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| credit: M. Lukovich, Atlanta Journal Constitution Wackydoodle sez: He'll take a cheeseburger with ketchup and fries too. |
What the live hearing tonight by the January 6th Committee showed is more than the oft repeated phrase "dereliction of duty" though without question is was that, is the commission of a felony by the President of the United States. Donald Trump planned and executed as best he was able, to illegally remain in power by obstructing Congress in its execution of constitutional duties. He did this using various stratagems, but in the end it came down to a violent mob action that he instigated and would have led but for the actions of the palace guard, the Secret Service, more on them below. His behavior during the insurrection for 187 minutes was more than confused inaction, or failure to protect the Constitution. He actively leveraged the violence by calling US Senate supporters in the hope they would submit to his pressure and raise objections to the Electoral College vote count. There can be no clearly indication of his corrupt intent short of his confession. He resisted the insistent advice of his close advisors and family members to go on national television and tell the rioters to stop the violence that concerned even the professional protecting the Vice President. Rep Kinzinger (R-IL) insightfully observed that Herr Trumpillini did nothing because the violent mob he raised and aimed at the Capitol was serving his purpose. Even the next day after Congress belatedly certified the election results, his flying monkey, Rudy Guiliani, was still trying to wrangle support from Senators for the Big Lie
The most concerning development in US Person's opinion is the apparent cover-up of Trump's actions by the US Secret Service. Yesterday, the Service told the Committee that it could not retrieve the deleted text messages from January 6th. This deletion happened after the Service was told three times by various investigators in Congress and the Homeland Security IG to preserve all communication records from that time. The Service also has a legal obligation under the Federal Records Act to preserve official communications. The National Archives, which is responsible for preserving these records, has requested the Service to explain how the deletions occurred in light of the preservation requests. Frankly the refusal to present the messages to the Committee smacks of a potentially illegal cover-up rivaling "Tricky" Dick's attempt to keep the Watergate break-secret. Anthony Ornato, an Assistant Director of the Service and a former White House Deputy for Operations, has a history of lying in order to support his former boss according to two former White House staffers, Olivia Troye and Alyssa Farah Griffin. His misplaced loyal apparently is shared by others within the secretive agency. Certainly this development is another avenue of inquiry that will keep the Committee busy until their next public hearings in September. Meanwhile the Homeland IG has launched a criminal investigation into the "migration" of data.
As co-chair Liz Cheney (R-AZ) rightly pointed out at the end, a man so desperate for power that he is willing to pervert democracy by peddling a lie that prays on false notions of patriotism, is a present danger that cannot be allowed to hold high public office again. He continues to spew the Big Lie to further his political ambitions to this day. The atrophied organs of justice must be used to stop him for good.