Day 2 of the impeachment trial – Investigation against Trump from authorities in Georgia – In praise of vengefulness – Mike Pence’s meekness – Greene criticizes the rioters – Prospects for increased social activity – Evening statistics
I predicted that the impeachment of Donald Trump would enliven the entries of this journal; whether this comes to pass, readers must judge. It is the second day of the trial, with the prosecutors presenting the case against Trump. There is no shortage of evidence of his role in inciting the rioters, and the prosecutors are presenting their case with commendable organization and vigor. I will admit that I was in a somewhat despondent frame of mind earlier this month about Trump’s near-term prospects. It seemed to me quite likely that he would evade any penalty for his treachery. A conviction from the impeachment trial is, of course, all but impossible. Almost certainly there will be an insufficient number of Republican Senators who will vote against Trump to supply a two-thirds majority. Perhaps some Senators will choose to be absent in order to avoid the consequences of voting either for or against conviction, which renders the two-third majority vote somewhat less improbable (the majority is accounted only from the number of members present to vote, not the total number of Senators). But obviously such a scenario is not to be counted on.
I was, however, in hopes that his blatant attempt to force the Secretary of State of Georgia to falsify the election results would result in a separate prosecution that would entail – I wish to put this with all possible delicacy – dragging his name through the mud, bespattering him thoroughly with invective, and penalizing him with crippling fines and possibly even a prison sentence. But as the days went by and nothing was heard from that quarter, I began to doubt that such a proceeding would ever come to pass.
Well, events have gone to show that one should never despair. Fani Wallis, the District Attorney for Fulton County, has launched an official criminal probe into the matter as of today. This announcement comes just two days after the Secretary of State’s office began an investigation of its own. Once the investigation is finished, the board will vote whether or not to send a criminal referral to the state attorney general or district attorney. So there is much occasion for rejoicing.
One acquaintance who knows something of my sentiments said that he was sorry to find me in so vindictive a mood. The conversation that ensued went something along the lines of Lady Brute and her niece Belinda in John Vanbrugh’s “The Provoked Wife,” when the former decides to cuckold her husband after his unrelenting abuse of her:
BELINDA: Ah! but, you know, we must return good for evil.
LADY BRUTE: That may be a mistake in the translation.
One example of returning good for evil was set by Mike Pence, albeit not in a very impressive way. It appears that the rioters were uttering death threats to him specifically as they invaded the Capitol, of which circumstance he must have been thoroughly aware. Yet in the weeks that followed he consistently refused to invoke the 25th Amendment against Trump or even to utter a breath of criticism against the man who incited others to take his life. Pence’s forbearance in this matter may be regarded by some as a display of Christian forgiveness; but for my part I think it shows him to be a poor-spirited creature. The straightforward resentment expressed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez against the assault that endangered her life and those of her colleagues seems to me infinitely preferable.
The rioters have been taken to task today by a somewhat unexpected critic: none other than Marjorie Taylor Greene, who tweeted, “The attack RUINED our objection that we spent weeks preparing for, which devastated our efforts on behalf of Trump and his voters.” The rioters are clearly very much to blame in her view, not for its efforts to cheat the nation out of the President we elected but for failing in their attempt.
On a personal level the day was somewhat inactive, as I and others in the neighborhood are preparing to hunker down for another snowfall that will last over 24 hours. I did, however, have lunch with EG and HG today; it was warm enough at noon to eat out of doors. If I ever become frustrated with the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, I must remind myself that I have been quite fortunate in comparison with many others, perhaps most others: no health issues, no problems with obtaining food or supplies, opportunities for travel to regions accessible by car, opportunities to meet with friends on various occasions for hiking together or eating together out of doors. As HG observed, the weather will soon become warmer and the opportunities for meeting with friends out of doors and for outside dining will increase. Presently, also, as more and more of us get vaccinated, indoor visiting will become possible as well.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 107,833,480; # of deaths worldwide: 2,363,276; # of cases U.S.: 27,896,483; # of deaths; U.S.: 483,042.