Sunday Serendipity

The state of the union. (Sorry for the lengthy comment)

Three days after a mob attack on the U.S. Capitol carried out in President Trump’s name, Republican leaders have yet to outline plans to hold anyone accountable or to alter a platform and priorities lashed to the outgoing Republican president.

Trump and some congressional Republicans, meanwhile, stepped up their efforts Saturday to head off Democratic efforts to impeach Trump over what they call his incitement of violence.

Behind closed doors, Trump and his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner have encouraged allies to fight against a potential impeachment by issuing statements on social media or elsewhere that discourage or condemn the move, people familiar with the calls said.
It was not clear whether those efforts were having much success. Republican allies of the president were mainly muted Saturday, as pressure continued to mount among Democrats to try to force Trump from office before his term expires Jan. 20.

 
Meanwhile, a small group of Republicans who had voted to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory released a letter Saturday calling on Biden to try to head off impeachment.

“In the spirit of healing and fidelity to our Constitution, I am asking that @JoeBiden formally request that Speaker Pelosi discontinue her efforts to impeach President Trump a second time,” tweeted Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), sharing a copy of the letter signed by seven lawmakers.
 
A Biden spokesman on Saturday referred to the president-elect’s comments the day before, when he said he would leave impeachment decisions to Congress.
Senate Republicans have not moved to investigate the assault on their workplace, which forced Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to flee with the help of his security team while Vice President Pence was whisked to a secure location.
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Relatively few Republicans have publicly disavowed Trump, who was received enthusiastically during a phone-in appearance at a members-only gathering during the Republican National Committee meeting the morning after the mob attack.

Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, for example, criticized the president’s actions since the election during a speech at the RNC. But she also embraced much of his presidency and praised his work in office, including his record on judicial appointments and the economy.
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She tweeted Saturday that the “shameful display of the riots” was a gift to America’s enemies and should never be allowed to recur, with no mention of the president’s role in inciting the attack. She separately tweeted opposition to the actions of Twitter and other social media companies, who have banned Trump from their platforms for allegedly fomenting the threat of violence.

A seven-point strategy memo from the Republican Study Committee released Friday made no mention of the attack and recommitted to themes Trump has championed, including the investigation of alleged voter fraud….

 
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) remains the lone Senate Republican to call for Trump’s resignation over what she told the Anchorage Daily News on Friday were his failures before and after the Capitol assault. The attack during certification of Biden’s victory left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer.

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) has said he would consider impeachment….
 
So far the response from lawmakers regarding the security implications of Wednesday’s breach has been mostly free of political finger-pointing. But Republicans appear prepared to resist any attempt to expand a congressional probe beyond the scope of a security review and do not favor including the actions of Trump and other leaders who may have had a role in inciting the riot….

 
Trump has not spoken to Pence since before the assault, when he urged Pence to try to block congressional certification of Biden’s victory, according to two people familiar with the relationship, who like others interviewed spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the president’s actions on the record. Trump remains angry at Pence for refusing to do as Trump wished.

Pence plans to attend Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, a person familiar with his plans said Saturday. Trump has said he will not attend, breaking a long-standing tradition….

And Pence and the 25th?  Mum’s the word.