Bucking the House, McConnell says no to investigation

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Yesterday it was Kevin McCarthy. Today it's Mitch McConnell opposing the bipartisan Jan. 6 commission. Republican leadership has made it crystal clear: they have no intention of confronting what caused Americans to infiltrate the U.S. Capitol to subvert the peaceful transfer of presidential power. Though the truth hurts, Republican leaders, in their quest to whitewash that day, are creating an environment for chaos and more violence in future elections. Not only are they refusing to hold those who incited violence on Jan. 6 accountable, but also they're going further, enabling the continuation of the Big Lie that the election was stolen. If Republican leaders won't act to protect their own place of work, how can we count on them to protect us? —Mindy Finn

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** Nothing to see here
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As far as GOP leadership is concerned, the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was a non-incident. As the House prepares to vote today on whether to authorize an independent, 9/11-style commission to thoroughly investigate the insurrection, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has announced that he will not support the bipartisan deal. While the legislation is expected to pass in the House, McConnell's criticisms threaten its hopes in the Senate. ([link removed])
* — McConnell has generally been outspoken about the insurrection. At least as far as Republicans go. He supports existing investigations and the prosecution of rioters, but says a commission would be "duplicative." He also objects to what he calls Democrats' "bad faith," even though Republicans helped negotiate the bill. ([link removed])
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* — The House is expected to pass the bill with some GOP support. While House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise are whipping the conference against the compromise bill, a handful of Republicans are expected to vote for it, including the lead GOP negotiator, Rep. John Katko. ([link removed])
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* — Still a long shot in the Senate. In the closely divided 50-50 Senate, Democrats will need at least 10 Republicans to join them in support of establishing a panel to overcome the threat of a filibuster, which would block the bill from advancing. Without McConnell's support, it's increasingly unlikely that enough GOP senators will buck leadership. —U.S. News & World Report ([link removed])

MORE: At least 7 GOP senators say they're open to a commission focused on Jan. 6 —The Washington Post ([link removed])


** Edsall: When an insurrection becomes a 'tourist visit'
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"The challenge facing Democrats goes beyond winning office. They confront an adversary willing to lie about past election outcomes, setting the stage for Republican legislatures to overturn future election returns; an opponent willing to nurture an insurrection if the wrong people win; a political party moving steadily from democracy to authoritarianism; a party that despite its liabilities is more likely than not to regain control of the House and possibly even the Senate in the 2022 midterm elections." —Thomas Edsall in ([link removed]) The New York Times ([link removed])

Thomas Edsall is a columnist at The New York Times covering politics, demographics, and inequality.

MORE: A GOP congressman compared Capitol rioters to tourists. Photos show him barricading a door —The Washington Post ([link removed])


** Next stop: Biden's desk
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The House voted late yesterday to approve a bill aimed at addressing hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, in response to a surge in attacks against both groups since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The bill, which passed on a bipartisan 364-to-62 vote, establishes a point person at the Justice Department who would review alleged hate crimes and provide guidance to state and local entities to make it easier to report such crimes. It also expands public education campaigns and allows the attorney general to provide grants to states for training on hate crimes data collection, reporting, and response. — ([link removed]) Los Angeles Times ([link removed])

MORE: 62 House Republicans and Josh Hawley voted against bill to fight Asian-American hate crimes —Newsweek ([link removed])


** Pelosi calls for 'diplomatic boycott'
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for a boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, criticizing China for human rights abuses against the country's Uighur ethnic minority. "Let's not honor the Chinese government by having heads of state go to China," Pelosi said at a bipartisan congressional hearing on the issue yesterday. "For heads of state to go to China in light of a genocide that is ongoing ... really begs the question, what moral authority do you have to speak again about human rights any place in the world?" Legislators have become increasingly vocal about a boycott or venue change for the games, which are scheduled for next February. —Al Jazeera ([link removed])

MORE: Bipartisan bill pushes Biden to act on Uighur genocide —Axios ([link removed])
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** Roberts: Still no vaccine for the disinfo pandemic
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"[Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's] been trying to avoid responsibility for years—and in some ways, that's a good thing. Should a 36-year-old with absolutely no credentials as an ethical or editorial expert be the 'arbiter of truth' for 2.7 billion Facebook users? The answer is clearly no. But is government a better option? Should politicians be making those judgments? The whole idea leaves me queasy. Some version of an oversight board, a Supreme Court-like body that renders dispassionate, independent judgments that reconcile free speech and public safety, is probably the best alternative." —Steven Roberts in ([link removed]) Derby Informer ([link removed])

Steven Roberts teaches politics and journalism at George Washington University.

MORE: Chinese businessman with links to Steve Bannon is driving force for a sprawling disinformation network, researchers say —The Washington Post ([link removed])


** Focus on NY's Trump investigation
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When Donald Trump left the relative legal security of the office of president in January, he faced the prospect of charges against him and his company, the Trump Organization, stemming from various investigations covering a range of purported criminal behavior. Now, one of those investigations, which has been conducted by the New York Attorney General's Office for two years, has just shifted from a civil to a criminal probe. ([link removed])
* — Attorney General Letitia James has given Trump notice. "We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the organization is no longer purely civil in nature. We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan District Attorney," said James' spokesperson Fabien Levy. ([link removed])
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* — The civil probe was launched in 2019. After Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, testified to Congress, James opened the case, initially focusing on whether the Trump Organization inflated the valuations of assets while seeking loans and insurance coverage, and deflated the value of other assets to reduce tax liability. ([link removed])
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* — James' office has depositions. The AG has secured testimony from several Trump Organization executives, including Trump's son Eric, who serves as the executive vice president of the organization, and Allen Weisselberg, the chief financial officer. Weisselberg's former daughter-in-law, Jennifer Weisselberg, has also been interviewed by James' office. Stay tuned. —CBS News ([link removed])

MORE: Feds investigating alleged illegal donations to Collins' re-election bid —Axios ([link removed])


** Morrell: I observed the Arizona audit. It's worse than you think
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"Audits are supposed to make us better. They are supposed to make our elections more secure and transparent—to strengthen the public's trust in our democratic process. Maricopa County is known for having some of the best election practices in the country: officials had already undertaken a hand-count audit and a forensic audit of their 2020 ballots and found no evidence of fraud. Now a group with no expertise, improvising procedures as they go, is sowing doubt about the outcome of a well-run election. This is not an audit, and I don't see how this can have a good outcome." —Jennifer Morrell in The Washington Post ([link removed])

Jennifer Morrell, a former local election official and national expert on post-election audits, is a partner at The Elections Group.

MORE: In Arizona, GOP senators defend their vote review but retract claims of deleted election data —The New York Times ([link removed])

The movement of common-sense Republicans and former Republicans to defeat Trumpism is vital for our democracy. As one who gave up my Republican registration when Trump was assured of the nomination way back in 2016, I encourage it. I'm troubled, however, by the talk of a third party. History has demonstrated that third parties are successful only in allowing the undivided party to triumph, as in Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose Party handing the election to Democrat Woodrow Wilson.

I have another suggestion: influential Republicans and independents should make it clear to congressional Republicans that there will be no forthcoming financial support for Trump-supporting congresspeople or senators, or the RNC. They (or we) should then contact all donors who contribute to such candidates, organizations, or PACs; form PACS that support our position; and seek to dry up Trump-supporting funds as much as possible. Also, those of us who have clout should strongly encourage corporate support for our position as well, and to end donating to Trump-supporting politicians.

Somebody once said, "Money is the lifeblood of politics." When the money starts to dry up, Republican politicians will get the message. This, I believe, is far more practical than forming a third party. —Dr. David G., Washington
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** The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
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