Nancy Pelosi Forming Bipartisan Committee To Investigate Capitol Attack, How Partisan Of Her!

This is very unfair to the Republicans who voted against an independent commission.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday introduced legislation to create a House select committee on the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. It's expected to get a vote tomorrow, and to be passed almost entirely with Democratic votes, since the other party in our republic is all in not only on the Big Lie that Donald Trump won the 2020 election, but also the Almost As Big Lie that the January 6 insurrection was just a nice stroll through the building by tourists. Besides, don't we already know all we need to about the event? It was such a very long time ago, especially if you are a Republican who'd prefer nobody talk about it between now and any elections in the future forever.

In a statement, Pelosi said she was going with a select committee reluctantly, and only because it's clear there's no chance Senate Republicans might change their minds and authorize an independent commission. Even fewer Republicans in the House are expected to vote for creation of the select committee than the 35 who voted for the independent commission, because look how partisan Pelosi is, darn her, reusing to do an independent commission like that.

The committee will be have 13 members, with eight chosen by Pelosi and five to be named "in consultation with" Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. As one more sign that this is just going to be an entirely partisan exercise, an aide to Pelosi says the speaker is considering naming a Republican to the committee herself -- as in one of her eight picks. Of course it'll probably one who didn't vote to overturn the election, that's how biased she is.

Some House Dems told Politico that Pelosi is likely to pick a Republican who has "already pushed vocally for a meaningful investigation" of the Capitol attack, and possibly one who has openly condemned Donald Trump for inciting the attack. As in, a Republican like Liz Cheney (Wyoming) or Adam Kinzinger (Illinois), who continued to condemn Trump's role even after their fight-or-flight reflex had subsided and they realized the party faithful just LOVES a good overthrow of democracy.

Neither Cheney nor Kinzinger would be caught dead expressing any enthusiasm for the prospect of being named to the committee by Pelosi, however. Cheney said no more than "It's up to the speaker." A spokesperson for Kinzinger said the same, and that

he wanted a bipartisan approach to investigating the insurrection and did not want the investigation to "turn political," but given the GOP filibuster of the commission bill, "we need answers."

But the bullshit is strong with the Republicans, as illustrated by the comments of Rep. John Katko (R-New York), who co-authored the bill authorizing the independent commission, and argued for it in the House before it passed. This time around, Katko said he would vote against the select committee, and would likely refuse to be on it if anyone asked. 

"It would be a turbocharged partisan exercise, not an honest fact-finding body that the American people and Capitol Police deserve," Mr. Katko said in a statement.

It's almost as if Katko's still smarting from being betrayed by McCarthy, who sent Katko to negotiate with Homeland Security Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi) on the independent commission bill. Even though that bill incorporated most Republican demands, McCarthy then turned around and claimed it would be a horrible evil partisan exercise in partisanship. Katko learned his lesson, all right.

Pelosi will name the select committee's chair. Politico reports that Thompson's name has been floated as a likely choice, and that he's "signaled he wants the position." He'd do great, although some Rs might object he's biased by having worked with Katko on the bipartisan agreement Republicans already rejected.

As to who the Republicans might put on the select committee, some in the Party of Trolls think it should be conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-QAnon), because that's what passes for serious thinking in the GOP now:

"If you're going to do it, I can't think of anybody better than somebody like a Marjorie Taylor Greene," said Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, who made it clear he opposes the committee and would not participate himself. "She doesn't have a committee; she could put a lot of time and effort into it."

We suppose Biggs then high-fived himself and made finger guns because look how he owned the libs.

In conclusion, the select committee is likely to do a serious, thorough job of investigating January 6, at least between bouts of tears from McCarthy, who'll complain it's just a big partisan hit job. If only it could be as rigorous and proper as the Benghazi committee that altogether sidelined Democrats, and which McCarthy bragged did such a great job of hurting Hilary Clinton's polling.

[ NYT / Politico / House resolution for select committee ]

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