It isn’t the Democrats
Ron Brownstein:
All the experts on political violence will say that when you have a tendency toward political violence in a political movement the key to stopping it is a clear and unequivocal statement from the leaders of that political group that violence is unacceptable. And we have seen exactly the opposite really now for years.Really since Trump came down the escalator in 2015. Just in the last few days we’ve seen all sorts of figures on the right — conservative editors at Axios, conservative columnists, Elon Musk, try to obscure the connection between this attacker and his marinating in far right conspiracies. We have seen Republicans leaders and, essentially, the entire Fox lineup say that the problem is crime in San Francisco, not politically inspired violence.
The University of Chicago estimates are that there are 13 million Trump supporters who say both that the election was stolen and that violence is justified to restore him to power. This is not an insignificant potential threat. Obviously not all those people are going to act upon it, but without a much stronger message than we have gotten, and by the way continuing the pattern from the last couple of years of some Republicans trying to normalize and minimize the January 6th attack, this clearly is the future that we are headed for. there’s not reason to think this will stop or diminish without a much clearer statement from leaders of the Republican party and, if anything, we are getting as good as a wink and a nod and a kind of condoning.
Alice Stewart responds:
It happens on both sides and I think it’s really important for us to remember that you look at Chuck Schumer in March of this year when there were hints of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade, he said that it would unleash a whirlwind and he would hate to see what would happen at that point and who knows what would hit them. Three months later a man was arrested outside of Justice Kavanaugh’s home and was arrested for trying to assassinate a Supreme Court justice. So it’s important to remember that this happens on both sides of the aisle and it’s incumbent on Republicans and Democrats to lower the temperature.
Yeah, well aside from the fact that the Republicans have an entire highly funded billion dollar disinformation industry including their own violence-inciting TV and social media networks, and the fact that the guy who showed up in Kavanaugh’s neighborhood called the police on himself before he got near Kavanaugh’s house, this is a perfect comparison. But yeah, Chuck Schumer’s incitement was no doubt the real motivation.
CNN allowing this false equivalency on their air by having partisan hacks like her on with reporters, experts and analysts who actually know what they’re talking about. It’s grotesque. Luckily Victor Caldwell did point out that it’s the Republicans who a re pushing these conspiracy theories and lies that are calling these nut to violence.
Meanwhile, I thought you might like to see how a decent political leader reacts to something as awful as the attack on Paul Pelosi. Here’s Nancy Pelosi after the attack on Steve Scalise:
We are called for a purpose to this body. It’s a great thing. And we know what it means to each of us to serve and we recognize that in others.
And we also recognize that you have your constituents, we have ours. And we respect you and your constituents who sent you here – all worthy of respect.
But we do have our differences. And so I pray, my prayer is that we can resolve our differences in a way that furthers the preamble to the constitution, takes us closer to e pluribus unum.
Today, again, it’s in the family. It’s an injury in the family. For the staff and for our colleague and for his leadership.
As I mentioned a minute ago, in the fuller thing, sports are a wonderful thing in our country. Probably one of the most unifying – I think the arts, we like to say music or plays or whatever. But sports really bring us together in our cities. You see people have the biggest differences of opinion on politics and yet when their team is on the field, people come together. People come together.
When this team was on the field practicing, with such comradery and such brotherhood – I don’t know if you have any sisters on your team – we have two on our team.
For this person to take this action was so cowardly, so cowardly, we all learn more about motivation and the rest of that, but it seems particularly sad, although any violent death, of course, is sad, but particularly sad that at a time when people want us to come together, and we were prepared to come together tomorrow night, that this assault would be made.
We cannot let that be a victory for the assailant or anyone who would think that way. So tomorrow we’ll go out on the field, we’ll root for our team, and want everyone to do his or her very best, and we will use this occasion as one that brings us together and not separates us further.
With that, again, I want to thank the Speaker for bringing us together and again with endless gratitude to our Capitol Police and particular today to Krystal Griner, David Bailey. But never out of our prayers, Detective John Gibson and Officer Jacob Chestnut. Thank you for the opportunity to share thoughts with you on this sad day.
Steve [Scalise] and others, you are deeply in our prayers. We count the minutes until you return. Please convey that to him, Mr. Speaker. Thank you all.
Bernie Sanders: