***Merrick Garland Speech Watch Party Thread***

[nolabear]

Because I love hearing what everyone has to say in the moment.

[Kali]

1. ...

[nolabear]

3. Hi Kali!

[nolabear]

2. Podium prep with masks and crowd noise

[OnDoutside]

4. Squibb, damp or dry ?

[NewHendoLib]

5. you watch - hopefully we will all party!

thanks for doing this. I simply CAN'T watch TV

we going to whip out that oh-so-dry powder?

[nolabear]

7. So far he's late and CSPAN is running a water quality rerun.

So, not dry at the moment.

[hlthe2b]

6. Either be prepared with tempered expectations or a "fifth" (six-pack) of something...

My advice. My expectations are extremely low so that the announcement that he was speaking (and its undoubted impact on Trump and his flunkies left "wondering..." ) has already exceeded my baseline.

[nolabear]

8. Coffee firmly clutched. Pearls not so much.

My bar is pretty sadly low at the moment. If he doesn’t get naked and sing “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy” I’ll consider it a minor success.

[orleans]

10. maybe i'll pour another coffee nt

[uponit7771]

21. +1, mine too ... I don't expect anything new to reality based people but I'm looking at FAUX News ..

... and their replies

[BComplex]

96. Eeeewwww! How can you stand to watch that crap?

[uponit7771]

117. Wanted to see response to speech, they picked nits mostly for 2 mins but was of note they talked

... about Garland connecting J6 to GQP anti democracy movement.

I wish he could be more partisan in that statement because it would be factual but I understand he can't be

[BComplex]

133. ....

I get it.

[orleans]

9. why isn't George Stephanopoulos cutting in to abc

with breaking news--or doing his usual chit-chat in the lead up to this speech?

does it not matter enuf?

even cnn & msnbc don't seem to be covering it

[Bev54]

12. It has not started, seems to be late

[Bev54]

14. Just started now

[FSogol]

11. -Crickets-

[crickets]

15. *waves*

[nolabear]

17. ...

[FSogol]

18. :)

[nolabear]

16. Annnnd we're off!

[orleans]

19. he's listing off the shit that happened on 1/6 nt

[nolabear]

20. Okay, he's giving a play by play with the right words.

Attack, assault, barrage, violent attacks.

80 DC and 60 Capitol police assaulted. Damn.

[uponit7771]

22. Hmmmm, turn to FAUX News this seems to be tailor made for those looking down ...

... I'm going to stay on the outlet to see what their replies, or lack of reply, is to what Garland is saying.

[nolabear]

24. Thank you for your service.

[uponit7771]

30. lol

[SheltieLover]

28. You have a strong stomach!

Ty for taking one for the team!

[nolabear]

23. No higher priority than holding the perps accountable

One would hope…

[highplainsdem]

26. Was glad to hear him say that.

[crickets]

25. "Those involved must be held accountable

and there is no higher priority for us at the Department of Justice."

[orleans]

27. "those involved must be held accountable" and there is no higher priority for us

....
a moment of silence for (naming officers at capitol that day)

[nolabear]

29. Now to what the DOJ is doing.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

31. You'd think it was all the insurrectionists' own idea.

[regnaD kciN]

32. Don't get too excited...

…after all, it is the Twelfth Day of Fitzmas.

[nolabear]

33. Five thousand subpoenas.

Can’t quote the other data and don’t know how impressive it is but the numbers are huge.

[Hekate]

122. The numbers are indeed huge. I hope someone lifts that paragraph from the transcript soon. nt

[crickets]

34. DOJ - intensive investigation.

His comments about their actions seems to overlap with FBI activities, though he specifically states DOJ offices are involved.

[boston bean]

35. Nothing about trump telling them to go to the capitol.

If this is about individual insurrectionist prosecutions and investigations and not the leaders and planners I am going to be pissed.

[nolabear]

39. Don't think he'll do that. It could impact the case against him.

But we’ll see.

[boston bean]

41. This is ludicrous.

[we can do it]

97. Whatever

[highplainsdem]

36. "We have received over 300,000 tips from ordinary citizens."

[Hekate]

123. Citizen participation is a good thing

[nolabear]

37. So 325 charged with felonies. 20 guilty pleas.

That’s a lot of confessing. Hope it was good.

[highplainsdem]

38. "In complex cases, initial charges are often less severe than later charged offenses."

[nolabear]

44. Glad to hear that.

Makes sense, but might not be well known.

[Walleye]

40. Going through the numbers of arrests just as I expected

[crickets]

42. Purposeful that early charges are lesser than those to follow

due to intensive investigation involved. Are getting into felony charges now, 17 defendants will soon go on trial for felony conspiracy charges.

Lesser sentences come first, but are increasing in severity as the seriousness of the charges grows.

DOJ remains committed to bringing any and all involved to account for as long as it takes.

[uponit7771]

43. Good, looks like the longer 6rs hold out the more they get charged

[highplainsdem]

45. "The actions we have taken thus far will not be our last."

[orleans]

46. we will follow the facts wherever they lead, whether they(the perps) were present on 1/6 or not nt

[nolabear]

50. Very telling statement!

From the backers to tfg

[crickets]

54. Big point! 👆

[Botany]

47. "Courts have imposed shorter sentences before they will impose longer sentences."

[nolabear]

48. I'm glad he's explaining all this.

[chowder66]

49. "The facts tell us where to go next". nt

[crickets]

51. Explaining now why it's taking so long for DOJ to act gathering evidence.

Also stating there are no different rules according to political party or level of power (!) because there is one rule for all.

[chowder66]

52. This is more than I expected. nt

[highplainsdem]

57. It's about what I expected, given his reputation, and exactly what he should be saying.

[sarcasmo]

53. Lowered Expectations was the right idea.

[uponit7771]

56. This is for FAUX News not those looking up

[nolabear]

58. I'm good with it so far.

[crickets]

66. +1

[nolabear]

55. Talking about the attacks on journalists, lawmakers, police since 1/6

I like the graphic nature of this. They need to go there.

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

90. Yes!

He's doing great!

[Emile]

59. Has he arrested Trump yet?

[nolabear]

60. Are you watching?

[Emile]

68. Yes, I thought maybe I missed that part.

[AngryOldDem]

71. Here, let me help.

I think you forgot this.

[we can do it]

98. Grow up.

[Emile]

102. LOL. I guess will never have justice here!

[we can do it]

107. Haha

[Hekate]

124. LOL. Grow up.

[Emile]

128. I'll never grow up. Kid at heart my entire life. Judgemental people

grow old very quick!

[hatrack]

61. Yeah, no, these threats actually ARE specific to one group of political views . . . .

Or should I say "views"?

[XanaDUer2]

63. Agreed

I yelled out YES THEY ARE to mr xanaduer

[uponit7771]

69. +1

[crickets]

72. Yes, that was really disappointing. nt

[orleans]

113. agree. jeffrey toobin brought that up on a panel

saying the violence at the capitol and these threats were coming from one party

maybe when garland said not just one party he was referring to republicans and trumpers--but he shouldn't have been so broad to drag dems down too

(and i'm just kidding about his more than one party crap. of course he was probably including dems!) (ARGH!)

[50 Shades Of Blue]

62. Bothsidersism.

[MrsCoffee]

65. I almost broke my keyboard when he went there.

He should be honest. It is clearly Trumpers who are doing this shit.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

75. Yep. Not being straight about it does not make him look strong.

[uponit7771]

67. This is for those looking down, he has to look like he's being non partisan. Worst of choices IMHO

[50 Shades Of Blue]

73. This is war on the U.S. - if he won't identify the actual enemy...

[Ohio Joe]

92. He is not military... He is justice...

If he were to say anything other than what he is, it would indicate bias and taint any current as well as any future cases.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

95. Obviously he is not military. It was a figure of speech.

[Ohio Joe]

106. He still cannot point at only one side...

No bias can be shown in word or deed. Jeopardizing the investigations to get a sound bite that makes the left cheer would be a terrible mistake. I'm satisfied with what he said and how he said it.

[we can do it]

109. Thank you. The facts will do the talking.

[crickets]

64. Talking now about violence and death threats to Congressmembers and others.

Behavior that must be stopped because such behavior must not be normalized. Such intimidation and unlawful conduct must be stopped as threat to Democracy. Widening to include election workers, judges, journalists. DOJ prosecuting such crimes more than ever before.

[Hortensis]

70. There cannot be different rules for depending on political party

or affiliation, for friends and foes, for the powerful and the powerless. There is only one rule. We follow the facts and enforce the law in a way that respects the constitution and protects civil liberties. ... We adhere to those norms even when, and especially when, the circumstances we face are not normal. Adhering ... is essential to our work in defending our democracy, particularly at a time when we are confronting violence violence ... and directed at those who serve the public.

He's spoken of the civilians attacking in the public spaces and officials and others across the nation threatened and attacked. Extremely serious issues addressed, and reassured that they're doing that.

But no mention of what we especially want to know about.

[nolabear]

74. I wish I had an iota of faith the right gave a crap about this.

Except for something to bolster their hatred. But more, we need to care and vote. VOTE.

[Hortensis]

101. :) Investigation of Nixon caused them to rally TO him and

reelect him in a 49-state sweep, even though they hadn't liked him before (too progressive and not xenophobic enough).

They're not the ones. Sadly, the people who sat on their fingers or acted out their useful-idiot qualifications over Hillary and "corporatist Democrats," enabling the election of tRump and Repub traitors, are.

Pathetic, huh? We'll admire the courage and commitment of the American people when more are scared into not helping a RW authoritarian takeover.

[NightWatcher]

76. NONE OF JANUARY 6 VIOLENCE WAS FROM DEMOCRATS OR LEFT WINGERS!

Bothsiderism is bullshit. Call a spade a spade. republicans committed the coup. republicans attack lawmakers and public officials.


Dems haven't done anything even like this.

[NewHendoLib]

93. Isn't he a moderate Repub? Could be a Blindspot, or inability

to see that "his" side alone is responsible. Disturbing if that's the case

[we can do it]

104. Justice must be neutral FFS, can not be biased.

Let facts lead the way. He does not need to state that when it’s RWNJs being arrested and investigated.

[NightWatcher]

108. Arrest all the congress critters who participated in tours, texts, or conspiracy....

Wont be single Dem in the pile of assholes.

[NewHendoLib]

112. Yup

[Bayard]

77. Talking voting rights now

[budkin]

78. I love that he's making voter suppression part of this

It's completely linked.

[nolabear]

80. Yes it is.

[chowder66]

83. I was impressed when he called out the Supreme Court. nt

[budkin]

86. Me too!

Love it!

[orleans]

116. crap! what did he say about supreme court? i guess i missed it

(had to feed my dog--she wouldn't stop barking. it was her lunch time)

[chowder66]

125. His remarks about the Supreme Court start at 6:00 minute mark

for context. The 6:50 minute mark mentions the Supreme Court specifically. It's worth listening to the full minute.

https://www.cbsnews.com/live/video/20220105195930-attorney-general-merrick-garland-on-the-department-of-justices-jan-6th-investigation/#x

[orleans]

130. all i'm hearing is some guy talking about what he said, and seeing still shots (including one of tru

trump at 6;15
but thanks anyway

[chowder66]

131. They changed the video. Sigh. Here is the transcript

snip....

As employees of the nation’s largest law enforcement agency, each of us understands that we have an obligation to protect our citizens from violence and fear of violence. And we will continue to do our part to provide that protection.

But the Justice Department cannot do it alone. The responsibility to bring an end to violence and threats of violence against those who serve the public is one that all Americans share.

Such conduct disrupts the peace of our public spaces and undermines our democracy. We are all Americans. We must protect each other.

The obligation to keep Americans and American democracy safe is part of the historical inheritance of this department. As I have noted several times before, a founding purpose of the Justice Department was to battle violent extremist attacks on our democratic institutions.

In the midst of Reconstruction following the Civil War, the department’s first principal task was to secure the civil rights promised by the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. This meant protecting Black Americans seeking to exercise their right to vote from acts and threats of violence by white supremacists.

The framers of the Civil War Amendments recognized that access to the ballot is a fundamental aspect of citizenship and self-government. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 sought to make the promise of those amendments real. To do so, it gave the Justice Department valuable tools with which to protect the right to vote.

In recent years, however, the protections of the Voting Rights Act have been drastically weakened.

The Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in the Shelby County case effectively eliminated the preclearance protections of Section 5, which had been the department’s most effective tool for protecting voting rights over the past half-century. Subsequent decisions have substantially narrowed the reach of Section 2 as well.

Since those decisions, there has been a dramatic increase in legislative enactments that make it harder for millions of eligible voters to vote and to elect representatives of their own choosing.

Those enactments range from: practices and procedures that make voting more difficult; to redistricting maps drawn to disadvantage both minorities and citizens of opposing political parties; to abnormal post-election audits that put the integrity of the voting process at risk; to changes in voting administration meant to diminish the authority of locally elected or nonpartisan election administrators.

Some have even suggested permitting state legislators to set aside the choice of the voters themselves.

As I noted in an address to the Civil Rights Division last June, many of those enactments have been justified by unfounded claims of material vote fraud in the 2020 election.

Those claims, which have corroded people’s faith in the legitimacy of our elections, have been repeatedly refuted by the law enforcement and intelligence agencies of both the last administration and this one, as well as by every court — federal and state — that has considered them.

The Department of Justice will continue to do all it can to protect voting rights with the enforcement powers we have. It is essential that Congress act to give the department the powers we need to ensure that every eligible voter can cast a vote that counts.

snip....


https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-merrick-b-garland-delivers-remarks-first-anniversary-attack-capitol

[orleans]

132. thank you! nt

[crickets]

84. It's brilliant, and it belongs as part of the discussion. 👍

[uponit7771]

89. amen, this speech is for those looking down like faux news viewers

[nolabear]

79. He's oblique but we know that voting fraud stuff is about "him."

[Hortensis]

105. "Follow the facts wherever they lead." Him, the GOP, allies

if they didn't insulate themselves sufficiently.

[hatrack]

81. . . . ."Every court, federal and state, that has considered them" . . .

That's a bit more like it!

[crickets]

82. Now addressing erosion of voting rights.

Gave SCOTUS a swipe here at weakening laws, moved on to talk about state legislation issues. Emphasizing that unfounded claims of 2020 election fraud have been repeatedly refuted.

[uponit7771]

87. +1

[lindysalsagal]

85. Taking us to school, and we had it coming.

This needed to be said.

[malaise]

91. Excellent

[we can do it]

110. Thank you

[crickets]

88. ... as our oath says, to defend "from all enemies,

both foreign and domestic." YES!

[MineralMan]

94. Overall, a good, strong speech. I'm encouraged by it.

[nolabear]

99. So am I.

[orleans]

120. same. i feel like i can take a deep breath now. at least for awhile. (but not too long) n/t

[mcar]

100. It won't be enough for the Garland haters

but I think he said a lot, in DOJ-speak.

[Hortensis]

115. Agree. He says they're busy saving our democracy, and

that's they MUST accomplish or nothing else matters.

As for those doomed to always be disappointed by the deficiencies of those whose principles don't allow their clarity of vision, oh well.

[helpisontheway]

118. It is not enough for me unless Trump is charged with the crimes that he committed. Nt

[mcar]

127. Thanks for proving my point

[Emile]

129. I agree. Trump should have been arrested a year ago. That SOB

orchestrated the entire insurrection live on TV.

[TeslaNova]

103. C'mon, there was a warrant for bin Laden within 24 hours after 9-11

This is even more obvious who the people behind this were and here we are a year later acting like this happened yesterday. They are still tip toe-ing around this because it's Trump. Any other perpetrator would have been charged 10 months ago.

[woodsprite]

111. Totally different - foreign enemy that most every American was against. nt

[uponit7771]

114. Justice should be blind and swift though, I agree with smart but it only took a year for Watergate

... DOJ to get special counsel and that was for a break in not a terrorist attack like J6.

We need justice when it comes to Putin's Whore to be more swift no doubt at least arrest and charges made

[MerryHolidays]

119. Bin Laden was never indicted for 9/11...what warrant are you referring to? n/t

[Hekate]

121. Very good, very informative. They've been busy. If the only name that'd make some happy is DFT...

…no doubt they are irked, but the numbers of arrests, felony charges, and subpoenas are huge.

Garland thoroughly explained the dangers and extent of the societal violence we are living with every day now, not just one day. He clearly explained their process. He talked about the threat to voting officials at every level and the threat to voting rights.

But if all a person wants to hear is that the Perp in Chief has been brought in wearing handcuffs, that did not happen. And it won’t. Not today anyway.

Personally, I think it looks like DOJ is getting on with the job.

[Hekate]

126. I didn't hear bothsiderism. I heard: "If you think terrorists are all brown & black & non-Christian...

…I have news for you.”

Why can't other people hear that, too?