Welcome to the first meeting of the Midnight in Washington Book Club!
Tonight is an open discussion of Midnight in Washington by Adam Schiff, and we will also collect ideas for questions we might ask Adam Schiff, if given the opportunity.
The zoom version of the book club will start at 8 pm sharp. Doors open at 7:45 so we can all be settled by 8pm Eastern when the meeting will officially start!
Themes for following 4 meetings:
Theme 2. The Insurrection on Jan 6 – The Revolution Really Was Televised!
Theme 3. What Didn’t You Know Before You Read the Book? What Surprised You?
Theme 4. So Many Shocking Betrayals, On So Many Fronts.
Theme 5. We’re Not Helpless Passengers On a Bad Ride – Making Our Own Shade.
Remember, we may not cover the themes in order, because we will cover themes 2 and 4 at the meetings Adam Schiff is available to attend.
Tonight is a wide-open discussion of the book.
Discuss!
WaterGirl
Starting this thread 10 minutes earlier than planned so anyone who didn’t receive their zoom link can chime in here.
CaseyL
I got to leave work early, so I’ll able to tune in from the start!
HinTN
@WaterGirl: I’m gonna miss the zoom if you need the spot.
WaterGirl
@HinTN: We have 15 open zoom spots, so we are good. thank you
WaterGirl
Does anyone have any initial thoughts they would like to share about the book?
japa21
I have to admit I haven’t finished the book yet, but will be next week. Lot of things going on. But, I couldn’t help but notice how, when Schiff is writing about the insurrection, he seemed to be surprised by the perfidy of the Republican legislators both during and post the insurrection. Yet from that point on he discusses in detail just how uncaring they were about the country and were in thrall to Trump. In fact, he goes back in time to build a case that the Republican Party has been (without his using the word) pretty much a traitorous party for a while. Why was he surprised, then on 1/6?
CaseyL
@WaterGirl: These are things I’d like to ask Representative Schiff about, but they also work for the things about the book that struck me:
1. The GOP creating a deliberately hostile work environment as an ideological pressure tactic. Anyone who’s worked in a hostile environment knows how draining it can be to simply show up. The dread is an acid lead weight in your gut.
2. How much did the GOP really “become” an outright advocate of treason in defense of bigotry, oligarchy, and corruption; and how much of it was the GOP simply dropping any pretense that it was ever more than that?
Damned_at_Random
I had forgotten how rapidly the impeachment unfolded. It seems so overwhelming when detached from day-to-day life. I keep thinking, “yeah, that WAS intense”
NotMax
Question for the Congressman.
Without naming names, are there any current House members whom you now outright refuse to have any dealings with (same goes for instructing your staff not to deal with their staff)?
Jess
I’m about a third of the way through, and what impresses me the most so far is how weird the whole situation was from AS’s point of view. The question I’m hoping he can answer is how do we deal with toxic propaganda and lies without trashing the first amendment. It does seem like the first amendment leaves the door wide open for an anti-democratic takeover, but what is a viable alternative?
bemused senior
Related to Japa21’s point, I felt Schiff was wedded to the bipartisanship ideology, despite the behavior of Nunes and other committee Republicans. He retains this inclination throughout the book in lessening degree. How does he feel about it now?
Denali
What is your response to the revelation that Republicans submitted forged documents to the elections commissioners in seven states. Were these not criminal actions?
PatrickG
Hope to join the Zoom midway, but got dragged into a end of day work meeting. :pout:
Glad to hear I didn’t take up a needed spot!
sab
I was struck by how very well prepared the Congressional Democrats were for difficulties with the actual certification process, and then were blind-sided by the actual riot or whatever that was. Probably that preparation is what got them back so effectively in the middle of the night to complete the certification. They expected the worst but got a different worst.
Another Scott
Time flies. I’ve still only read the first chapter.
Great questions above. I’m still curious about the two questions I asked in the link above, if you need more.
Thanks for doing this, WG! And thanks for everyone who can participate live.
Cheers,
Scott.
frosty
I just got my copy yesterday so I’m only up to Barr. My first reaction is the same as the one I had to Nixonland: I lived through it, it’s hard to read about it again.
That said, the actions of the Republican controlled Congress are a bit eye opening. Nunes ran the committee behind the scenes after he recused himself? And everyone rolled over for it?
Plus, how miserable it is being the minority party.
Tenar Arha
Thanks Water Girl.
@Another Scott: I’m in a similar situation, but I think I didn’t even make it that far before the end of the year, & then I forgot all about this.
I’ll see if I can catch up & maybe join in person at some point. (Otherwise I’ll probably lurk).
geg6
After all the betrayals by his colleagues, how does he deal with day to day dealings with them? I don’t think I could. I’d be going off every five minutes on someone. How surreal does it all feel?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I haven’t finished it yet, but we are reading very different books
Fair Economist
I’ve only started the book, but I was immediately struck how different the world was when Representative Schiff was getting started. Republicans and Democrats working together, US Attorney offices under Republican governance but not politicized, no party over country policy, etc. I’d noticed the changes over time but the magnitude of accumulated change is shocking, and not something I’d noticed while going through it, because it happened over about 2 decades.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Fair Economist: I noticed it in no small part from the way trump got away with trashing the military. As someone who was (not individually but as part of a whole) constantly berated for not “supporting our troops” during pretty much the whole of the Bush II presidency. I couldn’t believe what trump got away with the Khan family (even if it was clear why he got away with it in that case) and John McCain, later Sgt LaDavid Johnson’s family, and on and on.
This is resonating with me because I just finished the part of the book that deals with Alexander Vindman’s early, closed door testimony, and how he was treated by R committee members, and MTV boy Sean Duffy went on Fox News and questioned the patriotism of a Lt Colonel who had been in the army since volunteering 20-odd years earlier.
Ramalama
@frosty: had the same exact reaction to Nixon land, too.
FelonyGovt
Sorry I didn’t make the Zoom. I enjoyed the book, thought it was very well written but it was kind of hard to read in spots. A lot of hopefulness but we knew how things were going to turn out.
geg6
@Ramalama:
For me, it was The Invisible Bridge.
Fair Economist
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: The media won’t even give us a “both sides” on the military business. The Republicans spew hate against military veterans in prime time and slash soldier benefits, but *we* still are the ones getting attacked for “not supporting the military”.
frosty
@geg6: I just looked up The Invisible Bridge. It must be the next one of Perlstein’s books. Nope. I can’t read any of that, no matter how well written and researched. Every time I think we’re through it and the sun is coming up I get dragged down into the pit again.
Chris
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Funny, I thought there was a lot of continuity between the Trump and the Bush era when it came to the military. John Kerry, Max Cleland, and, of course, John McCain – all eagerly shit and pissed on in the Bush years by the same people dumping on you for “not supporting the troops.”
A Good Woman
Thank you WaterGirl for hosting. Looking forward to the next session.
CaseyL
It was great to see so many BJers, some of them for the first time. WaterGirl did an amazing job, moderating. A very enjoyable event!
Renie
I would love to hear opinions maybe in the next Zoom on why do all GOP members kowtow to trump? what does he have over them? he’s a vile human being and shares non of their ‘family values’ so what is the attraction? Lindsay Graham for one, after golfing one day with trump became a complete suckerfish to trump. I don’t understand any of it.
Ohio Mom
Anybody going to sum up what we Zoom-shy ones missed? Maybe future sessions should be live blogged?
Someone upthread compared Congress to a hostile workplace — that was a “aha!” moment to me. Of course our Democrats are too professional to whine about that, plus not wanting to give those Republicans the pleasure of seeing their miserable efforts succeed. Just makes me admire (most of) them more (obvious exceptions don’t need naming),
HRA
@Renie: I call it compromised.
smintheus
I think McCarthy’s threat to strip specific Democrats of their committee seats is very revealing. This is the same leadership that has defended Gosar and other virulently threatening and abusive Republicans. It’s the Mussolini playbook.
Damned_at_Random
@Ohio Mom: Zoom was really easy and you can turn off your video if you are camera shy (or have to lay your aching back down)
BeautifulPlumage
I also think the zoom went well. I definitely heard some things I hadn’t thought of (Hi Casey ? love those 2 points).
It can’t be as free-floating as sitting around a big table, but the hands worked. Definitely need to most folks mute to keep the echo & distortion away.
Thanks all!
Ohio Mom
@Damned_at_Random: It’s not just being tired of Zoom, I didn’t read the book, and didn’t want to take the place of anyone who did.
Almost Retired
@CaseyL: Your workplace observation was the highlight of the discussion for me. We forget these people have a workplace and work friends and frenemies and enemies, etc., and making showing up for work a painful chore is just another technique the Republicans can employ to wear the Democrats down.
waynel140
One question I’ve never heard the Congressman asked, and I read the whole book and have seen innumerable interviews with his–How does he feel about the conservative motivation to “own the libs”? As said above, Congress is a hostile workplace and Republicans delight when they set our hair on fire.
Can anyone write up a summary of any new questions or anything new Mr. Schiff said?
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: The Vindeman part was hard to read, especially given how he put his trust in American and believed he’d be all right.
My writer group meets every Wednesday night, so I missed the discussion. I did read the book. Schiff knows how to tell a story.
eddie blake
@Dorothy A. Winsor: yeah, i thought we were supposed to have finished the book. (i did)
Nancy
I sat down on the couch to wait for 7:45 PM on Wednesday, January 12, so I could join the Zoom. I woke up sometime around midnight. I’m sure you all were great without me. That’s not the concern. I’m really disappointed.
I want to give zooming another try, but this old night life just ain’t the right life for me.