“The U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack has decided it will make criminal referrals to the U.S. Dept. of Justice, based on its interviews with over 1000 witnesses during its 17-month-long investigation.”
Not that it’s likely to make any difference to what the DOJ decides to do , or not to do , but it will nevertheless be interesting to see exactly who they refer and their reasoning why.
The new development is Tiabbi is reporting that continued release of this reporting was delayed due to the revelation that Twitter’s GC was reviewing all documents before they were released to him. They were SHOCKED, and doubly so once they found out the GC was former FBI lawyer, and man involved in the Durham investigation (the Trump led goose chase about the oranges of the Muller Investigation), Jim Baker. Elon responded to this revelation by firing Baker.
That Baker was GC for Twitter was public knowledge even to people like me. That the same Baker was a named person in the Durham report was also public knowledge. It was also of far more interest to the RW conspiracy loons that Musk and Tiabbi speak to.
The idea that the GC would not review these material before they were released is too stupid for words. The idea it is a revelation that said GC was Jim Baker is even more ridiculous. Musk in responding to this like its a revelation just continues to show us his arse, and the MAGA crowd eating up this development as if it has any meaning is just further evidence they only respond to innuendo, even when the evidence the innuendo is based on says the opposite of their conclusion.
Pertaining to something that me and Limiescouse were discussing in the World Cup thread , it looks like Senate Dems are now getting serious about looking into possible (probable morelike) corruption during the Trump administration that saw Jared Kushner get bailed out to the tune of $1.2b by the Qataris in return for political favours.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/12/07/kushner-democrats-congressional-probe-bailout/
What’s this about? Doesn’t sound like AOC at all
It’s bullshit, but she will spend the next 2 years dealing with bullshit like this. There is no evidence to back the complaint, but they could not resolve it and avoid the November election, so the extension of the term requires the Ethics Committee to issue a statement confirming the investigation.
I have heard that the complaint relates to the fact that she was offered the use of an apartment for a week when she was first elected, used it, disclosed it, but the owner of the apartment ( a DC lobbyist travelling at the time, who has strong ties to progressive organizations - essentially a friend of a friend) has a client that has violated some lobbying rules. Notably, the owner of the apartment has been charged with nothing, because the violation had nothing to do with the work he was doing for that client.
edit: Nope, it appears it is the complaint related to the 2022 Met gala, likely the gown she was loaned. The condo one was resolved.
Just more right wing double standards. The problem with cunts who want to tear down the system is that you can’t just give them an even break or the benefit of the doubt because they try and equate their treason with others traffic offences.
If I’m not mistaken she is up for re-election in 2024 and there was already talk of her getting primaried. Looks like a case of her jumping before she was pushed.
So what happens to her position as Senator? Does she keep it or does it go to another Democrat etc?
She’s still a Senator , just registered Ind now instead of Dem. Same as Bernie Sanders and Angus King.
Seems a bit strange seeing as she won her seat on the back of a Democratic campaign. I dunno, seems there should be some kind of hold against doing then. At least to me.
My guess is that it’s also her way of playing brinksmanship. I don’t think, unless I’m much mistaken, that she’s popular enough in Arizona to get re-elected as an independent in a three-way contest. However, she would probably take more votes away from the Democrats than the Republicans, so she’s in effect saying to the party, challenge me if you dare. If I lose, so will you.
Moves like this expose you as a self-interested, ‘typical’ politician. She’s been playing spoiler to the Democrats for a number of years now. Fuck people like Krysten Sinema and Joe Manchin.
The most cynical and predictable event. I dont like Manchin, but I struggle with a lot of the criticism of him as he is what it says on the tin…a conservative Democrat who got elected in an overwhemling conservative part of the country. He votes largely in accordance with his known political leanings and in what is his best interest in being reelected. I have issues with the bad faith arguments he makes, but not in his overall positioning.
Sinema is completely different though. She rose to prominence as a new generation lefty advocating for social conscience (I’m not a lesbian, but a love pussy) and economic fairness, ran with this support of the party establishment to get elected to the senate in a key state and then took a heel turn the second she got there, which seems like its driven by a cynical self serving quest for using the office, and her critical role as a swing vote, for personal enrichment. Unfortunately, like @redalways suggests, I think this turn to being an independent makes it even less likely a Dem can keep seat. If she stayed to fight for the nomination she could be beaten. If she turned full right and became Republican she could be beaten in a GE. But in a 3 ways race she siphons off votes far more from the conservatives Dems in a tricky state like AZ than she does from the GOP voters.
As Limiescouse says, I understand Manchin. Measured by the distance between Presidential vote for the Democrats and his, he is the single most valuable Democratic Senator. It is not even close, the only one in the same two digit range is Jon Tester in Montana. HIs situation is very difficult, and for all the high profile votes where he frustrates Democrats, there are dozens where he is a solid Democratic committee member. Democrats who talk about ‘primarying’ him are basically talking about handing that vote to the GOP.
Sinema, on the other hand, has behaved substantially the same way in a state where her fellow Senator is also a Democrat, quite reliably so. By the measure that Manchin is judged, she is the least valuable. She underperformed Biden, and won her seat in 2018 largely due to facing a Trumpist loon.
The net effect of her defection is that the VP tiebreaker will be needed more often, and Manchin may be that little bit more powerful. Kamala Harris may be the real winner here.
The Harris people dont think so. They have felt handcuffed to the senate to perform an administerial role in a way that prevents her getting there and having a broader, more visible role. They thought the 51st vote would change that.
