A stale smell raising through a sickening summer haze
The Republican conference is asked to respond to the orange-skinned fascist’s clunky sashay of shame last night, with all-too-predictable results:
Profiles in courage, every one! Maybe half-credit to Murkowski, but what a bunch of chickenshits otherwise.
But, finally, we get someone willing to own their fascism:
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, when asked if what we saw at the White House last night was an abuse of power: “By the protestors, yes.”— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) June 2, 2020
I am appalled that the protestors would engage in the un-American practice of “peaceful assembly,” violating the president’s Article XII authority to “violently remove assemblers so he could hold a bible like it was a soiled diaper in front of a church he has never set foot in in his life.” Good for Ted for recognizing this.
But surely populist firebrand Josh Hawley will stand up for civil liberty!
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., stops to talk to cameras, says he has seen “conflicting reports” of what happened at the White House. Says looting and violence is detracting from what should be the focus on George Floyd.— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) June 2, 2020
“Let’s not bicker over who tear-gassed and fired rubber bullets at who, let’s focus on ensuring that cops like the ones who murdered George Lloyd can’t be sued for violating people’s rights.”
This is Donald Trump’s party, fully bought with all the receipts, and he could shoot a peaceful protestor in front of the Lincoln Memorial and retain their full support.
And in things that are overdetermined, it was Barr himself who ordered the code red:
NEW: It was the Attorney General who gave the order to forcibly clear protesters, largely peaceful, out of Lafayette park area where Trump held photo op. We’ve been asking White House and a slew of federal agencies all day, and nobody would cop to it. Until now. https://t.co/yNLMzmbXYN— Carol Leonnig (@CarolLeonnig) June 2, 2020
Wow, it sure is amazing that the Iran Contra fixer guy who got the job of Attorney General by sending an unsolicited 19 page mash note to Donald Trump turned out to be a lawless authoritarian goon. I’m almost ready to stop giving him the benefit of the doubt!
Lookin' back on the track for a little green bag
Got to find just a kind or losin' my mind
Out of sight in the night, out of sight in the day pic.twitter.com/WTg2zGlODK— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) June 2, 2020