Thread Theorist, Mauvais Homme over at Eschaton pointed out that David Brooks at the New York Times gave his prediction: “The January 6 committee has already blown it”

Mauvais said, “He’s the kind of guy who writes movie reviews before he has seen the movie.”

So I wrote how David Brooks would review the Godfather before he saw the movie, before I read his column.

If David Brooks’ reviewed 1972’s The Godfather the month before it came out:

Don’t bother watching The Godfather, it will be a waste of time.

“The Godfather was a great book. But Mario Puzo has never written a screenplay. It’s highly unlikely he’ll be able to turn his 448 pages of prose into a filmable script.

And whose genius idea was it to hire the man who helmed the cloying 1969 musical Finian’s Rainbow to direct this? Francis Ford Coppola is clearly the wrong man for this type of movie.

The casting is horrible. Marlon Brando is way past his prime. It has been 18 years since On The Waterfront. Maybe musical film director Coppola picked him because of his singing role in Guys and Dolls! (Speaking of bad music, he hired his own father to score it! He’s no Henry Mancini, I predict the soundtrack will be an ear bleeding, money losing disaster.)

Sadly the whole cast is filled by unknown TV actors, wannabes and has beens. Newcomer Al Pacino played a drug addict in Panic in Needle Park last year, but he just doesn’t have the range to play a character that grows and changes.

Don’t waste your time, save your $5.00 for something better. Mark my words, this will be an epic flop.” – David Brooks, New York Times unseen movie critic

The Show’s Not Over Until…

I’ve been watching the MSNBC shows and reading pieces on what they think the hearings will bring.

There are the theater questions: “Will they create a compelling narrative? How will it play on TV? What role does social media play?”

Political questions: “How will this impact democrats success in the midterms? Who will this sway? What will the Trump base think?”

Legal questions: “What will the DOJ do?” I know from watching Glenn, Barbara, Jill, Joyce and Eli that a criminal conviction needs to prove something beyond a reasonable doubt. The DOJ needs to do this right and it takes time. I also know that the DOJ can get indictments if probable cause exists to support the charges.

I have since read his column. He’s not totally full of sh*t. Maybe 98% full. It’s based on what he thinks will happen. He thinks it will be a failure because the hearings won’t do what HE thinks they should do.

So that part of my fake review of his pre-review of The Godfather is correct, he’s basing it on what people have done in the past. As Digby wrote earlier today, The savvy media will call all this, “Old news.” The politico’s are doing the “You can’t reach Trump’s audience to change their minds” bit.

I’m tired of the “Trump’s base doesn’t care” stories. We, the majority of Americans, care. Also, the LAW cares.

Brooks thinks that people won’t care about the details about who texted Meadows about what. Well, when those people were talking about and texting their plan to obstruct the count are senators & congress people who are STILL SERVING, that detail MATTERS! Those people need to be removed from office.

I’ve heard multiple people ask former prosecutor Glenn Kirschner, “When will Garland act? What can we do to pressure him to act?” I hear him and others talk about how the prosecutors need to follow the law and be politically independent. I hear, “We don’t want the DOJ to be politicized. They shouldn’t look like they are going after Biden’s political enemies. “
(My response is. “I want them to go after lawbreakers, period. Just because they happen to be Republicans and politicians isn’t the point.”

So I asked him, “What DOES get prosecutors to act?” He said that when they get new evidence, often from journalists and congressional committees, they have to investigate.

As my friend Professor Derbes said, “I would love five or ten of these monsters to be ejected from Congress.” Sure Trump’s base won’t like it, but I DON’T care. I’m not going to be in a diner in Ohio anytime soon to give my opinion to the New York Times, so I’ll write it here.

We, the majority of Americans, care. We care about our democracy. We care that TFG attempted to stop the certification of the fair election and invalidate our votes. We want changes made so this doesn’t happen again. AND we want the people who did this to be held accountable. Tell everyone what you want to happen.

Say what you are feeling to everyone. Your friends, enemies, social media, the press, your congress people. Don’t assume you are preaching to the choir. Don’t fall into learned helplessness. “Nothing will happen.”

I’m pretty good at predictions. But I’ve learned that my correct predictions don’t matter. My actions do. When you see these horrible things tonight say something.

I’m not a big phone caller, but I might make some calls tonight to my congresspeople. Their answer machines take calls after hours.

“It’s ultimately on us to make this the big deal it so obviously is.”

B1 Bummer