All I Want for Christmas…
– By Ed Kociela –
Christmas may come early for those with a political bent.
On Dec. 21, the House committee looking into the events of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol is due to release its final report, which, according to talk along The Beltway, could very well include a recommendation to pursue criminal charges against Donald Trump, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, one-time Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark, and Trump attorneys John Eastman and Rudy Giuliani.
In most circles, this report is being looked to more excitedly than the latest edition of the television special on the Duke and Duchess of Essex, more commonly referred to as Harry and Meghan, or, in some circles, The Spare and the TV star.
I must admit that until the release of the Netflix series “The Crown,” I really had very little interest in The Royals. They were always an odd mix of the fair and pampered who had little contact with the realities of the day-to-day struggle of the rest of the world that works for a living. Snobs, cork sniffers to the max; I couldn’t care less about the Queen and her minions. But Netflix has given us insight – with some dramatic flair, to be sure, to keep us interested – into this menagerie of emotionless stick figures.
Now, this Dec. 21 report?
It’s something I can look upon to possibly invigorate my belief in the system if they do the right thing and call for Trump, Giuliani, and the rest to do the perp walk and go face-to-face with judge and jury for their part in a terrorist attack upon the nation.
Being a realist, I truly do not expect to ever see the former president wearing federal prison orange, although it would blend nicely with his fake tan. At worst, I would expect a heavy fine, extensive probation, and a legal beat-down. What happens in New York and Georgia, where he faces other serious charges, remains to be seen, although it looks like they may truly be out for blood.
But, I can see Meadows, Clark, and the weasel lawyers wandering the exercise yard in pumpkin-colored jumpers unless, of course, they throw their former boss under the bus, which remains a genuine possibility, particularly from Meadows and Giuliani.
There are, I promise you, some rather high-placed Republicans who are secretly hoping for all of this to rescue their once-proud party.
Yeah, I am an extremely liberal Democrat, but I am not dumb. I deeply understand and respect the need for opposing views to butt heads in the political arena, to go at it like ninja warriors to find the correct path for the good of the nation. Democracy demands that.
We know that, politically, this is probably the last shot Congress has at bringing this man to justice. A lukewarm House, weighted in favor of the Republicans – who still have some sort of fear of the man – will, I am sure, give him a pass. There is still money in what remains of his base, you know, and they all want their share of the pie so while they may grumble and shuffle behind closed doors, very few will have the courage to challenge him in public. And those who do? Well, as much as we admire Liz Cheney for her valor in going after Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 terrorist attacks on the Capitol, do we really want somebody who voted with Trump more than 90 percent of the time when he was in office? I think not. Yes, she was courageous in her stance, but I still cannot reconcile myself with her politics. And, despite the personal attacks and humiliation heaped upon them, there are members of the Senate who would be more than reluctant to take a stand for good versus evil although I guarantee guys like Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, and a number of others will not have the backbone to do anything more than, in the privacy of their black little hearts, wish he would just go away.
But he won’t, and as long as there is money in his bank account and a hungry attorney, he will play the appealing card until his final days. It is how he has operated from the very beginning, stalling out any and all efforts to seek any kind of justice or resolution.
In that regard, he may never pay a penalty, whether fine or imprisonment, as he plays out the clock and goes through the exhausting exercise of appeals and delays, the rich man’s way of escaping punishment.
For we common folk of little means, there is no such escape or relief. We cannot afford the high-priced lawyers who can keep a case out of the courts for years.
But because the courts are well stocked with Trump appointees – remember, he placed a record number of 50 appellate judges during his term – he has friends in some very high places and, as we have seen, politics has shackled the hands of justice, from the federal appellate level on up to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Viewpoints and perspectives expressed throughout The Independent are those of the individual contributors. They do not necessarily reflect those held by the staff of The Independent or our advertising sponsors. Your comments, rebuttals, and contributions are welcome in accordance with our Terms of Service. Please be respectful and abide by our Community Rules. If you have privacy concerns you can view our Privacy Policy here. Thank you!
Click here to submit an article, guest opinion piece, or a Letter to the Editor
I am a firm believer in forgiveness and mercy, but I also understand that there must be a level of integrity to maintain our so-called moral perch when it comes to justice. I mean, what kind of message would we be sending the world if we let this guy get away with a gentle slap on the wrists?
We are not talking victimless crimes here; we are talking about serious stuff.
People died.
People were cheated.
The system was attacked.
Do we really want that sort of legacy? Do we really want to tell the world that justice is something that can be bartered? That you can buy your way out of any jam if you have enough money?
I don’t think so.
That’s why I am very anxious to see what the Jan. 6 committee recommends.
They probably won’t throw the book at him.
But I’d sure like to see a few chapters plop him firmly in his comb-over.
All I want for Christmas is some sort of justice.
Is it too much to ask for?
Viewpoints and perspectives expressed throughout The Independent are those of the individual contributors. They do not necessarily reflect those held by the staff of The Independent or our advertising sponsors. Your comments, rebuttals, and contributions are welcome in accordance with our Terms of Service. Please be respectful and abide by our Community Rules. If you have privacy concerns you can view our Privacy Policy here. Thank you!
Click here to submit an article, guest opinion piece, or a Letter to the Editor
