The Speaker Speaks

Posted on by under Election 2020, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

Last evening, the January 6th Committee issued to the public its final report after nearly two years of delving into the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the insurrection and attempted coup on January 6th, 2021.  The Executive Summary, which I downloaded on Tuesday, is over 150 pages and I’m still working my way through that, and the full report is said to be 1,000 pages, give or take.  Much of what’s in the report we have seen in the hearings, but no doubt there is additional detail and analysis.  From time to time, I may write about one thing or another that stands out, but I have no intention of boring you to tears by sharing the entire report or opining on every detail.  You can download the report yourself if you are interested … and I really hope you are, at least those of you who live in the U.S.  If we simply shrug our shoulders and don’t bother to understand what happened and what very nearly happened, then we are part of the problem and we will have a portion of the blame if the same or worse happens again at some point in the future.

For today, though, I did want to share Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s introduction at the beginning of the report, for her words weigh heavily.  I have highlighted one portion that I think speaks volumes.  We barely dodged the bullet two years ago … we may not be so lucky next time.

“THE LAST BEST HOPE OF EARTH”

“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”

All Members of the United States Congress take this sacred oath. On January 6, 2021, Democrats and Republicans agreed that we would fulfill this oath—and that we had an obligation to signal to the world that American Democracy would prevail.

In furtherance of fulfilling this duty, the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol was charged with investigating the facts, circumstances and causes that led to this domestic terror attack on the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution.

We owe a debt of gratitude to Chairman Bennie Thompson, Vice Chair Liz Cheney, the patriotic Members of Congress and dedicated staff—who devoted themselves to this investigation, to uncovering the truth and to writing a report that is a “Roadmap for Justice.”

The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack has succeeded in bringing clarity and demonstrating with painstaking detail the fragility of our Democracy. Above all, the work of the Select Committee underscores that our democratic institutions are only as strong as the commitment of those who are entrusted with their care. [emphasis added]

As the Select Committee concludes its work, their words must be a clarion call to all Americans: to vigilantly guard our Democracy and to give our vote only to those dutiful in their defense of our Constitution.

Let us always honor our oath to, as Abraham Lincoln said, “nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth.” So help us God.

NANCY PELOSI, Speaker of the House

20 thoughts on “The Speaker Speaks”

    • So do I, Mary! I have long admired her intelligence and strength … she doesn’t back down, she just gets things done! She will be missed. I have read a couple of times that she is likely to go down in history as the most effective Speaker of the House ever!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. What’s scary come January Kevin McCarthy becomes the new Speaker of the House.
    Let the schenanigans begin:
    House Republican leader McCarthy threatens to impeach DHS Secretary Mayorkas over border.
    McCarthy has promised to restore committee assignments for far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
    And he has vowed to oust Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and other high-profile Democrats from their committees in a form of political payback, setting up a divisive House action early in the new Congress.
    McCarthy is a Trump sycophantic boot-licker, i’m sure he’ll do everything in his power to negate prosecuting #45 for his high crimes and misdemeanors.
    It’s gonna be a long two years until the next clown-show in 2024!

    Liked by 1 person

    • It is likely that McCarthy will become the Speaker on January 3rd, but not necessarily the case. Their majority is slim enough … and may get even slimmer quickly … that I’m not sure he’s going to have support for much of his hijinx. Also, some of the things he claims he plans to do are not within his power and he well knows it. He’ll make a lot of noise and his name will be in the news every day, and they’ll probably impeach a dozen people but it will be meaningless at the end of the day. It will be a long, noisy and tedious two years, but we must ignore it as much as possible and realize it’s all for show, it all has one and only one goal: to win the 2024 election.

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  4. Jill, while never a huge fan of Pelosi’s, I must take my hat off to her as retiring Speaker. She knows how to herd cats and count votes to get things done. Sadly, she may be replaced by someone who will be more known for their untruthfulness. And, that makes me sad for our country. Keith

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    • Thanks, Keith! I have always admired the way she didn’t let anyone beat her down, but stood for what she believed was right. She does, indeed, know how to make things happen, and overall she is an intelligent and strong woman … we could use more like her in Congress instead of the Marge Greene’s and Lauren Boebert’s. You’re right … whether it’s McCarthy or Biggs or someone else who steps into the Speaker’s shoes, we are in for a roller coaster ride, for their goal is not to govern, but to disrupt and to campaign, nothing more.

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      • Jill, agreed. Plus, I am long past tired of my last former party letting large swaths of members, including elected officials, peddle BS as discourse. This morning I read a GOP Congressman thinks Ukraine is fighting a war on Christianity, which some MAGA folks are peddling. Really? This is your position I want to ask him and them? Keith

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        • Like you, I am so tired of the lies and the peddling of false information, as well as the ignorance of those who fall for the lies. I know I will miss Nancy Pelosi no matter which of the Republicans gets the Speakership. I suspect that the next two years will bring a lot of noise and little or no action, so we should be prepared to try to tune out the noise lest it drive us nuts!

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  6. Well, certainly Americans are not the last or best “hope of earth,” but you are an important one, and I hope to see you all hang around for a few more years. But I gotta say, you and other capitalist nations, including Canada, better start pulling up your and our socks and stop letting big corporations continue to ravage the earth in the name of money! All the money in the world will have no meaning if there is no world to spend it on.

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