Here’s about as close to feel good or respite as I can get–stories that show character.
Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ-3) helped clean the floors of the Capitol after the mob had been dispersed. He just seems like a kind, gentle soul.
Rep. Jason Crow’s (D-CO-6) account of what happened in the House chamber is harrowing. Crow was the one photographed comforting Susan Wild (photo in story). Crow was the last member to leave the chamber, intentionally. He’s a former Army Ranger with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, married, with young children.
Crow and Rep Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-7), a former Marine and Iraq vet, used their training to demonstrate to other members how to put on their gas masks. Here’s a picture of Gallego directing other members, and a story about how he later had journalists shelter in his office.
Edited to add: Capitol Hill Police Officer and Veteran Brian Sicknick, killed by a fire extinguisher wielded by a terrorist, wrote this to his local paper in 2004:
“Bush’s foreign policies are one reason the world has become as dangerous as it is,” wrote Sicknick. “I don’t know why everyone is brainwashed that only Bush can protect us.”
The letter included two lines that rang particularly true in recent days as Trump refused to acknowledge his November defeat by Democrat Joe Biden.
“I implore everyone to vote their conscience in the upcoming presidential election,” wrote Sicknick. “No more rewarding incompetent politicians with a second term.”
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I’ve always found Gallego pretty impressive. I’m surprised he doesn’t get more attention from political twitter, at the very least. I think I remember Suzanne saying why he might struggle as a state-wide candidate, but I can’t remember the reasons.
Benw
Good on them. It’d be nice to know the the names of the staffers who rescued the EC certifications. I know they’re largely a formality but I’m glad those fucking assholes didn’t get the satisfaction of destroying them
debbie
And then, on the other hand, we have Glenn Beck’s manufactured outrage. One of his (Blaze) reporters photographed one of the terrorists posing in Nancy’s office, pointing to her computer monitor which had an open document/email displayed. As a result, CNN and other outlets are investigating him and everything in his past. “Who are the real terrorists?” Beck fulminated.
On the positive side, Beck was communicating on air with him during the riot and asked if they looked like Antifa. The reporter said they were not Antifa, they were “our guys, and he knew that because he knew them. If anyone needs on-site confirmation, they should dig up that broadcast.
japa21
Lots of stories of heroism will come out over time.
Ken
You mean that other Colorado representative, the one who bragged she was going to conceal-carry in the Capitol building, didn’t stay behind to cover their retreat?
Ken
That and they were live-tweeting the event and updating their facebook walls. The only way any of them were Antifa is if they’ve been deep undercover operatives playing the role of white supremacists and Trump supporters (but I am redundant) for the last four years.
Kattails
I hope I can manage to follow through on the notion to ink up my calligraphy pens and write thank you notes to people like this– and maybe buy a nice blood red ink to send “fuck you you traitorous scum” to the likes of Cruz. The photos of Kim cleaning up the floor had me all misty.
Baud
@Ken:
I just realized this is going to be their Woodstock.
Baud
@japa21:
We’ll have to wait a while, but I bet there will be a nice homage to the heroes at the 2024 DNC.
Elizabelle
@Baud: Yup. They’ve had a long drought.
I remember Ronald Reagan’s funeral being described as “Woodstock for Republicans.” Always thought that was clever.
Elizabelle
If Geminid (I think) peeks in: you put up a good link about Abigail Spanberger’s courage during the insurrection from a local Richmond TV station, and I cannot find it. Will you put it up again? Thanks!
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Ken: Go read Talking Points Memo’s article on the Sedition Karen who was killed; her politics are all over the place. I wouldn’t be to surprised if a lot these people keep on switching sides. They do come across as bunch of people who are viewing real life as one giant World of Warcraft like MMORG, so having a MAGA persona and Antifa Persona isn’t out of the question.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Baud: The movie about it will be called “Derp of a Nation”
lapassionara
The St. Louis Post Dispatch said that Trump had conceded that he lost the election. I did not think he went that far.
OTOH, the editorials blasting Hawley have been good to read.
dmsilev
@lapassionara: He tweeted this morning that he’s not going to attend the Inauguration. That’s probably the best we’re going to get from him.
Ken
@lapassionara: “Breaking news: President shows glimmer of sanity.”
“Update: It passed.”
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: I watched a few seconds of a selfie-video she took of herself screaming and ranting while driving– which seems to be a thing with them– and I wondered how she is allowed to operate adult scissors, much less an automobile.
Jake Gibson
I thought that Capitol police said the report of the officer dying was incorrect.
Kattails
Over at the Hoarse Whisperer, he is making bad puns about the guy who tased himself. Comments worth following. I’m sorry to be enjoying this, but there you have it. NMFTG.
Baud
@Jake Gibson:
It was reported prematurely.
Dorothy A. Winsor
The story about Kim is touching. It made me feel better about who we are than I’ve felt in a couple of days.
lapassionara
@dmsilev: I never thought he was going to attend the inaugeration. And after Wednesday, I think Biden should take the oath in Justice Roberts’ SC chambers. There should be no “steps of the capitol” stuff at all.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
This is amazing, and scary. Clyburn’s every day office, as opposed to (I’m assuming) the Whip’s official office, doesn’t have his name on the door. Longer quote at the link
This is like the ransacking of the Parliamentarian’s office. Eric Swalwell said he would get lost looking for it, and these goobers don’t know what a Parliamentarian is or does.
L85NJGT
@Jake Gibson:
The swine beat him to death with a fire extinguisher.
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
Guys, guys – I realized that maybe, just maybe Giuliani isn’t as smart or good as people always said he was…..
Barbara
@Jake Gibson: It was incorrectly reported earlier. He was on life support and it sound as if they were waiting for family members to come from New Jersey before making any final decisions. He died last night.
different-church-lady
The idea that there’s going to be utterly insufficient accountability for all of this is just eating me alive right now. I don’t believe in God, but He’s the only one who could give Trump his punishment at this point. Hawley and Cruz will continue on their political paths. Sociopaths will continue to make up a scary percentage of congress. Domestic terrorists will continue to get people killed, and there’s just no way the DOJ and FBI will be able to keep up with them. Half the invaders won’t even get caught, never mind do an hour in jail.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Trying to think of which MoC were most likely to have been working with the mob:
Mo Brooks spoke at the incitement rally
Matt Gaetz
Louie Goehmert
Gym Jordan
SiubhanDuinne
@Jake Gibson:
That was before he actually died.
Four Seasons Total Landscaping mistermix
Sorry, forgot to link to the story about the Capitol PD officer, post updated.
Baud
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Yeah, what’s up? What the hell would be in the parliamentarians office of interest to any one? And the Clyburn thing is strange. Why him of all the leaders?
Ken
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Some overlap with Trump’s Medal of Freedom list, but I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.
Cacti
I have a feeling…nay…I’m practically certain that as a final waving of his ass at the country, Donald Trump is going to pardon all of the animals from the MAGA Putsch.
SiubhanDuinne
@Baud:
Only guessing, but maybe because he is widely credited (or blamed, depending on your POV) with helping Biden win the D nomination and ultimately the presidency.
Also, black, because why not?
different-church-lady
@Cacti: Another argument for IMMEDIATE removal.
Kattails
It’s been mentioned before, but Clyburn says they found the place where he works, not the place where his name is on the door.. “something else untoward was going on here.”
I want the perpetrators of this to be tracked relentlessly, to be looking over their shoulders like “who are those guys?”.
piratedan
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: well…. its Arizona and while we’re going purple, its not all the way Blue yet…. He (Gallego) initially was going to run for the Senate against McSally but Kelly’s hat was also in the ring and Kelly had a pretty bullet-proof resume and having Giffords in his corner, Gallego probably did the right thing and ceded the field to Kelly. He is well thought of here but as far as I can tell, doesn’t have a single defining bumper sticker quality that helps him establish his lane (which is weirdly something that appears to be a need about AZ politicians with national office aspirations). We are developing a good bench in AZ of pols and with continued luck, we’ll kick out the Governor and continue to make inroads at the state lege level.
Cacti
@Baud: I’ve been wondering from the start, not whether the coup plotters had help on the inside, but how much did they have?
A number of things about this story make it seem like internal malfeasance was afoot.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Baud: It’s not strange if it was GOP staffers were the one’s who trashed the Majority Whip and Parliamentarian’s offices.
NotMax
For the inauguration, of course, yet on top of that security planning for Biden’s first SOTU needs to have begun yesterday. Tough balance of having it adequately in place on site (and in fully mustered readiness beyond the Hill) without appearing as a heavy-handed police state but that can be accomplished with intelligent forethought, a first step identifying and bypassing 45’s diehard political zealots still in DoD.
L85NJGT
They were after the order of succession – VP, speaker, president pro tempore.
Something went to shit. My guess is when that woman got ventilated the amateur clowns lost their revolutionary fervor, and there weren’t enough nested operators to bring it home.
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
There was clearly a list and some detailed directions. They’d have bought some delay on the replacement electoral certificates (they’re executed in quintuplicate), and would have to come from state capitols – and potentially intercepted along the way.
The Moar You Know
Oh, Dominion is very, very angry. I hope they send her into the street with the clothes on her back and nothing else.
zhena gogolia
@different-church-lady:
Wait and see.
SiubhanDuinne
@NotMax:
Generally speaking, in inauguration years the Inaugural Address is deemed to be the incoming President’s first SOTU. So there won’t be a separate speech of that kind in 2021.
Cacti
Here’s a fact that all Dems should rub freely into the face of any Republicans until the end of time:
The MAGA Putsch killed more people than Benghazi.
NotMax
@Cacti
Let’s not beat about the bush but state it plainly: collusion.
Raven
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: was
Aleta
-1 At The Root, Berlinda Nibo’s account of being attacked by a white supremacist mob as she walked through her LA neighborhood. Photojournalist Raquel Natalicchi “confirmed to The Root that about 20 police officers were present but did not intervene in the mobbing—prompting her and two other bystanders to ultimately rescue Nibo.”
-2 An account by Erin Schaff, staff photographer for the NYT (paywalled):
trollhattan
Since this is America’s Benghazi X1,000, can we expect newly elected Darryl Issa to hold a gazillion hearings?
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
@L85NJGT:
I’m giving the whole plot about a 40% possibility of success at the onset. It may have gone to shit when Pence decided to be more active.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@SiubhanDuinne: and whysoever might Aaron here use the word “slimy” to describe Chuck Schumer. “You can just see it”
Jefferson’s noble yeomen in the flesh.
Aaron was smarter than some of his cohorts in that he refused to give his last name or let his picture be taken, which IANAL but may suggest “consciousness of guilt”? He did give his first name, hometown (Indianapolis) and profession (construction worker). And what are the odds he left a digital trail from Indy to DC?
Four Seasons Total Landscaping mistermix
@The Moar You Know: I think they might win
Also, to respond to other comments:
Why did they want to go after Clyburn — black man with power.
Schumer is “slimy” — he’s Jewish and these folks think Hitler got a lot right.
Not super complicated.
Finally, I don’t know how Trump issues a blanket pardon to the protesters because AFAIK and IANAL, but pardons are for specific individuals, and we’re still identifying them.
Kelly
@The Moar You Know: How about just a barrel like in cartoons?
Cacti
@NotMax: Or in this case, the exact offense would be “seditious conspiracy”.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I just saw this after 18 hours. Surprised it’s not bigger news. Maybe you all knew already.
trollhattan
Meanwhile, in Oregon.
NotMax
@Jim, Foolish Literalist
Thanks for voluntarily providing DNA evidence.
//
Cacti
Impeachment and removal of Trump before his term ends is vital for our national security, because there’s one final penalty the Senate can and must impose:
Banned for life from holding any future Federal office.
cmorenc
@Baud:
The answer to your question is threefold:
Another Scott
@NotMax: At Pelosi’s presser yesterday she said that:
I’m sure they’re constantly reviewing security, and will continue to do so and make necessary adjustments.
At least that’s what I heard. Corrections welcome.
Cheers,
Scott.
H.E.Wolf
Most of them are young women, and due to the hazards of being female on the internet, they might not want their names known at present.
I agree with you: their resolute actions in the face of danger are worthy of high accolades.
Kelly
@trollhattan: Seems like the more irrelevant the Oregon Republican Party becomes the more crazy scum floats to the top.
KSinMA
@lapassionara: Totally agree.
trollhattan
@Four Seasons Total Landscaping mistermix:
Watched Rachael Maddow last night for the first time in ever, and she did a terrific job summarizing Wednesday’s madness, at one point singling out the “Camp Auschwitz” guy to reinforce who it is we are truly dealing with.
The “Blazing Saddles” scene where they’re hiring people to attack Rock Ridge? It’s like that.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Four Seasons Total Landscaping mistermix: I believe Carter mass pardoned draft dodgers.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
not at all surprising, but confirmation of what we all knew, and interesting considering the source
Kattails
@Kattails: way behind others on the Clyburn thing… oh well.
The Butch Cassidy clip is still worth watching.
debbie
@The Moar You Know:
I’m giggling with glee! These assholes who never think about consequences of any kind. ?
ballerat
And not one Republican congressperson showed leadership like Crow or Gallego?
Of course not.
Instead I see our county Republican party chairman release this:
“We are disappointed in any Republican who participated in violent acts, but also note there were agitators on the Left who were dressed as Republican supporters who engaged in some of the acts as well. Nothing we saw justifies the shooting of the Trump supporter in the Capitol.”
It goes on to blame BLM/Antifa protestors, the Left, Democrats and the Democratic leadership.
So this is the narrative the traitors have settled on for the Capitol assault: It was other guy! They dressed up to look like us!
I’m seething with rage. This is a coordinated attack on our democracy at all levels, led by Trump and abetted by the Republican party at all levels and rightwing media.
IsraelTopshelf
“No more rewarding incompetent politicians with a second term.” The same goes for the center-right Dems (as Obama self-identified) if they don’t bring all the traitors and their enablers to justice, at the same time that they deliver on all those great “build back” promises. Yes, they won and the madman will be out soon. But true progressive patriots will replace them soon if they fail to deliver, now.
L85NJGT
Was there a self taser actually involved in the heart attack? That sounds internet rumory. I wouldn’t be surprised if opioids were a contributing factor to the death of the woman who was crushed in the crowd. She had a pretty rough history.
hueyplong
@IsraelTopshelf: Fuck off
Immanentize
@Dorothy A. Winsor:The Carter pardon was very specific to a particular set of laws, it was a “blanket pardon” in that everyone who was or who might be prosecuted for draft avoidance was pardoned, but it was in no way a blanket pardon for those people for all crimes they might have committed.
Linky
I know it’s a bit technical, but Trump could pardon everyone for federal trespass crimes, but he could not pardon whomsoever for whatsoever.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@IsraelTopshelf:
oh, fuck off
L85NJGT
@hueyplong:
It reads better before translation.
Immanentize
@ballerat: What state are you in?
lee
Biden should be sworn in prior to going outside for the ceremony.
Biden can then have a public swearing in with Kamala in a safe undisclosed location.
Biden speachifys outside.
Done.
Cacti
@IsraelTopshelf: Spasibo for your insights, comrade.
Origuy
Pelosi was on the floor when this started, wasn’t she? Why was her computer unlocked? If I get up from my work computer for ten minutes, Windows locks it and I have to enter my password again. When we were in the office, my boss would lock his computer every time he stepped away. I’m not piling on her particularly; I think the Congressional IT office needs to be more proactive. Just one more security issue among many.
Kattails
@L85NJGT: Apparently self-tasered his own nuts in the process of trying to steal a portrait of Tip O’Neill, at least according to the Hoarse Whisperer’s twitter feed. A subject of some punning.
He’s also got a video up retweeted from Rex Chapman of newly sworn in Illinois (R) Rep. talking in front of the Capitol at the QAnon event.
ballerat
The exhortation of the insurrectionists before the assault by Republican speakers to spread Covid, and the willfulness of Republican congressmen to do the same while sheltering in close quarters with other congresspeople has not gotten enough media attention
They were intentionally trying to infect as many people in the Capitol as possible with a deadly disease. This is germ warfare. This point has not been made by the media.
Benw
@H.E.Wolf: true
NotMax
@Origuy
Having a senior staffer monitoring it for anything so vital it must immediately be passed on to her while on the floor would not seem to be an out of place guess about why.
lee
@Origuy: As an IT guy that works with our security team, I’m not surprised.
Getting technology professionals to actually change their passwords, not click on phishing links or open unknown attachments is a major headache.
I can’t imagine what it is like working with politicians.
Benw
@Cacti: Nyet, Alexei, this only top 10,000 blog. Find bigger platform!
zhena gogolia
@trollhattan:
Go back and get a shitload o’ dimes!
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Donald “I want my Gorilla TV” Trump thinks everything is one Big Time Wrestling event so that’s no surprise. The twat staged a coup because it would get good ratings.
Ken
@lee: Especially since the average age of politicians is well into the “but the computer told me to ‘click here’ to update my video software” range.
zhena gogolia
@Ken:
My new one is that “Continue” means “Yes, I do want this service that I never asked for.” I had no idea. Baud taught me that one.
zhena gogolia
Subsole
@IsraelTopshelf: Now that you burned your MAGA hat, what do you wear to keep your ass warm?
Another Scott
@Origuy: Pelosi’s “office” probably has several/many staff people. It was probably one of their computers – is my guess. (I haven’t checked.)
Cheers,
Scott.
Origuy
@Another Scott: My concern still applies to the staffers. Before they evacuated, they should have spent five seconds locking down their computers. I wonder if they’ve ever had a fire drill
And I do understand about the difficulty getting people to be security-conscious.
NotMax
@Origuy
The expectation that Capitol police would keep the office secured is understandable. And while maybe not properly described as panic, their evacuation was surely more rushed and less organized (insofar as following a checklist of procedures) than a fire drill.
lee
@Origuy: Funny story about auto-locking your computer.
Our IT managers decided to disable all screensavers except blank (meh ok) and force the auto-lock at 10 minutes.
I told them they are making my computer less secure because I had mine set at 1 min and the only reason it wasn’t 30 seconds is because 1 min is the minimum.
They looked at me like I had suddenly grown another head. I explained I have access to some very sensitive systems and that I always Win+L to lock before I walk away but sometimes it doesn’t register if I have a processor heavy application running.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@zhena gogolia: the article is pay-walled. I’ve seen these rumors that Cheney (and maybe others) were getting panicked calls from people currently in the Pentagon. Has that been confirmed?
Don K
Kim represents the part of NJ where I grew up, and it’s good to see he doesn’t think himself above helping to restore things in the Capitol to the way they were. Also good to see that part of NJ elect a Dem to two terms.
JustRuss
So they were all Methodists? I knew it!!
Central Planning
@cmorenc: I understand what you’re saying, and I don’t disagree with those reasons for what a logical terrorist would think about.
But really, how many adipose anarchists know one or more of those facts about Clyburn?
zhena gogolia
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I don’t know. It was on twitter so it must be true.
zhena gogolia
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/after-capitol-riot-trump-officials-rush-to-keep-him-from-sparking-another-conflictat-home-or-abroad?ref=home
AM in NC
@ballerat: I agree. This was a massive super-spreader event, and if done on purpose, it is biological warfare. And the GOP Representatives who refused to mask, even after being begged to by older Democratic Reps., should all be named and shamed for being completely vile, selfish, and dangerous people.
LadySuzy
@Cacti: Not sure. If his self-pardon doesn’t hold, he knows that pardoning the rioters would be bad for HIS own case.
@Cacti:
No One You Know
@dmsilev: I involuntarily thought he wouldn’t be there because he knew something else is being planned.