Rep. Stacey Plaskett delivers opening statement during weaponization subcommittee hearing

[Rhiannon12866]

Hearing on the Weaponization of the Federal Government - House Committee on the Judiciary - 05/18/2023.

[xocetaceans]

1. "Perhaps, they're too far gone to realize that, in fact, this hearing is evidence, as if we...

... needed any more, that MAGA Republicans are a threat to the rule of law in America."

That excerpt from Rep. Plaskett's opening remarks (starting at 1:10 in the video) says it all.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. I couldn't agree more and I found and posted this since I thought her remarks were stellar

And I agree she said it all. Not to mention that she was sitting right next to Gym Jordan!

[Rhiannon12866]

3. And it looks like several f the MSNBC news shows are covering this tonight, and I'm grateful

It's appropriate that Jordan and company's overreach should lead the news.

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4. True! The first I saw of it was your post, though. Later, I saw others, but it is good to get the...

message out there. So, it bears repeating.

[Rhiannon12866]

5. Well, this was the Opening speech she made that started it all

So this is what the news shows are referring to. The news tends to only show clips.

[xocetaceans]

7. It would be nice if every Democrat and Independent would be this direct in stating what the...

...MAGA cult is. It is beyond unreal that the MAGA GOP is still trying to deny that that 1/6 was an insurrection.

It seems to me that some of them must have this false equivalency stuck in their heads, one that equates all of the protests against the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a civil organ (one that is supposed to protect and serve) with the storming of the Capitol under the influence of the lies of Donald Trump, a storming with the specific intent to subvert the Congressional role in the transfer of the Presidency in accordance with the legitimate election of Joe Biden. I believe that they look at 1/6 as an insignificant act and think that it was their right to act in that manner. That's what I believe the simplest among the MAGA GOP base think. Some of their leaders (the few who actually are intelligent) are, of course, completely cynical and know full well that 1/6 was an insurrection.

Prosecution cannot come soon enough.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. I thought she did an excellent of summing up the issue exactly like it is

Which can't have been easy sitting right next to Gym Jordan. This was the main news story of the day - and her great summary helped make it so. As she said, rather than working to help their constituents - or the country - which is their one and only job, they've pledged their allegiance to an indicted criminal who attempted to overthrow the government that they took an oath to "serve and protect." And if (or more probably when) they get into legal trouble for their actions, he'll write them off, as he has so many others (Michael Cohen), and swear he barely knew them.

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9. It was a nearly perfect situation to be able say that sitting right next to Jordan. It would only...

...have been better if the C-SPAN cameras could have had his face in the shot while he and the MAGA GOP were taking that verbal lashing. That would have been a nice commercial against them all.

One sad thing is that she is only a delegate to the House and not a voting member. It's unreal that the US still cannot grant proper representation to various groups. (Yeah, I know that's obvious, but it still needs to be repeated. Many such wrongs need to be set right, but now we have a third of the government that wants effectively to seek wisdom from the seventeenth century.)

[Rhiannon12866]

10. Good point and I couldn't agree more

We've seen how Jordan has treated Rep. Dan Goldman, dissed him as a "new" congressman, obviously unaware of his role as the lead counsel for the first impeachment hearing. I remember seeing a video of Jordan giving excuses for not sharing important information with Democratic members of "his" subcommittee while Goldman questioned him, And it's got to be the same for Stacey Plaskett - who I also remember well as a terrific impeachment manager - and I sure agree that it's to our shame that she's willing to step up - but she's not a voting member! Thanks for the reminder...

[Rhiannon12866]

6. "MAGA Republicans are a threat to the rule of law in America" - Rep. Stacey Plaskett