During the Civil War, this is what happened:
“Whereas a conspiracy has been formed against the peace, union, and liberties of the people and Government of the United States; and in furtherance of such conspiracy a portion of the people of the States of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Texas, have attempted to withdraw those States from the Union, and are now in arms against the Government; and whereas [the senators from those states] have failed to appear in their seats in the Senate and to aid the Government in this important crisis; and it is apparent to the Senate that said Senators are engaged in said conspiracy for the destruction of the Union and Government, or, with full knowledge of such conspiracy, have failed to advise the Government of its progress or aid in its suppression: Therefore,
Resolved, That the said Mason, Hunter, Clingman, Bragg, Chesnut, Nicholson, Sebastian, Mitchel, Hemphill, and Wigfall be, and they hereby are, each and all of them, expelled from the Senate of the United States.”
Why aren’t the current insurrectionists being held to the same standard? Because a Civil War has not been officially declared? Because the GOP’s far right members are holding sufficient seats in the Senate (right now) to keep such a thing from happening?
And here’s section 3 of the 14th Amendment:
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
When Congress reconvenes in the new year, will the Democratic majority Senate have sufficient votes to create a super majority? Not unless a sufficient number of remaining moderate “Constitutional oath keepers” in the GOP vote yay, too, to unseat alleged insurrectionist supporters and election deniers like the ones identified by the Senate Select Committee on the January 6th event. And there may not BE enough remaining moderate, Constitution-supporting GOP members to create a super majority, since Senators Cheney, Kinzinger and Luria lost their bids (against far-right Republicans) to remain in office. Romney and Murkowski may vote to remove them, but I highly doubt Susan Collins will. And I can’t think of any other Republicans who take the required oath of office (to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States) more ssriously than they take their oath to protect and defend the now dystopian righwngers who will stop at absolutely nothing to win the day for authoritarian Naziism.
I wonder if they will remove at least the named Senators who asked Trump for pardons for their involvement in the attempted coup until their trials have been processed. I know our justice system presumes innocence until proven guilty, BUT the very fact that these people sought pardons from Trump indicate that they knew they broke the law and are guilty of the same charges that the foot soldiers of January 6th are being convicted of in droves.
If we don’t nip this in the bud, our republic may not survive. Shit like this has to get hammered, and hammered hard, or this “trial run” will become just the opening act to a future successful coup to thwart the will of the people.
