The huge, gaping hole in our media discussion of the GOP and Jan. 6
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
www.washingtonpost.com /opinions/2021/07/22/huge-gaping-hole-our-media-discussion-todays-gop-jan-6/
The huge, gaping hole in our media discussion of the GOP and Jan. 6
Greg Sargent 5-6 minutes 7/22/2021
Now that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has pulled Republicans out of the Jan. 6 select committee, numerous news accounts and media figures are treating this as a standard partisan skirmish in which both sides are equivalently to blame. Incredibly, some are even leaning toward declaring Republican outrage to be reasonably grounded.
Your humble blogger would like to propose that all of us covering this ask ourselves a simple, guiding question: What sort of inquiry into Jan. 6 would Republicans declare to be a legitimate one?
If the answer to this question is unsatisfactory to media figures — that is, if what constitutes a legitimate inquiry in the eyes of Republicans is not something they would see as reasonable or acceptable — then it must follow that Republicans are to blame for the failure to achieve a bipartisan investigation, by the lights of media figures themselves.
First, let’s note that the idea that the investigation into Jan. 6 must be bipartisan is something many media figures are themselves treating as an important civic goal. News accounts are widely casting the inability to achieve one as an inherent failure. The bare-bones chronology is that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) nixed two of McCarthy’s choices — Reps. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — from serving on the committee. McCarthy then pulled his nominations of all other Republicans and declared none would serve. Pelosi nixed Banks and Jordan because they have openly declared their hostility to the committee’s core investigative mission and have repeatedly raised doubts about the integrity of Donald Trump’s loss. They validated the lies that inspired the insurrection in the first place. In short: Pelosi did not allow them to serve on the committee because their openly telegraphed goal was to sabotage the committee.
McCarthy then angrily pulled out, insisting that this showed Pelosi is the one who doesn’t want a real accounting. But McCarthy picked Banks and Jordan so that they would carry out the goal of sabotaging that accounting.You’d think those basics make it inescapable to conclude that McCarthy and Republicans are the real culprits here. But some media figures have found a way around this. Whatever the specifics, they say, it’s important to allow McCarthy to have his choices so that it’s perceived as bipartisan and seen as credible by Republican voters.“Pelosi’s move will make the investigation even easier to dismiss for people who aren’t die-hard members of Team Blue,” Politico’s Playbook insists , stressing the importance of making it “credible to the right.”But what, exactly, would it take for this investigation to be “credible to the right”? What would the cost of this be?
We already know the answer to this, because Republicans have told us. Banks suggested the investigation should ascribe more importance to the riots associated with police protest than to the Jan. 6 mob assault.McCarthy, for his part, has claimed that Republicans will run their own investigation now. On Fox News, he hinted where this might lead, asking : “Was there a decision made by the Speaker not to have the National Guard at the Capitol that day?” Similarly, Jordan has asked whether Pelosi failed to supply adequate security at the Capitol.Those suggestions are all nonsense. Pelosi did not make any such decision about the National Guard, and the speaker doesn’t control Capitol security. But the point is, for Republicans, investigating those already-settled questions are what constitutes an investigation they would accept.
Relatively reasonable Republicans have also answered this question. Republicans on two Senate committees would not endorse a report on security lapses until the language was negotiated down to vastly minimize the role of Trump’s lies in inciting the rioters and to downplay their express goal of overturning the election.The huge hole in this debate is that many media figures do not seem to be publicly wrestling with whether those types of GOP requirements for an investigation into Jan. 6 are reasonable or defensible ones. That question requires a value judgment.If it’s okay to make the value judgment that failing to achieve a bipartisan investigation is inherently a blameworthy thing, then it should also be okay to make a value judgment about whether Republican conditions for a bipartisan investigation are reasonable or defensible.
If they are not, then doesn’t it automatically follow that Republicans are the ones to blame for the collapse of a bipartisan select committee?
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Yes, McConnell said since Day One he'd obstruct...
The media falls into the trap of thinking that the committee should be bipartisan for the sake of bipartisanship.
That is wrong. One of the "bi"s in this case, the Republicans, are not acting in good faith. That removes the need for bipartisanship.
Media are cowardly. They should name fascists... but they don't dare. They should say "wrong is wrong"... but they don't dare.
When America is solidly in the grip of the fascists, it will be too late.
are you sure that's the correct article picture for this seed? that looks like kevin's post 1/6/21 picture a few seconds prior to his bend the knee meeting with trump at mar a lago.
Banks and Jordan were going to try and focus a Jan 6th committee on other things than Jan 6th. Or they were going to try and turn the focus away from the insurrection and onto Nancy Pelosi.
They have admitted to this on conservative media.
The mainstream media should stop trying to peddle "both sides " bullshit about why they were rejected for the committee.
The Democrats, by default, and by their nature, have proven they can't conduct a fair and impartial hearing.
Pelosi has fucked up the process yet again. Let the Dems take the blame for the public's lack of interest in this overblown event.
I think Pelosi will do anything to get attention.
I believe she can see that her days are numbered as Speaker, and is desperately trying to stave a huge midterm loss off by making this "investigation" into something more than it is.
I wonder what the hell she thinks the Biden Justice Dept. is investigating?
I would subpoena Trump and get him up there to explain what he was doing while the insurrection was going on. Eating donuts or laughing?
Yeah, good luck with that.
Is THAT what Nancy Pelosi wants to investigate?
LOL!
It is comforting you believe that since your recent track record calling elections is 0 for 2.
Democrats are turning out in force in 2022...
What kind of stuff are you making up now?
Prove it.
Prove me wrong by actually, factually backing your outlandish claims UP for once.
Gee, won't that prove that all the crap about "voter suppression" coming from whacked-out progressive liberals is nothing more than a load of crap?
Do you think they did NOT show up in force in 2020?
You know--that record turnout that saw House Democrats lose seats???
I would subpoena Trump and get him up there to explain what he was doing while the insurrection was going on.
That would be unfair - I’m sure Greg Jones would agree. It would be unfair to conduct an investigation in any other way than as dictated by the clueless, lying minority.
Comical considering the years and years of investigations by the republicans during the Obama administration....
Not to mention two failed impeachment shitshows
Or the biased and rigged Kavanugh confirmation hearings
So ignore what I said...
Finding out what sort of inquiry Republicans would declare to be legitimate is easy and straightforward. Allow Republicans to be in charge the inquiry.
The political arguments opposing Republicans running the inquiry are the same political arguments opposing Democrats running the inquiry. No matter if the inquiry is run by Democrats or Republicans, the inquiry will not be viewed as legitimate. What that should tell everyone is that Congress isn't the appropriate body to run an inquiry.
Nancy Pelosi putting her thumb on the scale really does suggest that the outcome of any inquiry is predetermined and the inquiry really doesn't serve a useful purpose. Pelosi and Democrats are using the authority of Congress to pursue strictly political objectives; the inquiry doesn't serve a public interest.