Apparently one of the political goals of the January 6 hearings was to strengthen the Republican counterinsurgency faction. The vice chairman and top member of the House selection committee is Liz Cheney, a Republican. Leading witnesses, such as retired judges J. Michael Luttig and Greg Jacob, are Republicans. And the heroes of the story, like former vice president Mike Pence, are Republicans.
In particular, it was Pence, who became the subject of a lot of praise.
“Thanks in part to Mike Pence, our democracy has withstood the conspiracy of Donald Trump and the violence that occurred on January 6,” said Representative Bennie Thompson, a Democrat who chaired the committee. select said. “Vice President Pence understands that his oath of office is more important than his loyalty to President Trump. He did his job right,” said Cheney.
Well, the vice president ended up refusing to participate in Donald Trump’s power grab. But this is not the hero. He did not exceed and exceed his constitutional obligations. He simply chose not to break the law. He did close to the absolute minimum of what we should expect from someone in his position. Maybe to borrow a phrase from President George W. Bush, it’s the gentle obstinacy of low expectations to act as if Pence had done anything special.
There is also a practical problem. Not staunchly opposed to plots to overturn the presidential election, Pence was initially inclined to help. He even reached out to one of his predecessors, Dan Quayle, for advice on what to do. We know this because it is recorded in the book.”HazardousBy Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. Here’s how they describe the conversation:
Pence asked again and again if he could do anything. “Mike, you have no flexibility in this. Not available. Zero. Forget. Drop it,” Quayle told him. Pence is hit again. “You don’t know my position,” he said. “I know where you are,” Quayle replied. “I also know what the law is. You listen to the congressman. That’s all you do. You have no power”.
This doesn’t sound like a man whose first instinct is, follow his advice at the time, “that there’s no way our framers would put a person in a role that would have a decisive impact on the outcome of an election.”
It seems a man did the right thing only after he couldn’t find a legitimate reason to do the wrong thing. It seems like a man still wouldn’t completely reject Trump or what he stands for. It seems one man is still refusing to testify, fearing he will alienate voters who are sure to help him finish sixth in the Iowa caucuses.
Yes, when it matters most, Pence has turned against Trump. That doesn’t make him a hero.
What I wrote
My Third Column based on the dire optimism of the Democratic leadership toward the Republican Party.
What was missing from the party leaders, an absence that was extremely uncomfortable for young liberals, was any sense of urgency and crisis – any sense that the system Ours is on the verge. Despite threats to voting rights, abortion rights, and the ability of the federal government to act proactively in the public interest, senior Democrats continue to act as if American politics returned to normal.
My Friday Category is why Democrats should be much more aggressive in questioning Ginni and Clarence Thomas.
Democrats need not imitate Republican behavior in all its distorted glory, but they will do well to learn that for many voters, where there is smoke, there must be fire.
Most recent episode My podcast with John Ganz was on the 1993 film “Sniper.” And if you live in New York, I’m giving two lectures on the problems and future of American democracy, at the New York Public Library next week. Details here.
Reading now
Rebecca Traister about Dianne Feinstein in New York magazine.
Harold Meyerson on the history of socialism in the United States for Dissent magazine.
At the heart of downtown Charlottesville, Va., is the rotting husk of an unfinished hotel building. A group of local citizens tried to make it look less terrible by decorating it with some artwork. Here is a photo of that artwork. I like the shapes and contrast in the scene, and the man in the dark suit walking past was a welcome accident.
Currently eating: French lentils with vegetables and herbs
For dinner tonight, we’re going to have lentils with pan-fried fish, and I thought I’d share a recipe for lentils. It is very simple. You don’t have to use French lentils. Black beluga lentils also work. Recipes through Serious Eats.
Element
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1 cup (7 ounces; 200 grams) French lentils le Puy, iced
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1 medium carrot, trimmed and peeled
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1 medium yellow onion, halved
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1 medium rib celery
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2 medium cloves of garlic
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2 or 3 sprigs of rosemary, thyme, or sage (or some combination)
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Kosher salt
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter
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½ pound (225 grams) very fine combination of onion, carrot, celery, and radish (from about pound [340 grams] total vegetables)
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Red wine vinegar, to taste
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Chop the parsley leaves, flat leaves and soft stems
Direction
In a large saucepan, combine lentils with carrots, onion, and celery. Tie the garlic cloves and herbs to a cheesecloth and place in the pot. Cover the lentils with at least 2 inches of water, season with salt (the water should be as salty as you like with your dish), and cook over medium heat.
Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium and cook over medium heat until the lentils are just soft enough that you can smack the roof of your mouth with your tongue for about 25 minutes. (Start checking for about 15 minutes, then keep checking until the lentils are fully cooked.)
Add some ice cubes or a generous amount of cold water to the lentil pot to lower the temperature of the water and pause cooking. Lentils can be refrigerated in their cooking liquid at this point for up to two days before continuing with the recipe. Discard the package of carrots, onions, celery, and herbs.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until foamy. Add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes, until almost tender. Add the drained lentils along with enough cooking water (about ¼ cup) to slightly moisten. Bring to a simmer, then cook until the lentils are heated through and enough liquid has evaporated that the lentils are coated with a creamy glaze.
Add vinegar 1 teaspoon at a time until the lentils have a pleasantly bright flavor. (It will taste like a mildly contrasting tang but not strongly tart.)
Season with salt and pepper. Saute parsley and serve hot.
