or do as I say.....
Congressman Bennie Thompson sure has been making a bunch of noise about prosecuting Senators who voted against President-Elect Joe Biden's certification. WLBT reported January 11:
Congressman Bennie Thompson, who chairs the Committee on Homeland Security, thinks that Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) should be punished after Trump supporters pillaged the halls of the U.S. Capitol last week.
Hawley and Cruz were both seen as the most vocal leaders against certifying the 2020 election results for President-elect Joe Biden and have been blamed, in part, for the riot at the Capitol which resulted in the death of five people, including a Capitol police officer.
There are now calls for the senators to be disbarred and their Democratic peers have even asked for the two to step down for their perceived role in the riot. Thompson is taking it one step further, saying that Cruz and Hawley should also be placed on the no-fly list.
“There’s no exemption for being put on the no-fly list,” Thompson said during a Serious XM interview on Monday. “Even a member of Congress that commits a crime, you know, they expel from the body.”
“There are ethics charges that can be brought against those individuals,” he continued. “And people are looking at all this. What [Sen. Josh] Hawley did and what [Sen. Ted] Cruz did was horrible.”
Well, not so fast, my authoritarian friend. Today's edition of Flashback Friday steps back to January 6, 2005. The Congressional Black Caucus voted against certifying President Bush's election in 2005. They tried to vote against accepting Florida's electoral votes in 2001 but Vice-President Gore (to his credit) shut them down and said they could only do so if a Senator signed on to their effort. In 2005, Senator Barbara Boxer went along with their hijinks. CNN reported on January 6, 2005:
The normally perfunctory ceremony of counting and certifying Electoral College votes was delayed for about four hours as Democrats unsuccessfully challenged Ohio's votes for Bush....
Alleging widespread "irregularities" on Election Day, a group of Democrats in Congress objected earlier Thursday to the counting of Ohio's 20 electoral votes.
The challenge was defeated 267-31 by the House and 74-1 by the Senate, clearing the way for the joint session to count the votes from the remaining states... Rest of article.
Such challenges were anything but the norm back in 2005:
It was only the second such challenge since the current rules for counting electoral votes were established in 1877. The last was in 1969 and concerned a so-called "faithless elector," according to congressional researchers.
Four years ago, after the disputed election results in Florida, members of the Congressional Black Caucus attempted to block Florida's electoral votes from being counted.....
Republicans dismissed the effort as a stunt, noting that specific allegations of voting problems in Ohio have been investigated by journalists and, the Republicans said, found to be untrue.
"But apparently, some Democrats only want to gripe about counts, recounts, and recounts of recounts," said Rep. Deborah Pryce, an Ohio Republican.
"So eager are they to abandon their job as public servants, they have cast themselves in the role of Michael Moore, concocting wild conspiracy theories to distract the American public."
The Congressional Record shows several of them said votes were "stolen", Diebold changed votes, and Ohio was corrupt. Congressman Jerry Nadler said "the right to vote has been stolen from qualified voters--stolen through
corruption, through political cynicism, and through incompetence,
through technical malfunction" although he voted to accept Ohio's votes.
Bennie Thompson was right there in the middle of it as voted along with his Caucus Compadres to oppose certification for President Bush:
Keep in mind John Kerry had already conceded the election and said his "legal team found no evidence that would change the outcome of the election.
As usual, it appears Mr. Thompson has one set of rules for himself - which is no rules - and a set of rules for everyone else. Surprised?
Representatives and Senators enjoy legislative immunity for a reason. This is not Venezuela, Iran, Turkey, Russia, China, or Zimbabwe where legislators can be removed or thrown in jail for their votes nor should it be. The right to vote in Congress without penalty is sacrosanct despite Mr. Thompson's threats. Representative government depends on the ability of elected representatives to debate and vote without fear of prosecution. The criminalization of political votes is one of the necessary steps to dictatorship. See the Fall of the Roman Republic.
The Senators exercised their constitutional right to vote against certification just as Bennie Thompson did in 2005 and probably would have done in 2001 if he had been allowed to do so. The rightness of their vote is a matter for their voters to decide.
Does this mean the Congressman will lead by example and start hitchhiking to Washington?
Kingfish note: Yes, this website would defend Bennie Thompson if someone called for prosecuting him for his votes.
Keep the comments to the subject of this post. There will be a later one discussing the riots. You'll get your chance then.
41 comments:
When Bennie said he supported the Delta Pumps but will now vote with the rest of the House democrats to not fund the pumps because of our being a red state.
All politicians black, white, male, female, Dem, Rep, etc. will do anything that is politically expedient at the moment and then conveniently forget about it when the tide turns the other way. In the real world, we might refer to such individuals as two-faced or a hypocrite. In their world, it's just politics, and everybody does it. Just remember that this label knows no color, sex, or party.
You must remember that Bennie is in a position to be very useful to the Democratic bosses and he knows it. He has no constituency to be accountable
to and all his critics come from the "racist" state of Mississippi. He can say whatever he wants whether it is consistent and rational or not. No one that matters to him or his party stands in his way or opposes anything he does.
Note the criticism and pushback Wicker is receiving just for making a reasonable and erstwhile normal vote. Thompson receives no such scrutiny from his constituents. He NEVER has to defend his actions. Like Maxine Waters he does not have to measure his words or actions. It's got to be fun.
Reporting you'll NEVER see from the MS Democratic Party media rump known as Mississippi (Democrats) Today.
Bennie is a political hack and one of the biggest racists this state has ever known. He doesn't even care about his black constituents.
Dam you mean Bennie was acting like a Republican?
This whole debacle is just another reason to term limit both House and Senate members. Career politicians should not be running the country. If they knew that they would have to live under the same rules as the rest of us when they left congress, then I dare say that most of the crap that goes on would stop. Do as I say, not as I do.
11:16 - 1st of all Bennie Thompson is as two-faced a big fat hypocrite as you can get...
He was elected by a jerrymandered district 1.
I wish the population census would be so low in district 1 to lose a congressman.
I guess the only way we will is when Bennie Thompson dies in office.
You have to know the Democrats are as vicious as a king cobra. Squinty eyed Joe Biden is another lifer in politics.
We need term limits in congress.
Cruz and Hawley are what’s wrong with the GOP. They lack the courage to uphold their oath to the constitution. They lended their credibility to the big lies and now they refuse to accept the harm they caused. They are pathetic and the GOP is pathetic for defending them.
“I’m not working for you, Give me a break, man. Don’t be such a horse’s a--.”
Kingfish deserves high praise for being the only media representative in the state to point out Bennie's hypocrisy - the Clarion-Ledger, AP, Mississippi Today & all local TV stations failed to hold this race-baiting scoundrel accountable.
12:09 p.m. Bed Wetter Alert!
10:26 Said it Very Well. That’s why we’re losing so much faith in our political “leaders”. They aren’t leading the country so much as working to simply gain power for their party and favor within their party. And get rich along the way. All of them are pretty pathetic and in over their heads in their jobs, but remain highly confident of themselves! It’s sad
HYPOCRITE. He knew that he had voted to not certify an election. What a freaking hypocrite. It’s fine when he does it, but not when another member of Congress makes the same vote against his candidate. Literally, he should have kept his mouth shut and not even commented. I know that’s too much to ask. The double standard is in full force and Biden hasn’t even been sworn in. Dang, I wish we could all play by the same rules!
Stop the squeal!
A hypocritical politician. I'm stunned. None of them have a conscience at all and will do whatever they think is expedient to pander to their voter base.
Great reporting Kingfish!
When did the JJ censors become pro-CCP?
12:35 Not defending Bennie (can't stand him), but both sides pull this crap all the time and then point the finger at the other side acting all outraged. You need to take off your rose colored glasses. Politicians are inherently corrupt in their thinking.
Bennie is a racist, crook,and a political hack!He has made millions scamming the government while in his position as a congressman in a setup district!
There's no difference between any of the DC politicians. They were not chosen by their respective parties, to hold office, other than to follow orders. The DC politician isn't a leader but a follower, every one of them. The political direction of the US is decided by the bureaucrats that are seldom seen or heard. Take the distinguished Dr. Fauci as an example. There are thousands more that have been determining the direction of this country for 35 to 40 years and there were another group before them. Those 535 streetwalkers that the people thought they elected are only the face of the monster, not the intelligence. That's why Nancy Pelosi says, what sounds like mind-boggling nonsense, "that you must pass the bill to know what's in the bill". There seems to be some intelligent people that read this board. I find it hard to believe some haven't discovered this on their own. The CEO or President is chosen to present the decision of the bureaucrats to the people and to implement the plan for 4-year intervals. The illusion that hides this system is strong but can be broken.
Never forget, Bennie, a poor dirt-farmer (tomatoes) from Hinds County got on a train headed for Washington back 28 years ago, and within four years, was a millionaire with a private, front-row parking space at the Jackson Wylie Medgar Evers et al dada airport in Rankin County. Movie in the works.
Is Ed Peters still alive for a supporting role?
Where does Ol' Race Hustler Bennie rank in the top wealthiest Mississippians?
Wait a minute! Have you noticed how Bennie’s district has prospered over the years! LOL!
One's tolerance/intolerance and labeling of behavior as right or wrong, is too often based not on an objective assessment of facts. Rather, on how we feel about the individuals involved. Lying, hypocrisy, greed, criminality and immorality in general, are not characteristics exclusive to liberals or conservatives; democrats or republicans; and are not negated by demographic traits. We tend to focus on the negative traits of those we dislike (often based on subjective opinion); and make excuses or minimize the severity of behavior of those we like, and mirror our attitudes and beliefs. In the case of Thompson voting against certification of the 2005 presidential election, google the facts. Objectively compare that situation to objections raised, and how they were raised before, during and after the 2020 election. If you see them as the same ...juxtapose Thompson's behavior and those who leveled their objections in 2005, to those who invaded the capital, and then make a judgement.
" Congressman Bennie Thompson, who chairs the Committee on Homeland Security, "
That fact alone is scarier than how he votes.
Thankfully that title means nothing.
Benny hasn't done a damn thing for his district (or the state) other than throwing a monumental fish fry every year in his Bolton "hood".
4:31 You were going pretty good until you came to the last sentence. Why are you comparing Thompson's behavior to rioters and thugs. You should make the comparison with other congressmen on the other side of the issue.
Remember be fair.
Bennie is no different than all those Republicans senators who said they would NEVER appoint a Supreme Court judge in a presidential election year. Elected officials do and say what works for them at the moment. None of them give a crap about the average citizen. Politicians are liars, and President Trump won the title and wears the heavyweight championship belt.
You are a fool to think the rest of our politicians are any different! Do you really think our Senators and Representatives care about yo ass!
For you Bennie haters, that’s exactly why Mississippi has 4 US house districts. And to think the other 3 care about your ass! They are trying to get where Bennie has been. It ain’t personal! For the disgruntled and complainers you may want to run for a House seat. And you will be doing the same damn thing! So I suggest you do something to help my beloved Mississippi. Probably just like me keep commenting.
12:09 - Answer me this...If you were stranded on an island, who would you rather be in charge of your rescue: Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi or Ted Cruz? Your life depends on it, so don't lie.
As someone previously mentioned, we need term limits for the members of congress as well as restructuring of their retirement benefits. Unfortunately, this will probably never happen during my lifetime as we have too many greedy lifers present in congress who are living on my and your dimes.
Motto engraved in the office of each Senator and Representative on Capital Hill, "Listen, I'm a politician which means I'm a cheat and a liar, and when I'm not kissing babies I'm stealing their lollipops. But it also means I keep my options open."
@9:27AM
Nice Hunt For Red October reference.
BT is a fraud and a modern-day slave trader. He wanna talk all big and bad but he dont do nothin. He (and others from MS who sat in office for decades) is a prime example of why we must have term limits.
7:21 - Please...What the hell does this mean? "They are trying to get where Bennie has been."
What you weekend church-league soft-ballers don't realize is Bennie don't give a rat's ass and never has. He's a millionaire who has never brought a single job to his gerrymandered district. Prove me wrong.
4:04 calm down, Congressman Thompson has many years in Congress, they don’t!
Please don’t let these comments give you a stroke! I support all of our Politicians representing Mississippi.
Yes, I heard Bennie is wealthy, and I ain’t mad about that! The rest of the House will be if they keep getting re-elected!
Term limits... I wonder if some of these career politicians could make it in the real world.
Who would want to be represented by someone too dumb to recognize and take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself.
And those who oppose Bennie Thompson's push to get Medicaid fully funded for the state are hypocrites.
Bennie sure got quiet about their certification votes.
What a knuckle dragged…I would put $5000 on the fact Bennie can’t pass a 6th grade standardized test.
Post a Comment