Post

And the Insurrectionists Were Shouting: "Hang Mike Pence!" (Edward Jajko, USA, 01/13/21 3:01 am)

A.J. Cave asked, in her January 11th analysis of last week's insurrection at the US Capitol:

"And where was the Vice President in all of this madness? Isn't he the guy who is supposed to make sure the President doesn't crash into the guardrails?"

Vice President Pence, along with Speaker Pelosi, was in the Capitol, presiding over the Senate and the joint session with the House of Representatives, fulfilling his constitutional responsibilities while the mob incited by Trump stormed the building. Apparently it was Pence, not Trump, who called in the Virginia State Police and the National Guard, to protect the people first and second in line of succession to the presidency as well as the elected representatives.

In the evacuation of the Senate Chamber, a clerk seems to have organized at the last minute a group of staffers to save the boxes with the official electors' ballots. Had they been left behind, the mob would have stolen the election.

It has come to light that the mob was recorded calling for the death of Pence. See below:

https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/01/11/capitol-assault-a-more-sinister-attack-than-first-appeared/

Various of the thugs had ties to bind wrists and I have heard an unverified account that a noose was hung on the Capitol or a scaffold erected. This mob was intent on stopping the government of the United States, on pillage and destruction, and on murder.

It has also come to light that the Members of Congress who were sheltering from the mob in reasonable fear for their lives and safety were nevertheless put in grave danger. One of their number was sick with Covid.

The terrorist mob should not have been let go. Once forced out of the Capitol, the mob should have been restrained by massive numbers of fully armed military, then forced into buses and transported to military bases to be penned in and fully interrogated and compared against the enormous amounts of self-congratulatory images those thugs posted on social media. Then the full weight of Federal law should come down on all of them. Given that Capitol Policeman Brian Sicknick was murdered by members of the mob, I would seek, if I were the boss, to have each of them charged with felony murder.

JE comments:  One almost feels sorry for Mike Pence, who despite four years of fealty to The Donald, is nonetheless reviled by many of the latter's supporters.  Pence's letter yesterday to Speaker Pelosi may be his final act of servility to Trump:  Citing the Bible, Pence stated his refusal to seek Trump's removal through the provisions of the 25th Amendment.

Or Pence may yet have an encore up his sleeve:  if Trump resigns, Pence will have the chance to issue a pardon.  This is the hypothesis offered by political pundit Rachel Maddow.

January 20th is only a week away.

Visits: 255