostly, they just don't like the idea that the plastics are there.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Hedley Lamarr Presents The Teutonic Titwillow, Lili von Shtupp! ready and willing.

I So Look Forward to Their Acceptance Speech

The Peacock: Black Lives Matter nominated for Nobel peace prize

Recognizing the movement "will send a powerful message that peace is founded on equality, solidarity, and human rights," wrote a Norwegian lawmaker.

 

"We're getting nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for this shit!" pic.twitter.com/Eri9Selt2U

— Aldous Huxley's Ghost™ (@AF632) January 30, 2021

Election 2020: Shampeachment 2.0 Looms

Not feeling it this morning, but let's dive in anyway. On shampeachment 2.0, Thomas Ascik at Da Fed goes into gory detail about  Why It’s Completely Unconstitutional To Impeach Someone After He Leaves Office. Yeah, but they're going to do it anyway (And they impeached him while in office, they will fail to convict when he's not in office, just to get that straight). The Senate will do what it wants, Constitution be damned. Althouse discusses Pro-se Trump?

I'm reading "Trump Names Two Members of Impeachment Defense Team/The announcement came a day after he parted ways with five lawyers, and with his trial looming next week" (NYT):

Mr. Trump has told advisers he wants the defense to focus on his baseless claims about election fraud, a person familiar with the discussions said. A person close to the former president disputed that that was the case, but conceded that Mr. Trump had dismissively said the case was so simple that he could try it himself and save money.

Just to save money? Or does he think he's the one best able to put the case in the form that seems right to him: simple!

I wouldn't put it past him. After all, he decided that he could do the whole President-of-the-United-States job. The weirdest thing that's happened in my lifetime is Trump becoming President. I can totally see the Senate doors opening and Trump strutting in, with just a page of notes tucked into his jacket pocket.

AllahPundit at Hot Air whines,  Weak: I’m Not Going To Argue Election Fraud At The Trial, Says New Trump Impeachment Lawyer

The whole reason I was excited about Trump bringing in new attorneys to argue election fraud was that it would amount to him grabbing wimps like John Cornyn by the back of the head and rubbing their faces in conspiracy theory dog sh*t, daring them to convict as they grew more embarrassed by the spectacle. They deserve that humiliation. And Trump loves humiliating people. It would have been magical.

As I said, I don't think it matters what the defense says; Trump might as well get his talking points out too. From Sundance at CTH, Jason Miller Discusses Next Week Impeachment Trial with David Asman

John Solomon at JTN, Payback: Republicans who backed Trump impeachment face rising rebuke, including censure, Jordan Davidson at Da Fed, South Carolina GOP Unanimously Censures Rep. Tom Rice For Trump Impeachment Vote. Votes have consequences. Via the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.01.21 from Am Think, Liz Cheney’s Predestined Future. And from Sundance, Unsurprisingly, Mitch McConnell Backs Liz Cheney. Birds of a feather.  Also, Ted Cruz Accuses President Trump of Being Reckless and Irresponsible. I think that's fair, it was lousy time and place for the rally. But not illegal or impeachable. 

 Scott Adams on Twitter, 

CNN is reporting that the Biden administration can't decide whether the armed, military takeover of the civilian government in Myanmar is a "coup" or not. Meanwhile, they are certain the Viking Hat guy and his selfie army were a coup.

NYT whines (via Hot Air) about 77 Days: Trump’s Campaign To Subvert The Election. To oppose a Democrat is by definition to "subvert the election".

Jerry Dunleavy, WaEx, Leftist activist who egged on rioters inside Capitol accused of violating terms of release (John Sullivan, CNN spox). Breitberg checked and found Nonvoters, Registered Democrats Among Those Arrested at Capitol Protest. Agent provocateurs. From Politico, AOC burbles   ‘I thought I was going to die’: AOC personalizes insurrection, bringing up past sexual assault "“These folks that tell us to move on … these are the same tactics as abusers,” the New York Democrat said on Instagram Live."

At one point, she described a man in a black beanie banging on her office doors and screaming, “Where is she?” As she hid in her office bathroom, she said, the man entered her personal office.

“I just thought to myself that they got inside,” she said. “I really just felt like, if this is the plan for me, then people will be able to take it from here.”

“I thought I was going to die,” she continued.

The man turned out to be a Capitol Police officer, but she said that the experience left her shaken and that the officer engaged in a “hostile” manner with her. She also said he gave her vague instructions on where to seek shelter, resulting in her and her staff wondering where to go.

A perfect representative. Too stupid to govern. Stacy McCain asks Who Is an ‘Extremist’?

The difference between my friends and the people arrested in the Capitol riot is not whether we believe Joe Biden was legitimately elected. Like approximately 50 million Americans, we suspect the Democrats engaged in widespread election fraud. The question is whether we think resorting to lawless violence is the proper response. While the guys who planned the “storming” of the Capitol apparently believed only violence could solve this problem, the rest of us — i.e., those who aren’t facing federal charges — are generally of the opinion that what we need to do is be patient, get organized and try to win future elections by margins so large that Democrats can’t steal it. An “extremist” is violent; the rest of us are just engaged in ordinary political activity.

What is happening in the media is that they are using the Jan. 6 Capitol riot as an excuse to smear all Republicans as “extremists,” and thus to enable the suppression of dissent in the Biden era.

You see, however, the circular logic — the Kafkatrap — of the “extremist” accusation: If you believe that this alleged menace is being exaggerated as a pretext to suppress dissent, you’re an “extremist”!

Also from Stacy, The ‘Nationalist’ Kafkatrap

Earlier today, I took note of how the “extremist” label is being used by the media to smear all opposition to the Biden administration, as a pretext for silencing all criticism of the Biden administration. And as I noted, this accusation of “extremism” is a Kafkatrap — a sort of circular argument, whereby denying guilt is taken as proof of guilt.

Liberals argue this way habitually, and never get called out for it. They will claim that a certain policy proposal is intended to help a certain category of (allegedly) oppressed people and, if you dare criticize or oppose their policy for any reason, you will be accused of Thoughtcrime, i.e., some sort of hate toward the oppressed victim group. Anyone who objects that such accusations are unfair — “I’ve known Tom for years, there’s not a prejudiced bone in his body” — will be accused of sympathizing with the haters. You are just like a “good German,” complicit in the Nazi murder six million Jews. No protest of innocence can save you, once you are so accused. If, for example, you think it’s a bad idea for the federal government to mandate that “transwomen” compete in women’s athletics, you will be accused of murderous hatred toward transgendered people. The next time a “transwoman of color” is murdered in Chicago, the blood is on your hands! Never mind the fact that you’ve never been to Chicago, a place where becoming a murder victim is notoriously easy. Because of (a) your policy disagreement with liberals, (b) you are a “hater,” and therefore (c) your opinion is invalid, and (d) you deserve to be “doxxed” and fired from your job.

Robert Spencer at Front Page, The Show Trials and Purges Are Just Getting Started "The new age of masterful constitutional scholars such as Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer."

As fifty-five senators are now on record saying that the impeachment of a former president is perfectly constitutional, there is no reason not to extend wokeness back to 1789 and cleanse the ugly blot Leftists think of as our history. Washington? Jefferson? Slaveowners! Impeach them! Andrew Jackson? Trail of Tears. He clearly has to go, too. James K. Polk? Started a war with Mexico when he should have just opened our borders and given all non-citizens the right to vote, free housing, and a COVID-19 vaccine. As Rashida Tlaib would say, Impeach the motherf***er! Theodore Roosevelt? Imperialist! Woodrow Wilson! Racist! Impeach them all! In fact, we must impeach all previous presidents, even Saint Barack the Hussein, for none of them, none at all, were woke enough. Remember Obama’s opposition to gay marriage? They all must go, every one, or Ilhan Omar’s moral superiority will be affronted. That must not be.

Chris Vance, Seattle Times Principle over power: Let’s form a new Republican party and Sundance is content that Bush Era Republicans Vow to Leave the Party While Electorate Support President Trump. And speaking of those Bush Era Republicans, from the Weasel Zipper (via the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.01.21), Lincoln Project Founders All Have Ties To Russia, Tax Trouble… also, tolerance for pedophiles. 

And also from the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.01.21, Da Tech Guy explains why, in the future, Republicans Might Need 53% Of The Vote To Win Elections, to exceed the margin of cheat. 

John Sexton, Claudia Tenney Is Almost Certainly Going To Win NY-22. Unless the judge, or Nancy Pelosi intervenes. 

Tuesday Tunes - Chain of the Golden Horn

Leave's Eyes:

 . . .  is a German symphonic metal band from Germany and Norway.  They were formed in 2003 by Liv Kristine, formerly the lead singer of Theatre of Tragedy, and the entire line-up of Atrocity. To date, the band has released seven studio albums, a single, six EPs, one live album and a DVD.

Most of Leaves' Eyes' lyrics, written by Liv Kristine until her departure in 2016, concern Norse mythology and the Viking Age. The melodic singing vocals of Liv Kristine and her replacement Elina Siirala are occasionally backed up by death growled vocals from Krull, identified under the vocal style Kristine refers to as "beauty and the beast".

Interesting, but not really my genre.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Hedley Lamarr Presents The Teutonic Titwillow, Lili von Shtupp! ready and willing.

Snowmaggedon 2021 - Day 2 - Slush

 

It rained last night on top of hour little dose of snow, which left it all rather sodden and slushy. The forecast today showed a chance of snow showers, but not enough to accumulate. Temperatures are just above freezing, so any melting is slow. I guess there's still a chance later tonight and tomorrow, but I would say this episode of Snowmaggedon was a bust. 

The wind was blowing 20-30 NNW at the beach, a horrible state to walk, so when we finally yielded to Skye's nagging, we settled for a street walk.

The Magothy Got Big Balls

100 Cement Oyster Reef Ball Planted in the Magothy River

Two years of perserverance pays off for Magothy River volunteers. After a long wait for permits, concrete reef balls built by high schoolers are are now sitting at the bottom of the river. They’ll be home to oysters and other Bay life. It’s a victory for the groups who put in plenty of their own time and effort to help the Magothy. Cheryl Costello was on the water for their big moment. Watch below: 

The Magothy is one of a few places in the northern half of Chesapeake Bay that I've never visited. North of Annapolis, and south of Baltimore, I do know a few people who fish there

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Hedley Lamarr Presents The Teutonic Titwillow, Lili von Shtupp! ready and willing.

I was thinking more along the lines of:

Fauci: No Evidence for Double Masking Effectiveness

Matt Margolis, PJ Media: Fauci Concedes 'There’s No Data That Indicates' Double-Masking Is Effective

Last week, Dr. Anthony claimed on NBC’s “Today” that wearing two masks “just makes common sense.”

“I mean, this is a physical covering to prevent droplets and virus to get in. So if you have a physical covering with one layer, and you put another layer on, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective,” Fauci said. 

One is generally sufficient

A week earlier, the New York Times had called the practice of double-masking a new “fashion trend” and a “sensible” and “easy way” to reduce your risk of catching COVID-19, but Fauci’s remarks really set off an intense public debate over whether Americans should start double-masking, after being told for nearly year that wearing a single mask and social distancing was adequate, which also came after Fauci told the American people in March 2020, “There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask.”

 

If you’re getting confused, you’re not alone, because a mere five days after saying that double-masking was “common sense,” Fauci seemed to walk back that statement.

“There are many people who feel, you know if you really wanna have an extra little bit of protection ‘maybe I should put two masks on.’ There’s nothing wrong with that, but there’s no data that indicates that that is going to make a difference. and that’s the reason why the CDC has not changed their recommendations.”

Of course, the science behind recommendations for masks was always fairly weak and rested mostly on common sense; what studies there were showed a rather modest benefit and mask mandates do not seem to have changed the course of the pandemic perceptibly. I don't mind wearing a mask in situations where it's appropriate, but I prefer to avoid situations where one is  likely to benefit from them. On the other hand, there are plenty of people who I think would benefit from double, triple and even quadruple masks, never mind the resultant breathing problems. These include Toni Fauci, Shep Smith and Joe Biden.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Hedley Lamarr Presents The Teutonic Titwillow, Lili von Shtupp!  ready and willing.

Election 2020: Putting the Star Back in Star Chamber

Just a reminder from Monica Showalter at Am Think that The hard facts driving impeachment fall apart. But what do the facts have to do with it? It's all being driven by "Orange Man Bad." and from LI, The Speech As Incitement Case Against Trump Continues to Crumble. Pipe bombs found as Trump was still speaking.  It's not like that argument ever had any serious backing. At PJ Media Rick Moran explains Here's Why Impeachment Will Backfire on Democrats and Make Trump Stronger. Meh, maybe. 

Insty, UNEXPECTEDLY: The ‘QAnon Shaman’ Just Flipped on Trump.im

Related: “Jake Angeli, shamanic practitioner, leads the crowd in a yell before the march in solidarity with climate activism groups across the country to the Arizona State Capitol Building Friday, September 20, 2019.”

Is  he a lefty provocateur or just a deeply disturbed individual? Embrace the healing power of "and." 

AllahPundit at Hot Air gloats Trump’s Impeachment Lawyers Bail Out — After He Tells Them To Push Election Fraud Theories At Trial. But from Anders Hagstrom at Da Caller, Donald Trump Announces New Impeachment Legal Team. The dispute seems to (and I say seems to because no one directly involved is talking and we only get media reports from anonymous sources, and we know how reliable they are) revolve around the original legal team wanting to emphasize debunking the "incitement to insurrection" charge, while Trump wants to emphasize the stolen votes." I understand the legal team wanting to do that, but we all know the Senate isn't going to convict anyway, so Trump want to keep his grievance out there. Ex-Republican Capt. Ed at Hot Air, AP: Trump’s Got A New Legal Team For His Impeachment Trial; UPDATE: Turley Refused, Warns Of “Self-Immolation”. But there's nothing left to burn. And since nothing says a fair trial like demonizing the defense lawyers, Leftists are trying to destroy Trump's new attorneys (Andrea Widberg at Am Think).

Daniel Greenfield at Front Page, When Resistance Became Sedition and Sedition Became Resistance "Republicans failed to punish Obama’s national security abuses. Biden’s abuses will be worse."

When November was just decorating the flagstones of D.C. with faded leaves, the Democrat cliques inside federal agencies were still touting their skill at undermining the White House in chats with reporters at bars where drinks cost more than most Americans earn in a day.

These members of the “resistance” had spent four years undermining elected officials while falsely claiming that they were entitled to do it because the 2016 election had been illegitimate.

Government officials boasted anonymously of undermining President Trump, members of Congress and their staffers helped protesters get inside to disrupt hearings, rioters who assaulted police officers and attacked federal buildings were bailed out by Democrat officials and celebrities who enlisted Silicon Valley and major corporations to support the riots.

By the time November was done, resistance had been rebranded as “sedition”. Storming Capitol Hill went from a passionate endeavor by Democrat activists protesting the Kavanaugh nomination, the environment, or some other lefty cause, to the single worst event since 9/11.

And suddenly "star chambers" are back in as Politico reports  Secretive Ethics panel will judge Hawley and Cruz, Republicans also oppose using the committee to probe electoral objections, even as they disagree with the two senators' conduct. At Da Wire, South Carolina GOP Votes To Censure Rep. Rice Over Impeachment Vote. Just who does he think he represents?

“We made our disappointment clear the night of the impeachment vote. Trying to impeach a president, with a week left in his term, is never legitimate and is nothing more than a political kick on the way out the door,” said Chairman Drew McKissick.

“Congressman Rice’s vote unfortunately played right into the Democrats’ game, and the people in his district, and ultimately our State Executive Committee, wanted him to know they wholeheartedly disagree with his decision,” he added.

Alex Parker at Red State,  'Petty,' 'Vindictive' and 'Jealous': Lou Dobbs Roasts Republicans Who've Turned on Trump After Accepting His Endorsement. Don't sugar-coat it, Lou! From Town Hall, Kurt Schlicter tells us to Stop the Third Party Insanity. Probably true, but the threat against the GOP-lite probably has some value. 

Tim Graham at New Busters is upset that Washington Post says Trump 'Must Never Have' His Own Presidential Library. But that's on brand for the WaPoo, and far from their most fascist idea. 

At Breitbart, Rand Paul: D.C. Troop Presence ‘Isn’t Really a Great Image for a Free Country or for Our Country’ Democrats are far more interested in walling off the Capitol than protecting the southern border. More troops in Washington than DC than in Kabul, so far. The Peacock, U.S. top diplomat condemns ‘harsh’ crackdown on Russian protests.

Fox, Republicans in key battlegrounds push to tighten voting rules in wake of Trump's defeat, "GOP lawmakers in Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania eye tightening laws on voting by mail" or as the NYT whines (via Hot Air), After Record Turnout, Republicans Try To Make It Harder To Vote. You mean, make it harder to cheat? Heaven forfend! 

As Fox also reports Twitter employees heavily favored Biden over Trump ahead of 'priceless' ban. Biden was the largest recipient of Twitter-affiliated campaign donation during the 2020 election cycle. Twitter delenda est. 

Your Monday Morning Stimulus

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Hedley Lamarr Presents The Teutonic Titwillow, Lili von Shtupp! ready and willing.