Dominating the news cycle this Tuesday morning by a way-long shot is the opening session of the House Select Committee on the Jan.6 attack on the US Capitol, and began at the most-correct point — testimony from four police officers who defended the building that day.

And the all-around best response to the hearing, which just concluded:

The Jan. 6 videos and testimonies don't get any easier to watch even half a year later. Neither do the disinfo campaigns working to diffuse the damage from the insurrection and rally supporters. All of it is surreal. #January6thSelectCommittee

— Jane Lytvynenko (@JaneLytv) July 27, 2021

Ludicrous how ‘surreal‘ the entire episode. In American history, we as a nation have gone through all kinds of shit, a civil war, a couple of world wars, the Great Depression/Recession, mass shootings, a pandemic, but shit, never would we have figured we’d get to witness an insurrection prompted by a sitting president.
And maybe even worse, have one of the only two major parties in America attempt to downplay/lie about/ignore the entire matter, as if the incident didn’t exist as happened — the ‘surreal’ of a surreal.
One doesn’t have to see the video clips over and over to understand the deep-embedded horror of that day. We all witnessed on live TV an attempt to violently overturn a democratically-held (and way-mostly fraud-free) presidential election.
Remember, Republicans are only concerned with the T-Rump’s position, not with candidates down-ballot state-to-state, which have been left alone by right-wing assholes. Major bullshit is the Big Lie — the election was stolen from the T-Rump.
Obvious lies in the face of reality.
In lies the rub. And the ugly rub on Republicans is a public hearing on the insurrection/riot.

I don’t have full access to cable TV right now so I watch off my laptop/iPad and enough is enough. However, I was glued to the TV that fatal day back in January and witnessed live the insurrection drama playing out, not really comprehending the actual reality of what my eyes/ears were viewing.
During the melee, my youngest daughter called from Minnesota: “Do you see what’s happening,” she asked in an excited voice.
My initial reply: “Duh.”

Although supposedly not technically a ‘coup,’ but as close to one as possible — an insurrection for sure. And in the histrionics, a riot, too.

In that reality, good service to the overall task of the committee:

"If a hitman is hired and he kills somebody, the hitman goes to jail. But not only does the hitman go to jail, but the person who hired them does. There was an attack carried out on January 6, and a hitman sent them. I want you to get to the bottom of that." https://t.co/c9OTRixaGP

— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) July 27, 2021

Just after the hearing — via the Guardian‘s live blog:

Chairman Thompson is speaking to reporters. He says the committee’s work is necessary, thanking its members as they stand with him.
Liz Cheney speaks.
“This was an important opportunity to get some facts on the table and to hear from heroes who defended us on the day,” she said, commending the non-partisan nature of the committee.

Questions.

Cheney is asked about her demand to know about White House events on 6 January. Why is that important?
Because the investigation will get to the bottom of everything that went on, she said.
Thompson says, “We will follow the facts. As I look at the committee I don’t see any shrinking violets. I see one member who has a daughter named Violet but that’s about it.”

Some members, he says, will not enjoy the entire August recess — conceivably the committee could be back during that summer congressional break.
Kinzinger is asked if he fears losing committee assignments for participating in this investigation as a Republican, like Cheney.
“If people want to get petty, that’s fine,” he says.
This is about defending democracy, not about his committee assignments.

Cheney is asked about how Republicans have protested the committee hearing today, including four protesting about the treatment of those arrested over 6 January.
Cheney says she can’t explain her party’s defence of the rioters, which she calls a disgrace, and again commends the committee for its non-partisan work.

Members of the committee start to peel off as Thompson answers one more question about the recess, which is that the timetable for the committee isn’t yet decided.
As he walks away too, a reporter asks about the prospects of former Trump officials being sent subpoenas by the committee.
Answer comes there none.

A bit of testimony from DC Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who has been outspoken about the insurrection/riot the past six months:

Last month, Fanone met with Kevin McCarthy and the result was par-for-the-course — via Daily Kos in late June:

On Friday, Officer Fanone met with McCarthy behind closed doors. Fanone’s first words to reporters after leaving McCarthy’s office were, “I need a drink.”

Fanone gave more specifics of his interaction with McCarthy, saying that he had “specific requests” of the House’s top Republican.
“To denounce the 21 Republicans who voted against the Gold Medal bill, which would recognize my coworkers and colleagues that fought to secure the Capitol on Jan. 6. I also asked him to denounce Andrew Clyde’s statements regarding Jan. 6, specifically that it was something of a ‘normal tour day’ here at the Capitol. I found those remarks to be disgusting. I also asked him to publicly denounce the baseless theory that the FBI was behind the Jan. 6 insurrection. I had the privilege and honor this week of meeting with quite a few FBI agents, as well as other members of law enforcement, who’ve worked tirelessly in investigating both the assaults on me, and many of my coworkers.”
…
Officer Fanone has made it his mission to get officials like McCarthy to have the basic decency to meet him face to face and explain their indefensible positions on the Jan. 6 coup d’etat attempt.
When Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde described the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection as a “tourist visit,” Fanone approached him. “I extended my hand to shake his hand. He just stared at me. I asked if he was going to shake my hand, and he told me that he didn’t who know I was. So I introduced myself. I said that I was Officer Michael Fanone. That I was a D.C. Metropolitan Police officer who fought on Jan. 6 to defend the Capitol and, as a result, I suffered a traumatic brain injury as well as a heart attack after having been tased numerous times at the base of my skull, as well as being severely beaten. At that point, the congressman turned away from me.”
According to Fanone, Clyde then looked at his phone and when an elevator door opened, he “ran as quickly as he could, like a coward.”

Apparently, the fall-back position of Republicans, from the highest Congressional levels to the assholes on local city councils/school boards is a candy-ass, fraidy-cat flight from truth.
Maybe, hopefully, this could be the future of such shit:

We weren't gonna cover the bullshit brigade here, but it turns out they didn't stay very long. https://t.co/OILk5sNIsh

— The Recount (@therecount) July 27, 2021

Another day in the life…

(Illustration out front: Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Old Man in Sorrow (On the Threshold of Eternity)‘ found here)