Remember January 6th, 2021?
This will help: January 7th, 2021 headlines: https://bit.ly/3wm5kBz
Some people want you to forget this. And there is new urgency to their efforts and the need to counteract them.
Now, American public opinion in favor of a robust January 6th commission must vigorously support the formation of that commission.
Nota bene: The Republican leaders in Congress now vigorously oppose the establishment of a bi-partisan commission to investigate the January 6th insurrection top-to-bottom. (It had originally been proposed by two House members, a Republican and a Democrat). Its fate is uncertain.
In a return to false equivalencies, Republican Congressional leaders want to blur the commission’s scope by greatly broadening it. (Some of their party colleagues have referred to the mob at the Capitol with absurdist analogies such as ” tourists” and “good people”. And the defeated president “loved ” the mob.)
There are many important voices reminding us that in the wake of the January 6th insurrection, American liberal democracy now hangs in the balance.
Congresswoman Liz Chaney (R-Wyoming) is, of course, at the forefront. Jeopardizing her political future, she has been eloquent, incisive, and tireless on what is at stake:
“Today, we face a threat America has never seen before. A former president who provoked a violent attack on this Capitol, in an effort to steal the election, has resumed his aggressive effort to convince Americans that the election was stolen from him.”
In support of a bona fide bipartisan commission, Republican Senator Mike Rounds has reportedly stated: “We clearly had an insurrection on that particular day [1/6/21], and I don’t want it swept under the rug.” Likewise, Senator Mitt Romney: “I think the area of inquiry that is most critical relates to the attack on the Capitol.”
He has now indicated he will voted “Yes” on the bill to establish the commission.
We all know the related Mark Twain’s aphorism, “A lie can travel around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots.” The election/insurrection Big Lie is well on its way around the U.S. and beyond. It is already feeding voter-suppression legislation in states across the country; and, in reality, the 2022 election campaign is already underway.
The House has passed a bill to establish the January 6th commission. The Senate will vote on the proposal shortly. If we want to preserve America’s sacred democracy, we had better “lace up our boots” – now – and keep them laced for the long sprint on the U.S. public opinion track.
Representative Cheney’s challenge to Americans:
“Our duty is clear: Every one of us who has sworn the oath must act to prevent the unraveling of our democracy. This is not about policy, this is not about partisanship. This is about our duty as Americans”