Pelosi reiterates call for 9/11-style commission on Jan. 6 insurrection

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that Congress must “get to the truth” of the causes of the Jan. 6 insurrection, saying the House will move quickly to establish a 9/11 Commission-style review of the deadly attack and the security failures that allowed a mob to overrun the Capitol.

In a letter to House Democrats, Pelosi said establishing such a panel would be the House’s “next step,” signaling the imminent advancement of legislation designed to provide a forum to answer many of the lingering questions about the insurrection, which left five people dead. Among the issues a commission could probe are former President Donald Trump’s role in inciting the riot and the delayed arrival of the National Guard once the violence had broken out.

Pelosi also wrote Monday that House Democrats would offer a supplemental spending measure "to provide for the safety of members and the security of the Capitol."

She has previously announced her support for both proposals, but Monday's letter comes just two days after the Senate voted to acquit Trump for inciting the insurrection during an impeachment trial that forced lawmakers to relive the trauma they experienced only a month earlier. Pelosi has also tasked retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré with a review of Capitol security, and he has already recommended an increase in the allowance for individual lawmakers to spend on security.

The bipartisan 9/11 Commission was a massive two-year undertaking that resulted in an authoritative accounting of the terrorist attack that left thousands dead in New York and Washington, D.C. The panel held a dozen public hearings and published a 561-page report that became the first comprehensive guide to the 2001 attack, its causes and recommendations for the future.

House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said in a phone interview that a similar panel for Jan. 6 is a necessary step toward unearthing the root causes of the insurrection — going beyond Trump’s immediate role to examine the extremists who heeded his call to descend on Washington last month. Schiff noted that his committee and others are already looking into whether the Trump administration turned its attention from the domestic security threat of white nationalism to appease the former president by focusing on left-wing extremism.

Last week’s impeachment trial in the Senate made clear the extent of evidence about Trump’s role in the violence that remains unrevealed. House Democrats brought their impeachment case against him without an accompanying investigation — a reflection of the hurried, urgent nature of the effort given Trump’s waning days in office.

Republicans, too, have raised questions about the circumstances that caused the dire security threat on Jan. 6. They’ve focused primarily on whether House Democratic leaders themselves bear any responsibility for that day's scattered security posture. Democrats have said they were assured the National Guard was prepared for protests during the certification of President Joe Biden's victory, only to find out later that this was not the case.

Posted in Uncategorized

Pat Toomey faces possible censure for Trump impeachment vote

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania's Republican Party is planning a meeting to potentially discuss censuring U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey over his vote to convict Donald Trump during the former president's second impeachment trial, county party officials said Monday.

County party chairs said the state GOP chairman, Lawrence Tabas, emailed them shortly ...

Posted in Uncategorized

Pelosi Fires Back After Top Republicans Demand Answers About Capitol Security Before Riot – Deflects Blame

Earlier today, we reported that top Republicans from various committees in the House had sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) demanding answers on some of the decisions she made about security before the Capitol riot last month.

Now, Pelosi is firing back by saying that Republicans are “clearly” trying to “deflect responsibility for the Capitol attack from Donald Trump.”

Pelosi Fires Back At Republicans 

On Monday, House Administration Committee Ranking Member Rodney Davis, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jim Jordan, House Oversight Committee Ranking Member James Comer and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes sent Pelosi a letter in which they said that they have “many important questions” about her “responsibility for the security” of the Capitol on Jan. 6 “remain unanswered.”

Drew Hammill, Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, told Fox News in response that the speaker “has and will continue to take action to ensure accountability and enhance the security of the Capitol.”

“Two of the four House Republican Ranking Members voted to overturn the results of a fair election, just hours after the Capitol was sacked by an insurrectionist, right-wing mob – a mob incited by Trump,” Hammill said. 

“A full 65 percent of House Republicans joined them in voting to undermine our democracy.  All four Ranking Members also voted against holding Donald Trump accountable for inciting the mob,” he continued. “Clearly, the security of our Capitol and democracy are not the priorities of these Ranking Members.”

Related: House Republicans Send Brutal Message To Pelosi – Demand Answers From Her On Security Decisions Before Capitol Riot

Republicans Lash Out At Pelosi

In their letter, the Republicans had asked, “When then-Chief Sund made a request for national guard support on January 4th, why was that request denied? Did Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving get permission or instruction from your staff on January 4th prior to denying Chief Sund’s request for the national guard?”

They went on to cite claims made by former Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund, who alleged that two days before the riot, he approached the sergeants at arms to request the assistance of the National Guard.

In a letter of his own that he sent to Pelosi last month, Sund alleged that the former Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving said he was concerned about “the optics” and didn’t feel the “intelligence supported it.”

“As you are aware, the Speaker of the House is not only the leader of the majority party, but also has enormous institutional responsibilities,” the Republicans wrote. “The Speaker is responsible for all operational decisions made within the House.”

After the riot, both the House Sergeant at Arms and the Senate Sergeant at Arms were removed from their positions, and the chief of the Capitol Police resigned.

Related: Republican Rep. Accuses Pelosi Of Stopping Her Naval Academy Son From Attending Her Swearing-In

Hammill Doubles Down

“It is the job of the Capitol Police Board, on which these three individuals sat, to properly plan and prepare for security threats facing the U.S. Capitol,” Hammill said. “It has been reported that the House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving has said that he did not present to House Leadership any request for the National Guard before January 6th.”

Hammill added that the Committees of Jurisdiction were briefed “in advance of January 6 about security preparedness.”

“During a briefing of the Appropriations Committee Majority on January 5th by the House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving and U.S. Capitol Police Chief Sund both Chief Sund and Mr. Irving provided assurances that the Capitol Complex had comprehensive security and there was no intelligence that groups would become violent at the Capitol during the certification of electoral votes,” he explained. 

“It is our understanding that Ranking Member Davis was also briefed, but took no action to address any security concerns that he might have had,” he said. 

“Following the insurrection, the Speaker immediately tasked General Honore with leading an immediate security review of the U.S. Capitol Complex and has called for a 9/11-style Commission to investigate, with legislation creating such a panel to be introduced in the coming days,” Hammill continued. “The USCP is also conducting an internal security review.”

Hamill concluded by saying that Pelosi “knows all too well the importance of security at the Capitol and is focused on getting to the bottom of all issues facing the Capitol Complex and the events that led up to the insurrection. Clearly, these Republican Ranking Members do not share this priority.”

This piece was written by James Samson on February 15, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

Read more at LifeZette:
Van Der Veen Owns Impeachment Trial Fourth Day
Former First Lady Melania Trump Announces That She’s Opened New Office At Mar-a-Lago
Gretchen Whitmer Rebuffed By Michigan County As Residents Are Told To ‘Self-Determine’ Safety Measures

The post Pelosi Fires Back After Top Republicans Demand Answers About Capitol Security Before Riot – Deflects Blame appeared first on The Political Insider.

Whoopi Goldberg Gushes Over Biden – ‘We Finally Have A President In Office Who We Are Honored To Celebrate’

On Monday’s episode of “The View,” cohost Whoopi Goldberg celebrated Presidents’ Day by gushing about Joe Biden like it was her job. 

Goldberg introduced a montage of positive clips of Biden by saying that “we finally have a president in office who we are honored to celebrate.”

Whoopi Goldberg And ‘The View’ Hosts Gush Over Biden

“Today is Presidents’ Day, and it’s been a long time coming for all of us here on ‘The View’ because we finally have a president in office who we are honored to celebrate,” she said.

“Plus, our other relationship with President Biden goes way back before he became number 46. take a look,” Goldberg added. 

Related: Whoopi Goldberg Claims Joe Manchin’s Attack On Kamala Harris Was ‘Bigoted’ – ‘Really Disrespectful’

After the montage, the cohosts went all out in heaping praise on Biden.

“He’s adorable. He’s so genuine and sweet and lovely and funny. Everything you want in a man and in a president, you know? He’s great, and he’s right for these times. He’s perfect for these times, I think,” said cohost Joy Behar.

“That was cathartic to watch,” Sara Haines chimed in to say, before Behar added, “I’m glad we have him.”

“Just decent, it’s nice,” said cohost Sunny Hostin.

Goldberg Doubles Down

That’s when Goldberg brought this ridiculousness to a whole new level.

“I think it’s why he didn’t win before because it wasn’t his time because he was going to be needed later on,” she said. “So, you know, I have to say, you know, he’s a great riding buddy if you are on the train. You know?  I love riding. I would catch up with him back and forth on the train, and he’s just a great guy.”

Related: Whoopi Goldberg Goes Off On Republicans Who Voted Against Impeachment – ‘You’re Scared’

“He’s a real guy,” Goldberg added. “So I understand talking to him a lot. So I’m glad we got him too, Joy. I’m glad we all got him. He’s all of our presidents. He’ll figure out how to make it work for everybody, and that’s the best thing.”

This is in stark contrast to the way the women of “The View” treated former President Donald Trump during his time in office.

Goldberg refused to even say his name during his  presidency, and Behar accused him of everything from rape to murder in her daily unhinged rants against him.

This piece was written by James Samson on February 15, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

Read more at LifeZette:
Van Der Veen Owns Impeachment Trial Fourth Day
Former First Lady Melania Trump Announces That She’s Opened New Office At Mar-a-Lago
Gretchen Whitmer Rebuffed By Michigan County As Residents Are Told To ‘Self-Determine’ Safety Measures

The post Whoopi Goldberg Gushes Over Biden – ‘We Finally Have A President In Office Who We Are Honored To Celebrate’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

MSNBC Guest Says GOP Senators Who Voted To Impeach Trump ‘Helped Their Obituaries’

Historian Jon Meacham went on MSNBC on Monday to disturbingly claim that the Republican senators who voted in favor of impeaching former President Donald Trump “helped their obituaries.”

Meacham Talks Impeachment

Meacham was talking about the impeachment trial on “Morning Joe” when host Willie Geist pointed out that the Republicans who voted to convict Trump were already facing “blowback.”

“Yeah. If I were Sen. Burr, I would embrace that. Sometimes we talk about obituary management. Those seven folks just helped their obituaries,” Meacham replied, according to The Daily Caller.

“I think about this a lot when you see we’re at the point in the actuarial cycle where a lot of folks involved in Watergate are moving on,” he added. “And, it’s just interesting to see what is it that you’re remembered for.”

“I’m sure Sen. Burr is a lovely man. I’m sure he has done a lot for North Carolina and America,” he added. “But, I promise you that the thing right now that looms largest is that he decided we’re a constitutional republic not a cult of personality. And in many ways, that’s what that vote was about.”

Related: Lindsey Graham Declares Lara Trump ‘Biggest Winner’ Of Impeachment Trial As He Backs Her For Senate

Burr Joins Democrats In Impeaching Trump

Trump was acquitted by the Senate on Saturday in a 57-43 vote, with seven Republicans joining Democrats in voting in favor of impeachment.

Of these seven, one of the biggest surprises was Republican North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, who had just voted that the trial was unconstitutional a few days prior. In the wake of this, Burr is facing censure by his state’s Republican Party, which is meeting on Monday to decide what action to take.

“On this Presidents Day, one of the things to think about is we do have a different president. And 81 million Americans made what I would argue is the right choice in November,” Meacham said.

“And 57 United States senators, not enough, but 57 United States senators said that this man was — the former president, was guilty of inciting insurrection against his own government,” Meacham continued. “And that 57-43 number, while not determinative in a constitutional sense, is probably not that far off from where the country at large is about the Republican party.”

“If I were a Republican right now and I was thinking not in 10-minute terms, which is what they are doing, but 10-year terms, I would feel an existential crisis,” he concluded.

Read Next: Pelosi Wants ‘9/11-Type Commission’ To Investigate Capitol Riot

This piece was written by James Samson on February 15, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

Read more at LifeZette:
Van Der Veen Owns Impeachment Trial Fourth Day
Former First Lady Melania Trump Announces That She’s Opened New Office At Mar-a-Lago
Gretchen Whitmer Rebuffed By Michigan County As Residents Are Told To ‘Self-Determine’ Safety Measures

The post MSNBC Guest Says GOP Senators Who Voted To Impeach Trump ‘Helped Their Obituaries’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

House Republicans Send Brutal Message To Pelosi – Demand Answers From Her On Security Decisions Before Capitol Riot

Top Republicans from various House committees teamed up on Monday to send Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) a letter demanding answers from her on security decisions she made before the Capitol riot last month.

Republicans Send Letter To Pelosi

House Administration Committee Ranking Member Rodney Davis, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jim Jordan, House Oversight Committee Ranking Member James Comer and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes sent a letter to Pelosi saying that “many important questions” about her “responsibility for the security” of the Capitol on Jan. 6 “remain unanswered,” according to Fox News.

The Republican lawmakers brought up the fact that former Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund claimed that two days before the riot, he went to the sergeants at arms to request the assistance of the National Guard.

Related: Republican Rep. Accuses Pelosi Of Stopping Her Naval Academy Son From Attending Her Swearing-In

Sund Sent Letter To Pelosi

In a letter to Pelosi last month, Sund alleged that the former Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving said he was concerned about “the optics” and didn’t feel the “intelligence supported it.”

“As you are aware, the Speaker of the House is not only the leader of the majority party, but also has enormous institutional responsibilities,” the Republicans wrote. “The Speaker is responsible for all operational decisions made within the House.”

They added that over the past two years, they have observed a “very heavy-handed and tightly controlled approach to House operations that has been exerted by yourself, your staff, and an army of appointed House officials.”

“When then-Chief Sund made a request for national guard support on January 4th, why was that request denied?” the Republicans continued. “Did Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving get permission or instruction from your staff on January 4th prior to denying Chief Sund’s request for the national guard?”

They went on to point out that when Sund notified the Sergeant at Arms of his request for national guard support, it “took over an hour for his request to be approved because the SAA had to run the request up the chain of command,” saying that chain “undoubtedly included” Pelosi and her “designees.”

Related: Republicans Call for Pelosi To Be Fined After She’s Caught Avoiding Metal Detector In Congress

Republicans Double Down

The Republicans then blasted Pelosi for her decision to “unilaterally” fire Irving and demand the resignation of Sund.

“These decisions were made in a partisan manner without any consultation of House Republicans and therefore raise questions about the political motivations of your decisions,” they wrote.

Though Pelosi claimed the day after the riot that she had demanded Sund’s resignation because he “hasn’t called us since this happened,” the Republicans said this claim was easily “refuted” by Sund, who “detailed two occasions that he briefed you on the situation on the Capitol campus—the first occurring at 5:36 p.m. and the second at 6:25 p.m., both on January 6th.”

Republicans Express Concerns

Later in the letter, the Republicans expressed concerns over the “obstruction and inability to procure and preserve information” from House officers when they have requested it.

“Such information is necessary to properly conduct oversight on the January 6th events,” they wrote.

“Preservation and production requests were sent to the SAA and the House Chief Administrative Officer, among other legislative agencies, requesting that such relevant information concerning the attack on the Capitol, including correspondence, video footage, audio recordings, and other records, be preserved and produced to the relevant committees,” they continued. 

“In multiple cases, your appointees, acting on your behalf, have denied requests to produce this information,” they added. “The response we received was: ‘We regret to inform you that given the scope of the information requested and the concerns implicated by the nature of the request… we are unable to comply with the request at this time.’”

They argued that despite the officers’ “refusal to comply with the request,” they learned that “some of the same material we requested was provided to the House Judiciary Committee on a partisan basis.”

‘This Is Unacceptable’

“This is unacceptable. Madam Speaker, that direction could only have come from you,” the Republicans wrote.

“Lastly, your hyperbolic focus on fabricated internal security concerns has taken critical resources away from the real threat, which is from outside the U.S. Capitol,” they wrote.

“Your decision to install magnetometers around the House Chamber is yet another example of this misdirection and misappropriation of House resources, which could be better used to protect members, staff, and official visitors from real, confirmed threats,” the Republicans said. 

“Tellingly, Madam Speaker, you have failed to comply with this requirement yourself,” they concluded. “End this political charade, and work with us to protect the Capitol and those who work here every day.”

Pelosi has yet to respond, and her office declined to comment when contacted.

This piece was written by James Samson on February 15, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

Read more at LifeZette:
Van Der Veen Owns Impeachment Trial Fourth Day
Former First Lady Melania Trump Announces That She’s Opened New Office At Mar-a-Lago
WH Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo Suspended For Reportedly Threatening, Demeaning Female Reporter

The post House Republicans Send Brutal Message To Pelosi – Demand Answers From Her On Security Decisions Before Capitol Riot appeared first on The Political Insider.

Lindsey Graham Declares Lara Trump ‘Biggest Winner’ Of Impeachment Trial As He Backs Her For Senate

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) spoke out over the weekend to declare Lara Trump to be the “biggest winner” of impeachment trial as he threw his support behind her for Senate in North Carolina. Republican Senate candidate Mark Walker of North Carolina, however, is already pushing back against Graham on this.

Graham Praises Lara Trump

While appearing on Fox News on Sunday, Graham said that the decision of retiring GOP Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina to vote in favor of convicting former President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial makes Lara a shoe-in to win the 2022 Republican nomination to succeed Burr.

“The biggest winner of this whole impeachment trial I think is Lara Trump,” Graham said. 

“My dear friend Richard Burr, who I like and I’ve been friends to a long time, just made Lara Trump almost the certain nominee for the Senate seat in North Carolina to replace him if she runs, and I certainly would be behind her because I think she represents the future of the Republican Party,” he added.

Related: Lara Trump May Go For North Carolina Senate Seat

Walker Fires Back

Walker, the only major Republican to officially jump into this race so far, fired back on Monday morning in an interview with Fox Business.

“In the words of I believe it was John Ashcroft, Lindsey is always confident but not always right,” he said. He went on to claim that he is not paying attention to other potentially candidates who may jump into this race, which is likely to be hotly contested.

“We can’t control what anyone else is doing,” Walker said. “This is something we’re focused on because it’s in our heart to do, service has been part of our life for nearly a quarter century and we’re going to continue to do so.”

Related: Eric Trump Eviscerates CNN’s Jake Tapper As ‘So Angry And Smug’ After Host Cuts Interview With His Wife Short

Former RNC Spokesman Speaks Out 

Doug Heye, a former Republican National Committee spokesman and a North Carolina native who previously worked for Burr, also took issue with what Graham said.

“I don’t see how Saturday’s vote affect that at all,” Heye said. “You’ve got to do some crazy kind of algebra and cheating your math to get that.”

He added that Lara “could raise a ton of money” if she ran, but he questioned if she’ll actually launch a campaign.

This piece was written by James Samson on February 15, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

Read more at LifeZette:
Van Der Veen Owns Impeachment Trial Fourth Day
Former First Lady Melania Trump Announces That She’s Opened New Office At Mar-a-Lago
WH Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo Suspended For Reportedly Threatening, Demeaning Female Reporter

The post Lindsey Graham Declares Lara Trump ‘Biggest Winner’ Of Impeachment Trial As He Backs Her For Senate appeared first on The Political Insider.

GOP falls into further disarray after seven Republican senators admit Trump was 100% guilty

Donald Trump may have escaped conviction, but the Republican Party will be suffering the consequences of his abhorrent insurrection for years to come. The fact that a historic number of GOP Senate and House lawmakers joined Democrats in declaring Trump guilty of betraying the country sets up a dramatic rift in a party that already appears to be going through a tumultuous realignment

Trump's constant defender, golf partner, and sometimes election meddler Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina rushed out to the Sunday talk shows to assure Republicans they are doooooomed without Donald Trump. “Donald Trump is the most vibrant member of the Republican Party. The Trump movement is alive and well,” Graham told Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace. “All I can say is that the most potent force in the Republican Party is President Trump. We need Trump.”

The notion that a guy who just came the closest leader in American history to getting convicted of impeachment charges is the "most vibrant member" of the GOP is really a stunning admission—Graham just doesn't know it. Graham is legitimately panicked. In essence, Republicans can't win without Trump, but trying to win with him is going to weigh down the party like a bag of bricks. 

Graham panned as "wrong" a recent move by Republican Nikki Haley to try (yet again!) to distance herself from Trump as she angles for 2024. Graham also twice declared during the Fox interview, "I'm into winning," taking a swipe at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for ripping into Trump in a cynical effort to appease corporate donors who have soured on him.

But Graham did make one observation that is surely true about McConnell's oratory castigation of Trump despite the fact that he ultimately surrendered to casting an acquittal vote. "That speech you will see in 2022 campaigns,” Graham predicted. Truth. Any right-wing Trumper who emerges victorious after a bruising GOP primary will certainly hear the echo of McConnell's words slamming their general election pitch. 

McConnell knew that before he made the speech, and it also tells you just how desperate he is to keep those corporate donations flowing. He was trying to split the baby by acquitting Trump in one breath and skewering him in the next, but that’s also bound to cause some GOP collateral damage heading into 2022.

Just to truly drive home how far the GOP star has fallen, Graham declared none other than Lara Trump, the supremely uninspired beneficiary of Trump nepotism and Ivanka wannabe, the future of the Republican Party. Verbatim—not kidding.

“The biggest winner I think of this whole impeachment trial is Lara Trump,” Graham said. “If she runs, I will certainly be behind her because I think she represents the future of the Republican Party.”

Lara led Trump's "Women for Trump" initiative targeting the suburbs, which you may recall, wasn't the electoral fast ball the campaign hoped it would be.

On the other side of Graham's sycophantic appeals and McConnell's Machiavellian maneuvering was Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who seemed to grow genuinely outraged over the course of the trial by Trump's murderous riot and overt lack of remorse. After Cassidy voted to convict, he released an exceedingly simply and unapologetic statement: "Our Constitution and our country is more important than any one person. I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty."

On ABC's This Week Sunday, Cassidy predicted Trump's influence over the party had peaked and was on its way down. “I think his force wanes," Cassidy said.

What's so fascinating is that both Graham and Cassidy are likely speaking shades of the truth. Trump remains the most high-profile Republican nationwide and, while he will surely continue to harness the intensity of the nativist wing of the GOP, his ability to command a broad enough coalition to win national and statewide elections has just as surely taken a hit. In essence, Trump is a short-term bandage for a gaping oozing wound within the Republican Party. The Lindsey Grahams of the world are clinging to Trump for dear life, but his epic toxicity guarantees that wound will only deepen in the months and years ahead.