NO — It Was NOT “Legitimate Discourse”!!!

Posted on by under Election 2020, Election 2022, Election 2024, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

The Republican Party is claiming that the events of January 6th were merely “legitimate political discourse.”  Naturally, I disagree … strongly disagree.  But it isn’t enough for me to say I disagree … if I have a point, I must prove my point.  First, let us dissect that phrase with a few short definitions …

Legitimate:  accepted by the law as rightful

Political:  relating to the government or the public affairs of a country; relating to the ideas or strategies of a particular party or group in politics

Discourse:  written or spoken communication or debate

The first word alone, ‘legitimate,’ is enough to render this entire phrase as applied to January 6th 2021 wrong.  On that day, in the U.S. Capitol, a violent mob entered the building unlawfully and then proceeded to destroy taxpayer’s property, to steal taxpayer’s property, to threaten a lynching, and to murder police officers who were attempting to restore order.  NONE of that is legal or rightful!!!

I’ll give the Republicans that second word, ‘political.’  The violent insurrection was indeed political for it was an attempt, encouraged and plotted by the former guy and his minions, to overthrow an election and thus to overthrow the government of the United States.  However, if this is what politics has come to, then I say it’s time for the two political parties to be disbanded and rebuilt from the ground up by people of conscience.

If ‘discourse’ is written or spoken communication, then I fail to see how the events of January 6th qualifies.  The guttural grunts and screamed threats of the perpetrators can in no way be considered discourse.  90% of the people who stormed the Capitol on that day couldn’t string a coherent sentence together if their lives depended on it.

Ronna McDaniel is the chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), so while I don’t know who drafted the actual document to censure Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, Ms. McDaniel bears responsibility, though there can be no doubt that a majority of the RNC supported the move.  She is the niece of Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, although obviously she did not inherit his basic decency.

McDaniel is complicit in the Big Lie, the claim that the election was not fair and honest and that there was so much “voter fraud” that Trump actually would have otherwise won.  C’mon, folks … think on this one for a minute.  In 2016, Trump LOST the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes to Hillary Clinton, but the machinations of the Electoral College allowed him to move into the White House anyway.  Did Ms. Clinton throw a juvenile temper tantrum and claim she had really won, that there was voter fraud involved?  No, she did not.  In fact, she called Mr. Trump to congratulate him in the wee hours that Wednesday morning.  THAT, my friends, is the proper way for a legitimate politician to behave.  And in 2020, Trump lost by nearly 8 million votes.  C’mon, folks, that would have to be one heck of a lot of voter fraud that simply didn’t happen.

To this day, Trump has neither conceded that he lost the 2020 election, nor has he congratulated President Biden.  Instead, he has done everything in his power to denigrate not only the President, but the very presidency itself and to prove to the public that he is not a man in any sense of the word, but a whiny, vicious toddler in an ugly man’s body.

Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger deserve a merit badge for courage, for having the cojones to stand for what is right, to uphold their oaths to the Constitution and to We the People, and for being basically honest people rather than slavishly dribbling over the former guy at every chance.  They know what might have become of this nation had Trump and his minions succeeded in their coup 13 months ago and they want more for this nation, they do not wish to allow one ‘man’ to destroy a nation, to burn the Constitution. And they understand, far better than most Republicans, that brutal murder, destruction of property, and theft do NOT qualify as legitimate discourse in any way, shape, or form.

If we allow the GOP to continue telling this blatant lie about the events of January 6th, if we don’t call them on the carpet for their lies, then we will be complicit in what happens after the 2024 election.  Currently, voters in the state of North Carolina have filed a legal challenge to disqualify Representative Madison Cawthorn from running for a second term based on his role in the attempted coup.  The lawsuit contends that Cawthorn’s comments in the speech shortly preceding the insurrection violate the 14th Amendment, which states in part that no person “who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress … to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same.”

If used properly, the 14th Amendment could and should be used to block others such as Josh Hawley, Lauren Boebert, Margie Greene, Mo Brooks, Louie Gohmert, Paul Gosar, Andy Biggs and yes, Donald Trump from ever running for public office again!  These people all played a role in the events of that day and frankly, they have no conscience, no business making decisions that affect our lives!  Let them pump gas or sell sandwiches for a living for they DO NOT belong in our government!!!

Officer Michael Fanone who was brutally beaten on January 6, 2021

I end where I began … there was nothing … not a single thing … that was legitimate about the attempt to take over our government and throw our votes out the window.  Ask Officer Michael Fanone or any one of the officers who valiantly tried to protect the Capitol and Congress that day how ‘legitimate’ it seemed.  It was a violent, bloody coup attempt and no amount of whitewashing can change that fact.  It’s time we hold people accountable instead of pandering to them and re-arranging the dictionary to try to appease them.

65 thoughts on “NO — It Was NOT “Legitimate Discourse”!!!”

  1. I’d give a merit badge for courage to Ms. Cheney regarding the brutal January 6 political aftermath she’s suffered (though I’ve read that her Congressional-riding electorate have mostly remained behind her and therefore her seat essentially secure) — if only she’d come out and denounce her then-VP father’s part in fraudulently manufacturing American consent for the 2003-11 attack on Iraq.

    Her dad, Dick Cheney, used his own BS about (non-existent) Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to justify a declaration of war — a ‘war’ that was closer to being a turkey shoot, considering the massive military might attacking the relatively weak country — that inevitably resulted in genuine gratuitous mass suffering and slaughter. That’s the very same Dick who then monetarily benefitted from the invasion through the vast Iraqi oil fields. And I’m not going to get into 9/11.

    Not surprisingly, many people (including me) would place Dick ahead of D. Trump on the Mr. Evil scale.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I fully agree … Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger have shown remarkable courage in defying the wishes of their party. I disagree with most of Ms. Cheney’s political views, but nonetheless I see her as a woman of integrity and we surely need more of those! Like you, I have zero respect for her father, but … she is not Dick Cheney and shouldn’t be judged by his past actions. I still think Trump is higher on the Mr. Evil scale, but perhaps only because he is still in a position to perpetrate his evil on this nation, whereas Cheney is not.

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  2. Thank you for sharing!!… what you are witnessing is politicians and Republican leadership more concerned about their jobs and the voters back home than America as a whole… I am thinking that shortly after January 6 the RNC said the opposite about the event… again, the problem lies with the voters and followers who voted for the representatives and leadership of their party… 🙂

    Technology has given them a voice at the moment but believe as things play out and we keep our voices heard and work with others to make changes, etc. and at the same time avoiding what the RNC are doing, eventually as good number of them will begin to accept changes to some degree.. 🙂

    Until we meet again…
    May your troubles be less
    Your blessings be more
    And nothing but happiness
    Come through your door
    (Irish Saying)

    Liked by 1 person

    • You are so right that at the end of the day, it all boils down to the voters who put these bigoted fools in office. Sadly, those same voters are likely to vote the same way this year and keep our Congress polluted with those who have zero concern for the people of this country, only their own wealth and power.

      I hope you are right … one key phrase jumps out at me … “and at the same time avoiding what the RNC are doing”. That, my friend, is my fear, that the Democratic Party is stooping to the same low levels that the RNC has done, engaging in a mud-slinging contest where there are no winners.

      Thanks for the uplifting Irish Saying, dear friend!

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    • Many thanks, dear friend!!! Sadly, it seems that the number of decent, sane people is diminishing of late! Still, there are enough left to put an end to this nonsense being bandied about by the Republican Party!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Congressman Hakim Jeffries stated, in a Congressional setting, what all sane people have known for many years now: The Republican Party has become a cult.
    That statement by the RNC about “legitimate political discourse” sealed the deal and made clear and obvious to any honest and reasonable American that the Republican Party is now a cult. Many of my friends and family members are disciples within that cult. And I can say from personal experience, there seems to be no way to de-program them. As I’ve written repeatedly elsewhere, Trumpism is here to stay–at least for the foreseeable future. And that fact portends a bleak future.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Indeed, they have become a cult by any definition of the word, and a far more dangerous cult than any I’ve known of before. The one thing I hope will come from this is that many Republicans will shy away from the censure and the wording of “legitimate discourse” and that it may cause a split in the GOP, which would be the best outcome. If there are any honest people of conscience in today’s GOP, they would do far better breaking away from the Cult of Trumpism and putting forth their own candidates, ones who care about the people of this nation. Trumpism may be here to stay for the foreseeable future, but the shadow it casts could well be diminishing. I hope, anyway.

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  8. Only the most idiotic and blinkered Trump supporters could believe that storming the Capitol Building was anything other than an attempt at an armed insurrection to undermine a legitimate election result. Even Mike Pence has acknowledged that the election was fair. How stupid does someone have to be to continue to argue Trump won?!

    Liked by 1 person

    • That is my feeling, too, but it seems that if they say it enough times, people begin to believe it. The very fact that there is still a large portion of Republicans that would vote for Trump again speaks volumes. Yes, Pence and now even Mitch McConnell have both acknowledged that the election was fair AND that the intent of the insurrectionists was to overturn the rule of law, to stomp on our votes. Stupid … it seems to be a growing thing these days. SIGH.

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  10. According to recent news reports, Mitch McConnell has now come out criticizing the RNC, and being clear that it was not “legitimate political discourse”. I’m not a big fan of McConnell, but it is good to see him take the correct position on this.

    Hmm, there is going to be some turmoil in the Republican party.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I saw that earlier today and my jaw dropped nearly to the floor! Like you, I’m not a fan of McConnell and think he has done more harm than good in the past 12 years or so, but I was pleased that he did speak out on this … I hope more will do so, too!

      Fine by me … let them split right down the middle and dilute their own votes!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Outstandingly brilliant discourse!! In times past I might have repeated a fitting quote that was shared on another post at another time and then been done…you will soon realize how fortunate you would have been. But now I must add a disclaimer and knowingly indulge my P4L to do so! You see, after a bit of research since that time I discovered that whilst it was indeed an inaccurate quote it was not totally fabricated. The brief quote originally shared : “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we lose our freedoms it will be because we have destroyed ourselves from within.” – Abraham Lincoln. That quote has been repeated by Republican politicians frequently over the past several years in an effort to defend their actions under the guise of appearing Lincolnesque. It has also been paraphrased by several of them including the orange one back in 2015! However, Lincoln scholars have said that the actual words of a young Lincoln ( 28 years of age) are from what is referred to as the “Lyceum Address” spoken before the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois. That January 27, 1838 address “The Perpetuation of Political Institutions” speaks to our present political environment and also of the events which took place on Jan. 6, 2021. The entire speech is lengthy but I offer the part which spawned the above quote. “At which point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be the author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” WHAK!! Thank-you!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Fascinating!!! Your P4L is indeed in fine form tonight, and I’m thankful for it! Y’know … I honestly think that were Lincoln alive today he would be a Democrat and would be appalled by what the Republican Party has become. But he speaks the truth … if the majority of this nation ever decides to follow the ideals (or lack thereof) of today’s Republican Party, then we will indeed have committed suicide. WHAK!!!

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  12. This is like an ongoing soap opera…. as the stomach churns 🙂
    Republican Rep. Troy Nehls claims Capitol Police disguised as construction workers snuck into his office to take photos of his files after he was picked for the GOP panel to investigate January 6 ‘security failures’. An internal investigation is pending:
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10490197/Republican-Rep-Nehls-claims-Capitol-cops-disguised-construction-workers-snuck-office.html

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  16. It was a horror show. It was the first time I realized that even that little bit of hope I was holding that somehow, we’d manage to remember what being American was supposed to mean. This is all terribly depressing. I know we aren’t supposed to give up hope, but whatever shreds of hope I have, I’m losing them strand by strand. After all these years, THIS is what we have come to? After all these years, how sad for all of us. How tragic for this nation.

    Liked by 1 person

    • It is indeed depressing, Marilyn, but we mustn’t fall into the trap of becoming so depressed that we stop fighting. I’ve almost been to that point myself, so I know it’s an easy trap to fall into, but if we stop fighting, if we stop calling them out on their cruelty and idiocy, then we will surely not stop this runaway train and our children & grandchildren will be the ones who pay the price. We cannot let that happen!

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  17. Future generations of America will look back on “2016–to the present” when they want to study and learn The Art of Delusion & Unreality and How to Sell It to Incompetent Consumers, the best sales scam in history.

    It will probably top the charts of 2505’s “Republican Idiocracy’s Best Sellers List”! —alluding to the 2006 film. 🤦‍♂️

    Liked by 1 person

    • I often think I would love to see how this era … from 2016 forward … is treated in the history books 100 years from now! I suppose that much depends on what direction this nation takes in the coming decade. If we take the direction I fear we might, then it might be considered an executable crime to print the truth.

      As for the charts of 2505 … frankly I don’t think the human species will still be around in another 500 years. Heck, I don’t think we’ll be around in another 100 years if we don’t get off our duffs and make serious commitments to halt the decimation of our environment!

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  19. This is how completely disconnected from reality the Republican Party has become. Nothing matters to these people anymore except power, and they excuse any and all behavior in the pursuit of it. We’ve got to be unrelenting in calling them out for their actions, as you’re doing commendably.

    Liked by 1 person

    • You’re right … they seem to have closed the door on their consciences, or their ‘better angels’ as Keith would say. They have become greedy and arrogant, have forgotten or set aside any humanitarian values they may have once had. They don’t even care about their own grandchildren, for they refuse to do their share to help protect and repair our environment for future generations. I think most of us can do little, but yes, we can and we MUST continue calling them out, showing their lies to the world. Thanks, Larry … I try.

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  20. I think Republican “influencers” started this travesty right after Trump won (while losing the popular vote) back in 2016. My experience was that simply stating the fact Trump didn’t win the popular vote (thus pollsters who said he didn’t have a majority going into the election weren’t technically wrong even if they weren’t very precise with their positions of trust to helpfully inform the general population) garnered an immediate accusation that I was saying Trump didn’t win and wasn’t the legitimate president. Plus, saying that Russia tampered was blasted similarly — no matter how clearly I said I didn’t think there was enough influence or effect to change the legal outcome. This is one of their favorite ways they do things; project onto others and then do the thing themselves.

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    • I went through the same dialog as you, when I said that Trump did not win the popular vote, that he lost by nearly 3 million votes, and was bombarded with the hateful spiel by Republican friends who said I was “just mad” because my candidate lost. Frankly, I think the Electoral College is the most damaging part of the U.S. Constitution today. I understand why the Founding Fathers put it in there, but it has always operated to bring about the exact opposite of what the FF planned. It needs to be amended out! But, as long as it’s helping the GOP, it won’t happen. Yes, you’re right … the Republicans have a number of tricks up their sleeve and projecting their own faults onto others is but one of many.

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  21. ExACTLY RIGHT JILL,. the damage alone shows that there was no attempt at discourse. As did the attacks on the police officers doing their duty.Their own videos showed the rage they wee unleashing as they rallied around brandishing a variety of weapons and things they had stolen.

    cwtch

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  24. Jill, apparently several Republican Senators have shared their displeasure with the RNC decision. They are none too happy with the censure, but also the trivialization of the January 6 insurrection. Again, what the GOP leaders fail to realize is Trump will burn everything down, including the country and their party to win. It will only get worse as more truth comes out and he is criticized by more people. This is what happens when you let festering sore go unattended. Keith

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  26. As I have said before, the Republican Trumpophiles are not talking to people like you or almost all of your readers, they are talking to their MAGAts! And those MAGAts will believe anything, if it comes out of a certain idiot’s mouth? And especially if it is repeated over and over. Truth does not matter to them anymore. Just whining! Oops, sorry. Just “winning!”

    Liked by 4 people

    • Y’know … when I reached a certain age, I swore I would never call anybody ‘stupid’, for my own mother told me nearly every day of my life that I was ‘stupid’ and I grew to despise that word. These days, though, I find myself silently applying that adjective to so many people … it saddens me. Ha ha … that was a Freudian slip if ever I heard one!

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      • I made the same promise for the same reason, except it was my father who used that term on all of his kids. For me it would have been debilitating if not for the straight As on my report card every year. It was proof I was not stupid, and my father knew nothing about me.
        Until Trump, I never used that word about anyone. And since Jan. 6th, I have been using it regularly, along with the noun “idiots!” If ten years sgo someone had told me I would be saying such things regularly every day, I would have said impossible. But everything changes. What else do you call such people?

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