Five Stick Friday

“One potato, two potato, three potato, four
Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more”

Everyone remembers this from childhood, right? One child recites the rhyme while using their own fist to tap each of the others in turn. The child whose fist is tapped on the final word “more” puts that fist behind their back. The whole process is repeated several times until only one fist remains. That child then becomes “it”.

Unless of course the counter doesn’t like the outcome…and continues…
“My mother told me to make the right choice and you are not IT!”

I think we’re at the “One Potato” stage with regards to Congress and investigating the January 6th coup attempt and insurrection. The GOP House clearly didn’t like the outcome of a detailed investigation that included witness testimony that was almost ENTIRELY COMPRISED OF GOP AIDES, LAWYERS, STAFFERS, etc. close to President Trump. If you’ve forgotten or didn’t see any of this testimony…here’s some…straight out of the mouths of those closest to the “action”.

/

Hint…if you don’t like me calling it a coup attempt and insurrection…you probably want to stop reading here. Because it’s going to offend you. You were warned.

We all saw what happened. Before any media outlet could “curate” a view, we all saw the live coverage on January 6th proper. There was no one in the control room of any news outlet saying…”Hey don’t show this…or don’t show that…” because they had no idea what would happen next.

Oh how far we’ve come from that…

Tucker Carlson of Fox Entertainment ( this author will NEVER refer to that network as Fox News) has gone beyond the pale. And is truly testing just how “gaslightable” his audience really is.

For the last two nights, he’s released snippets of Capitol security camera footage (less than 4 minutes out of 40,000 hours ) to absurdly make the case that 1/6 was a “tour” and that the insurrection was “peaceful”. And because of the media bubbles the US lives in at this point…and judging by social media reactions, his minions are lapping it up like warm PBR.

Probably time for a graphical insert reminding you just what Tucker’s plan is here…a “moment in time” snippet designed to tell a completely false story.

Also in the news? A congressman that failed to appear before the 1/6 House Select Subcommittee, Barry Loudermilk…was appointed yesterday to lead a NEW investigation of 1/6. After he was caught on the security camera footage one day before the insurrection, leading a “tour” that included a man now charged for criminal trespass. That makes perfect sense! A guy that wouldn’t appear…is now in charge. A guy that gave a criminal his recon tour…is now in charge.

“My mama said you should lead this investigation and I’m gonna count until you are IT!”

One would have thought the tediousness of the GOP’s penchant to “investigate investigators” would not be very popular after John “The Walrus” Durham’s investigation to determine the “oranges” of the FBI’s investigation into Russia so publicly flopped.

But not this GOP….this is the GOP of doubling down on stupidity. If Durham was stupid…well…let’s put in Loudermilk to do it again!

As a liberal, on the political front, I have to smile a little bit because this is going to backfire in the most spectacular ways, some of which we can’t even conceive of yet.

But as an American, who like most other Americans feels held hostage to an effort to install an Autocratic government…it is sad and disturbing.

But you know what’s been the most disturbing? Not Trump. Not McCarthy. Not Bannon nor Marjorie nor Boebert nor Gaetz.

No…what’s been most disturbing is being forced to learn which lifelong friends and family buy into this attempted takeover of our free and fair elections and our country. And the 2020 elections were free and fair. Because I live in a world of evidence…not in Tucker’s gaslit alternative universe.

So…where do we go from here?

I don’t know…but you know it’s all going to “tick up a notch” when the indictments start falling. Because they’re coming.

And when they begin falling like rain, we’ll find out just how strong our little d Democracy is…

I’m betting on decency. I’m betting on truth. I’m betting on facts. I’m betting on justice. I’m betting on us.

To be continued.