House Republicans hit the panic button as January 6th Committee closes in
You can usually tell a coward by the way he tucks his tail and runs when times get tough. The Republicans who decided to participate in the ridiculous “stop the steal” rally on January 6 were all tough and full of fight. Mo Brooks told the crowd it was time to “kick ass and take names,” and even those who did not directly participate were all too ready to show their support, such as Josh Hawley pumping his fist and Lauren Boebert conducting suspicious tours through the Capitol in the days leading up to the insurrection. Now, if you put them all in a room together, you could hear a proverbial pin drop. Hawley has been quiet, and Boebert claims she was asked to speak but did not. As the House Select Committee gets closer to the truth via testimony and documents, all these so-called bad asses are vehemently denying playing any part in that day.
As the Washington Post reported, even Mitch McConnell seems to be seeing things he did not want to acknowledge early in the investigation. Just last week, McConnell made comments seemingly legitimizing the efforts of the committee. When Manu Raju of CNN asked McConnell about the text messages received by Mark Meadows, he responded: “I do think we’re all watching, as you are, what is unfolding on the House side, and it will be interesting to reveal all of the participants who were involved.” It sounds like McConnell believes there was involvement by various lawmakers. He reiterated his belief in the committee’s work, saying: “I think the fact-finding is interesting. It was a horrendous event, and I think what they are seeking to find out is something the public needs to know.” Wow. Did McConnell really say that? He almost sounds like he wants to get to the truth himself.
The “big break” came from the testimony of Ali Alexander, the founder of the “stop the steal” movement. Alexander testified that he “recalls a few phone conversations” with Paul Gosar and a text exchange with Mo Brooks. His attorney reiterated that testimony in a filing he made on Alexander’s behalf last week. Also named was Andy Biggs, with whom Alexander said he spoke in person. Attempting to do damage control, Brooks’s office claimed to have never even heard of Alexander, yet they later acknowledged to Politico that they did receive a text “from someone identifying as Alexander.”
Another liar in this group, Jim Jordan, claimed that he “did not recall” whether he spoke with Trump on January 6, but the truth is that he spoke with him several times that day, including asking him to call off his supporters. Jordan also sent a text to Meadows with a theory for overturing the election, which he now claims came from someone else. The committee is also now very interested in Scott Perry, who was allegedly involved in the attempt to oust the acting attorney general in favor of Trump loyalist Jeffrey Clark. Perry has thus far refused to cooperate, which is not surprising. One theme holds true: The more they protest, the guiltier they look.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years