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January 08, 2021 06:35 AM UTC

Friday Open Thread

  • 71 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

“What enables us to achieve our greatness contains the seeds of our destruction.”

–Jim Valvano

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71 thoughts on “Friday Open Thread”

  2. Devos is OUT. The grossly unqualified, vacuous, private schools on public money supporting, Title IX denying, Covid protection underfunding, Trump excusing corporate queen is resigning today, because Trump the Mob Whisperer embarrassed her. Or she wants no part of being a cabinet member endorsing the 25th Amendment solution. 

      1. You know things are going bad for you, when even the Evil Dark Prince of Blackwater finds you too dangerous and evil to stand next to you and abandons you for his secret mercenary base.

  3.  
    On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, the applicant pools for the Colorado Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission will be narrowed by random selection.  The narrowing meeting will take place at 10:00 AM.  The judicial panel conducting the random selection will meet virtually with live audio available through the General Assembly’s website or video access via Webex.  Public viewing of the meeting will also be available in the Old Supreme Court Chambers at the Colorado State Capitol Building.  Anyone attending in person must wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines.  The names of those selected will be posted on the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions’ website following the meeting, and all applicants will be notified of their status in the process.

    1. Random selection?

      This is prob what you have to do to handle a large applicant pool but there are bound to be some good people lost in the process.

      2. Ah, but "good people" for some purposes are "not good people" for others. Random selection from the defined pools avoids an appearance of bias.  

        The spots for technical competence and being able to explain "communities" are on the staff. 

        1. Given that, there are still risks to a high-quality outcome.

          Among the applicants you still need people who competently evaluate information and procedures and can sense a snowjob if one comes their way.

          In my experience (e.g. zoning) staff can sometimes overwhelm committee volunteers with high volumes of information and complicated procedures. That can come from a wow-factor that staff might want to use to demonstrate and persuade by virtue of their own high level of expertise.

          Volunteers need to be determined to plow through a snowjob and strive to become equal experts so that they can make their judgements with clear vision.

          Another snowjob takes the form of bias for a certain outcome so that information/procedures can be withheld, diminished or unfairly characterized.

          Random selection doesn't do anything to try to eliminate any of these scenarios.

  4. WOTD from Mark Summer at DKOS: "Pentagon officials installed in Trump's purge limited use of National Guard to fight insurrection"

    But it’s now clear there was a plan. Wednesday’s assault on the Capitol was the plan. Because Trump’s new crew at the Pentagon blocked requests from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for the use of the National Guard to contain Trump’s “wild” protest.  And they kept on blocking it even as senators and representatives were frantically phoning from inside the siege.

    This was not a spontaneous event. It was, in every way, a coup plot. And the Pentagon was part of it.

    Looking at the obviously anemic preparations for the mob which swarmed the Capitol on Wednesday, it may have seemed like bad planning. However, it’s becoming more and more obvious that it was absolutely intentional. 

    As The Washington Post reports, Bowser made multiple requests for National Guard forces to help contain a crowd that was expected to contain a large number of white supremacists and militia. But a pair of memos issued in response to that request, the Pentagon blocked the distribution of weapons or riot gear to the D. C. guard, prohibited them from interacting with protestors, and even blocked the guard’s ability to share equipment with local law enforcement.

    As the assault on the Capitol unfolded Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, who resigned on Thursday, made “an urgent plea” for a 200-member rapid response force to help police at the Capitol building. However, an official from the office of the secretary of the Army replied that “wasn’t going to be possible.” As a reason, that official said the Pentagon didn’t like the “optics” of Guard members entering the Capitol—even though the building was at that point surrounded by thousands of Trump supporters were had forced their way through multiple levels of police security. It wasn’t until Trump supporters had actually stormed the building, smashed their way into the chambers of Congress, ransacked congressional offices, and prowled the halls hoping to take political leaders hostage, that the Pentagon finally approved the use of National Guard forces.

    1. Can the dots of the pentagon personnel purge and placement of dump lackeys be connected to this? Might help explain why Biden's team was being stonewalled. The new pentagon personnel was busy planning this American Carnage.

      1. We know for certain that our military and police are both infiltrated with radicalized right-wing extremists. Reports of a few getting busted, along with a message that its ‘only a few bad apples’ who happen to have that swastika on the wall, these appear a few times every year.

        In this case, we know the military and police ignored the obvious online organizing and planning for this assault on democracy.

        We know that the forces in the DC area were distributed to make the Capitol Bldg weak and relatively unprotected. A group of armed people, with open intent to overthrow the results of the election, were treated as if they were a group of Girl Scouts coming to DC to sell cookies.

        1. I used to live on the east coast, and I’ve been to multiple protests in the DC area. I was at most of the anti-globalization, anti-World bank protests back at the beginning of the century, and I was at the huge, half-a-million people protests against the beginning of America’s Endless Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

          I’ve seen the way the DC police, the National Guard, and the military all deploy to stop the evil leftist protestors who oppose things like invading another country based on evidence-free Big Lies.

          This was nothing like that. The Capitol Bldg is surrounded by rank after rank of riot police backed up by armed machine gun troops. The Capitol Police are there, but they have lots and lots of heavily armed help. There are military snipers on the rooftops, and military helicopters flying overhead. Protesters are kettled and contained and arrested by the hundreds, usually to be held in temporary cages, often while still in restraints, for a day or two until the lawyers finally set them free.

          This right-wing assault on democracy faced nothing like anything that any left-of-Reagan protestors routinely face in DC.

          1. Even 20 years ago, the helicopters, planes and blimps operated by the military were scooping up all communications and cell-phone traffic, which was being watched in real-time for quick responses to any changes in the protest plan, which the police already knew through their infiltrators.

            By contrast, this was organized online, and then live-streamed out by the people assaulting the democracy, and the police were apparently told to ‘act surprised.’

            1. The surveillance technology has changed to the point now that sensors, counters and everything can be located at ground level. It is straightforward now to identify everyone who was in DC during the coup, where they were, where they went, how long they stayed, who they were with …. and that's just the cell phone metadata. There should be sufficient video data to ID the cop killers.

              There is probably not anyone who even looked at the capitol, much less stormed it, that is not known.

          2. I used to know some of the people who would try “Direct Action” at the peaceful protests. Usually something like chaining themselves across a doorway as an act of protest. Here’s how they had to organize 20 years ago ….

            They had to be a group who knew each other locally, whereever they were from. They did not organize online, because they knew that was monitored. They would meet in person, before the weekend of the protest, and make their plans. These various local Direct Action groups would never share their plans with other similar groups for fear of undercovers.

            They would join the main peaceful protest as a group, then at some point break off on their own to go do their non-violent Direct Action.

            This rarely surprised the police, who usually did have informants and undercovers already within the group. If the group did gain an element of surprise, this is what the helicopters overhead and the communication surveilence was there to spot, and then the police command would quickly order mobile riot police to arrest the people who’d broken away from the march and to prevent the non-violent Direct Action. Gawd forbid that they might be able to do something as awful as break the window at a Starbucks or something.

          3. There can be no doubt in anyone's mind that the absence of reinforcements (National Guard, etc) was part of Trump's plan. You just KNOW he gave the order to keep the Capitol unprotected for hours. Now if Trump had just walked that two miles with the mob as he promised them he would do, perhaps (in addition to losing a few pounds, and/or having a heart attack) he would have been better able to direct his troops who seemed a little lost without an onsite commander. Trump's lack of military experience did not serve him well in his coup attempt – and neither did his disastrous mental illnesses, his narcissism, and his tendency to fail at everything he does. 

            1. Rep Eric Swalwell yesterday voiced his suspicions that there was collusion within the Capitol directing the terrorists to the House and Senate parliamentarian offices, which he said even he has difficulty finding.  Wow.

              1. Further proof that insiders within the Capitol were helping the terrorists:

                House Majority Whip Clyburn on @SIRIUSXM: “They went where you won't find my name, but they found where I was supposed to be. So something else was going on untoward here.”

                1. Retired Gen. Honoree (sp?) who led the New Orleans recovery effort after Katrina was alleging complicity last night in an interview w/Brian Williams.

                  That view of the security lapse is gaining validity.

                   

                    1. As long as there is a felony conviction in there somewhere. These yahoos need to lose their voting rights.

                      They think that their government left them behind before this?!?!?!

                      How you like me now?????

              2. I don't know if we will ever know what happened. Specifically, it will be very hard to prove if any of the police aided the insurgents or, in the midst of the invasion, were simply not engaging unless or until there was a direct threat to innocents or until back up arrived. There is an article in the NY Times where one of the rioters says that a Capitol Police officer, inside, gave him directions to Schumer's office. Sounds bad. But, they were not able to find it. Maybe they were actually given directions to nowhere. Probably will never know. 

                1. There is some realistic video of a police officer opening the blockade and motioning people to go through.  Shouldn't be too hard to track that person down.  The slow walking response also needs to be reviewed for structural complicity.  The calvary didn't arrive in the nick of time.

        2. And the leadership of the Trump Insurrection is still at large and preparing their next attack. The Joint Chiefs and the people in the congressional/military interface need to act swiftly to excise the traitors in their midst.

          1. The French have a saying for events like this:  "It's worse than a crime.  It's a mistake."

             I mourn for the cop who died fighting these goons.  But there will be no more crap about there being honorable people on the Fascist side of the political divide.

            1. “there will be no more crap about there being honorable people on the Fascist side of the political divide.”

              I wasn’t aware that there ever was except among the fascists and authoritarians.

  5. Next up: a GoFundMe account.

    Colorado-based Dominion Voting Systems sues Trump lawyer for defamation

    COLORADO, USA — Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems Inc. filed a lawsuit in federal court Friday morning against a lawyer for President Donald Trump accusing her of promoting a “false preconceived narrative about the 2020 election” and causing “unprecedented harm.”

    The 124-page lawsuit specifically mentions a press conference in Georgia by Sidney Powell in which she “falsely claimed that Dominion had rigged the election, that Dominion was created in Venezuela to rig elections for Hugo Chávez, and that Dominion bribed Georgia officials for a no-bid contract.”

    1. Dominion's got to be busy these days. Here's something that is not receiving much attention, that I learned just last night: The speaker who came onstage with Giuliani at the infamous rally Wednesday morning in D.C. was none other than John Eastman, Visiting Scholar of Conservative Thought and Policy at the University of Colorado Boulder. He was part of the lie-telling and inciting the crowd! I think the new Dem majority on the Board of Regents should take note of this and immediately remove him from his elevated position on campus. He was part of inciting a riot and an attempted coup. 

          1. Realist, here’s the Ballotpedia 2020 election results for the new Regents Callie Rennison, Ileana Spiegel, and Norbert Chavez. Each candidates name links back to at least a Facebook site. But I agree -CU  Boulder needs  to do better in terms of public information, and your letter-writing campaign is a great idea. 

            Colorado State Board of Regents

            Election detailsFiling deadline: March 17, 2020Primary: June 30, 2020
            General: November 3, 2020
            Pre-election incumbent(s):
            Linda Shoemaker (D-District 2)
            John Carson (R-District 6)
            Irene Griego (D-District 7)

            State board of regents (3 seats)

            Colorado held an election for three of nine seats on the state board of regents on November 3, 2020. The filing deadline was March 17, 2020.

            As of the 2020 election, Republicans had held a majority on the state board of regents for 40 years.[4] Heading into the election, Republicans held five out of the nine board seats. In District 7, no Republican candidate filed to run for the seat. 

             

            Callie Rennison won election in the general election for University of Colorado Board of Regents District 2.

            Ilana Spiegel won election in the general election for University of Colorado Board of Regents District 6.

            Nolbert Chavez won election in the general election for University of Colorado Board of Regents District 7

            Update: The newly elected regents just got officially sworn in yesterday. That probably explains the lack of contact info for them. https://connections.cu.edu/stories/three-newly-elected-regents-officially-join-board

            1. Sample letter to CU Regents staff regarding John Eastman:

              From: Your name and email
              To: CUBoardofRegents@cu.edu
              Cc: mark.ostrander@cu.edu, kari.henningsen@cu.edu, effie.ameen@cu.edu
              Subject: CU Visiting scholar John Eastman spoke at seditious DC rally

               

               Dear CU Board of Regents Staff,

              Please share this letter with incoming regents Callie Rennison, Ilana Spiegel, and Nolbert Chavez, as well as the other Board of Regents members.

              Please review the attached video clip of John Eastman, your CU Visiting Scholar, speaking at the disastrous Trump  rally on January 6, 2021. Mr. Eastman speaks at 6:21.

              Mr. Eastman wholeheartedly supported Giulani’s call for”trial by combat”, and the disinformation about the “stolen election”.  Mr. Giulani referred to Professor Eastman as a Constitutional Law expert who could assure rally attendees that everything planned to derail electoral vote certification that day was completely legal and constitutional. More misinformation.

              When Professor Eastman spoke, he repeated debunked claims about Georgia clerks “pulling ballots out of boxes” to make up a Biden win. 

              By spreading misinformation and supporting this seditious rally, which ended in an occupation of the Capitol, great damage to historic property, and five deaths, Professor Eastman has exceeded any First Amendment protections, and is now in the category of aiding and abetting treason and violence. He is not a scholar; he is deliberately propagating disinformation for political purposes. He is a propagandist.

              As such, Mr. Eastman needs to be dismissed from his position of Visiting  Scholar at CU Boulder. If you want diversity of opinions, there are conservatives who are not helping violent traitors and spreading falsehoods. Check with the Lincoln project. 

              Sincerely, 

              yourname

               

              Links: Boulder Daily Camera – https://www.dailycamera.com/?returnUrl=https://www.dailycamera.com/2021/01/06/cu-boulder-visiting-scholar-john-eastman-criticized-for-election-fraud-claims/?clearUserState=true

               

              CSPAN: ( clip of Giulani speaking, Eastman alongside)
              https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4933578/user-clip-rudy-giuliani-professor-john-eastman&fbclid=IwAR1JZSDBj28WHzTItCpcnxcyhnTI8WFeK2LgHueDpkYk5B3qKScQyz2yoKg

               

              Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSB network) Clip of Professor Eastman’s speech starting at 6:51 https://youtu.be/kzs-kanwdZ0

                1. That’s fine, Matt- it’s why I posted it and endured the brain damage from watching Giuliani speak at the SaveAmerica Rally. I already emailed my version to the Regents staff people. One of them will get it to all of the old and new Regents. Their mailing address, in case someone wants to send a  hard copy or visit in person, is

                  Office of the Board of Regents
                  1800 Grant Street, 8th Floor
                  Denver, CO 80203
                  303-860-5668 (main)
                  CUBoardofRegents@cu.edu
                  Campus Mail: 035 UCA

          2. Retired Gen. Honoree (sp?) who led the New Orleans recovery effort after Katrina was alleging complicity last night in an interview w/Brian Williams.

            That view of the security lapse is gaining validity.

             

        1. This has been on the front page of the Daily Camera the last 2 days. 

          Chancellor DiStephano issued a statement saying that Eastman wouldn't be fired because faculty free speech rights are protected when they're on there own time.

          I'm no lawyer, but I don't that inciting a riot qualifies as free speech.

          2. Yep, I think inciting a riot is a little like “yelling fire in a crowded theatre” – it’s not merely the exercise of free speech. Perhaps DiStefano needs a little legal advice . . . 

            I hope the Regents have access to good legal advice.

  6. Two items:

    1.  The Maryland Governor, Larry Hogan, a Republican BTW, explaining how he was contacted to send assistance to DC on Wednesday, especially the Q&A which begins around 11:45.  Incredible!

    https://youtu.be/83wgYO2D7bU

     

    2.  As bad as things were Wednesday, ponder for just a moment that same scenario replaying in a DC that permitted “open carry” ??

    1. Who would advocate for open carry in DC? Colorado's own representative Qbert. Having been on the receiving end of a violent attempt overthrow or at least interrupt the democratic process, you might think she would reconsider her position. You will be disappointed. Like all ammosexuals, she has convinced herself that more guns, including assault weapons, mean more security. She lives in a state of fear and wants everyone to join her.

      1. And while Rep. Jason Crow was comforting traumatized reps during the chaos and later helped them evacuate, where was Calamity Jane? Cowering somewhere, I'd bet.

        Today's GJ Sentinel is not kind to her. Russ George called her out. Turns out she and her staff were unreachable for comment, phones weren't answered and phone numbers were scrubbed from her website.

        Coward.

        1. Clearly a coward – you remove office phone numbers from your official website?!! How's that gonna work for a two-year term? I repeat my prediction – she'll never make it two years. 

          1. She will first develop the “run, rabbit, run” behavior Laura Bradford used. Never stopping in halls, for fear of being cornered by a reporter…or even worse, a concerned voter looking for answers. Practically running from safe warren, I mean office to safe office.

            As I said early on. She is a mile wide and an inch deep. If she runs for re-election, I will be truly shocked.

             

            1. She'll amass whatever personal wealth she can through her constant fundraising, then "retire" to the local Republican Party where she'll remain a hero forever. 

        2. Boebert still has the DC office phone on her site.  And an "email me" link which pops a form (and tells you there will be a check to make certain you are in district).

          [I wonder how hard it would be to present myself as being "in district."….. ]

           

    1. And just think of all the roaches, including insiders within the federal government, who are hiding from the light of justice and destroying evidence of their complicity.

    1. Twitter must have finally seen the light that they share in the blame for Trump's dismantling and destruction of our fragile democratic republic. 

      1. LOL.  That light is nothing more than Silicon Valley self-preservation. All of the platform providing enablers see the regulatory handwriting on the wall, and they’re scared shitless of dimming hate-speech revenues.

        Zuckerberg, in particular, sees nothing but bad news on the horizon — anti-trust, privacy rights, hate content, and a new regime in DC that’s unlikely to be quite as easily bought off.

    2. And Twitter is willing to enforce the ban by identifying and ending any accounts which become sock puppets for him:  Daily Kos: Trump tries to sock-puppet Twitter as social media compels him to threaten a new platform

      Parler booted from the biggest app stores.  Reddit shutting down a Trump sub-reddit r/DonaldTrump. Facebook's indefinite suspension, at least through the Inauguration.  YouTube shut Steve Bannon's channel.

      It's a brand new world.  

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