11 Comments

The “QAnon Shaman,” while a visual symbol of the January 6 coup attempt, is just a small fry. He would not have been there if it were not for the planners and promoters of the “Save America” rally as well as entities like Fox. While it’s importing hold people like Chansley accountable, holding the bigger fish accountable is more important.

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I agree with you. Chansley was the first to be sentenced for the felony of preventing the count of the electoral ballots. That is the important point. Many of those charged with felonies will not plead guilty as did Chansley and will stand trial. Chansley's four-year sentence will serve as a benchmark for others charged with the felony. That is a positive development.

All that said, I couldn't agree with you more. The organizers of insurrection--Trump, Giuliani, Bannon, Gohmert, etc, should be facing ten year prison sentences. And yet, not one of them has been indicted.

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It is all important.

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The reason that nothing the GOP does lately makes any sense is that it is crazy. In the bad old days, we would have simply committed Gosar, Greene and Company to the funny farm and thrown away the key. I don’t think Chansley’s stay in detention will be pleasant in spite of the fact that he’s buff. I am encouraged by yesterday’s events, a rare show of gumption by the DOJ. As for McConnell and Trump, they richly deserve each other. Robert, I can’t thank you enough—ever—for keeping hope alive in these dark days.

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I was surprised that Chansley did not invoke a defense of diminished capacity. He does not seem like a person who is mentally stable.

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Nov 18, 2021Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

Robert writes: "the further the GOP lurches to the extreme right" and I am shuddering to think what that would look like. They are openly defending violence against Democratic colleagues. How much worse can it get?

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You don’t want to know. Life has a way of answering that question in awful ways.

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Nov 18, 2021Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

That's what makes me shudder.

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Our pro-democracy politicians, journalists and PACs need to pound some of these points home in clear language as above, now and into the future. Unfortunately some of the persuadable voters seem to not only have short attention spans and a lack of interest in digging for the whole story (so hypocrisy isn't apparent), but they also have very short memories. I sure hope someone is keeping a list and is willing to resurrect "old" examples of lunacy, cowardice and hypocrisy such as these just before the 2022 elections.

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Im so glad you do NOT ignore Trump and his terrible antics. You put him and his power in perspective and that gives me hope.

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Republicans will lie and cheat to win regardless of what trump says or does.

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