I expressed this on the open thread of tonight’s hearing. But I decided I wanted to talk about it a little more.
Don’t know how many of you actually watched this, vs. those who figured they could check in with the clips tomorrow. But that will not be the same as hearing Liz Cheney’s speech tonight, the entirety of it and in real time. In which, she absolutely leveled the ground as to any doubt about her willingness to call it as it was. To me, it was bone tingling, and I could not believe there is actually ONE republican who will speak the truth. And I was as gob smacked as any of you that it would be Liz Cheney.
And folks, if you can name any other republican who can come close to what Liz Cheney said tonight, then by all means, add in here. But I think you will not find that republican.
Liz Cheney has put her political life on the line, and she will probably lose her seat for doing so. It is very clear to me that she knows this, and has not let it stop her.
Honestly, if you listened to her speech, you could not avoid being gob smacked at her no bars, absolute certainty that Donald Trump, and the GOP, are responsible for the January 6th insurrection. Really, she did not dodge this truth in any way.
I don’t know exactly what I expected tonight, but certainly I did not expect Liz Cheney’s absolute take down of Donald Trump, and those who surrounded him---like the rest of the party. She did so with a steady voice and the courage that oddly, reminded me of Hillary Clinton taking on the Bengazi panel.
And NO, I don’t have a newfound crush on Liz Cheney. I simply really appreciate what she has done on this committee and what she said tonight. You really have to listen to every word of what she said, because at every turn of her phrase, I could hardly believe what she was saying. It was like, whoa Nellie, there is a republican who will actually say this?!?!
I also understand how hard it is for any of us to admit that sometimes, despite our huge differences, there is something on which we can find common ground, even if it’s with Liz Cheney.
I know, believe me I know, that there is no pot at the end of the rainbow here. We are an incredibly divided nation, and I don’t think tonight will change that. And maybe a lot of you are thinking that it’s all speaking to the choir, even if it’s Liz Cheney doing it.
But I will remind you, that “speaking to the choir” is more useful than it gets credit for. The choir needs sustenance, it needs support like a fire needs a bellows. So, IMO, never underestimate “speaking to the choir,” as so many are prone to do. The GOP certainly understands this.
In general, I think the committee did a good job tonight. It was like watching a “true crime” documentary, and that is what it takes to catch the attentions of Americans. AND, January 6th was a true crime.
If there was one weak part of tonight’s hearing, I would say it was Chairman Tompson’s interchange with the documentary photographer. In the end, the Chairman’s wind up would be considered “leading the witness” so obviously it was painful. I longed to hear him simply say after he espoused, to the witness, “Do you agree?”
But all in all, I think---no matter what the pundits want to say---that these hearing are important and not to be dismissed or discounted because the media keeps telling us that American’s don’t care about any of this---they just want to talk about inflation. And well, that’s another diary.
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