Evil TurtleMan had it both ways — regarding Trump Impeachment Two's conviction process

14 February 2021

. . . (that societally useless paragon of legislative obstructionism) does have a genius for cloaking Deception inside morality's fine feathers.

After voting to acquit former President Trump . . .

. . . on the Democratic House's Senate-forwarded charge of inciting insurrection (at the Capitol on 06 January 2021), Evil TurtleMan said this — here in its most pertinent extracts:

January 6th was a disgrace.

American citizens attacked their own government. They used terrorism to try to stop a specific piece of democratic business they did not like.

Fellow Americans beat and bloodied our own police. They stormed the Senate floor. They tried to hunt down the Speaker of the House. They built a gallows and chanted about murdering the Vice President.

They did this because they had been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth — because he was angry he'd lost an election.

Former President Trump's actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty.

The House accused the former President of, quote, 'incitement.' That is a specific term from the criminal law.

Let me put that to the side for one moment and reiterate something I said weeks ago: There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day.

The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their President.

And their having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories, and reckless hyperbole which the defeated President kept shouting into the largest megaphone on planet Earth.

The issue is not only the President's intemperate language on January 6th.

It is not just his endorsement of remarks in which an associate urged 'trial by combat.'

It was also the entire manufactured atmosphere of looming catastrophe; the increasingly wild myths about a reverse landslide election that was being stolen in some secret coup by our now-President.

The leader of the free world cannot spend weeks thundering that shadowy forces are stealing our country and then feign surprise when people believe him and do reckless things.

The unconscionable behavior did not end when the violence began.

A mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name. These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags, and screaming their loyalty to him.

It was obvious that only President Trump could end this.

Former aides publicly begged him to do so. Loyal allies frantically called the Administration.

But the President did not act swiftly. He did not do his job. He didn't take steps so federal law could be faithfully executed, and order restored.

Instead, according to public reports, he watched television happily as the chaos unfolded. He kept pressing his scheme to overturn the election!

[T]he President sent a further tweet attacking his Vice President.

Predictably and foreseeably under the circumstances, members of the mob seemed to interpret this as further inspiration to lawlessness and violence.

Later, even when the President did halfheartedly begin calling for peace, he did not call right away for the riot to end. He did not tell the mob to depart until even later.

And even then, with police officers bleeding and broken glass covering Capitol floors, he kept repeating election lies and praising the criminals.

If President Trump were still in office, I would have carefully considered whether the House managers proved their specific charge.

By the strict criminal standard, the President's speech probably was not incitement.

However, in the context of impeachment, the Senate might have decided this was acceptable shorthand for the reckless actions that preceded the riot.

But in this case, that question is moot. Because former President Trump is constitutionally not eligible for conviction.

We refused to continue a cycle of recklessness by straining our own constitutional boundaries in response.

We put our constitutional duty first.

If the above text eventually disappears from Convenient History's view . . .

You will probably still be able to find it at:

CNN, Read McConnell's remarks on the Senate floor following Trump's acquittal, cnn.com (13 February 2021)

Consider McConnell's procedural and rhetorically effective mastery of Deception

First, recognize that McConnell — for Republican leadership's sake — wanted to screw the rambunctiously inelegant Trump to the metaphorical wall.

But how to do this, without disempowering the national herd of Republicans, who idolize Donny the Booming Toddler?

Simple:

Seize on a legitimate technicality — meaning the one that explicitly says that the Senate cannot (constitutionally) impeach-convict someone who is no longer in office.

And instead, render a more or less procedurally meaningless moral condemnation — to warm the hearts of everyone with a shred of common societal sense — but without running the risk of legally barring The Trumpster from bin-rolling his garbage-flaming self into high office again.

Perfect.

Seamless manipulation is Evil TurtleMan's best trade

Marvel Comics would struggle to come up with a villain of Mitch's deviously sly quality of genuine outstandingness.

The moral? — And so, Nancy Pelosi's ship . . .

. . . of poorly reasoned, always cowardly and perpetually unambitious — Party of Fake Opposition — has crashed upon the rocks of (in)justice again.

No matter.

I'm certain that vigorously propelling Cancel Culture along — as well as fomenting a stream of continuously silly side shunts, including inciting strategy-lacking wars of imperialistic mayhem abroad — will keep the Biden Regime from having to decently govern for years to come.

Wealth and Power will, thus, continue to flow, unrestrained, to the Few.

While the Many perish, or piteously struggle, in one form or another.

So, my fellow 'Muhrikan — insanely and emptily partisan — Sheep, let's welcome the next propagandized distraction, whatever it may be.

And Mitch, do keep entertaining us with your flaunted pretense of moral worth.

America is led by its "best people".

PeteFree.com

Evil TurtleMan had it both ways — regarding Trump Impeachment Two's conviction process