Right here we go once more with extra Omission Journalism.
Because the impeachment week unfolded, Maryland Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin, the impeachment supervisor, has made a degree of exhibiting movies illustrating in graphic element the assault on the Capitol.
And nobody has been extra emphatic in help of Trump’s impeachment for the occasions of January sixth than Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer of New York. Schumer, after all, sat entrance and middle within the Senate chamber and watched the video clips Raskin showcased.
However there’s one thing curious happening with the media protection of Raskin and Schumer. Let’s dip into just a few latest headlines.
Right here is that this from NBC: “FBI, NYPD instructed Capitol Police about chance of violence earlier than riot, senior officers say.”
The essence is captured within the very first sentence.
“WASHINGTON — The FBI and the New York Metropolis Police Division handed data to U.S. Capitol Police about the opportunity of violence through the protests Wednesday towards the counting of the Electoral School vote…..
The Washington Post headlined: “Capitol Police intelligence report warned three days earlier than assault that ‘Congress itself’ might be focused.”
It started:
“Three days earlier than hundreds of rioters converged on the U.S. Capitol, an inner Capitol Police intelligence report warned of a violent situation wherein ‘Congress itself’ might be the goal of indignant supporters of President Trump on Jan. 6, laying out a stark alert that deepens questions concerning the safety failures that day.”
Then there was this from The Hill: “Outgoing Capitol Police chief accuses Home, Senate safety officers of hindering efforts to name in Nationwide Guard.”
Now. What are we not seeing within the media? Let’s begin with what we all know.
Who runs the Capitol Police? That might be the Architect of the Capitol, the Home and Senate sergeants at arms, in addition to 4 committees, two every from each Homes of Congress. The Capitol Police web site identifies those four as one oversight committee from every physique, plus, as all the time with Congress, the appropriating committees from the Home and Senate.
In observe, this implies the Home Administration Committee and the Senate Guidelines and Administration Committee are the congressional committees answerable for the Capitol Police.
Within the aftermath of the assault on the Capitol, the Home sergeant at arms, Paul Irving, resigned – and this was introduced by Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Shortly afterward, Michael C. Stenger, the senate sergeant at arms, resigned. Incoming Senate Majority Chief Schumer had made it clear that upon taking workplace he meant to fireside Stenger.
Hmmm. What’s the media not saying?
The quantity two Democrat on the Home Administration Committee is…Congressman Jamie Raskin. And who sits on the Senate Guidelines and Administration Committee? That might be Senator Chuck Schumer.
To return in time a second to the Watergate impeachment investigation into President Richard Nixon — which was short-circuited by Nixon’s resignation — there was one factor Democrats repeatedly insisted on.
Both, they mentioned, Nixon knew about Watergate, wherein case he needs to be impeached for his involvement. Or if, as Nixon claimed for some time, that he didn’t know — then he needs to be impeached for incompetence. Both approach, the demand was that Nixon needed to go. And when a secretly recorded “smoking gun” tape was revealed, Nixon went — rapidly.
What does this should do with the media protection — or lack of it — of the Capitol Police as overseen by Raskin and Schumer?
The very fact is that Raskin and Schumer are within the Nixon place. Both — as senior members of the Home and Senate committees that had been answerable for the Capitol Police — they knew forward of time from these cited intelligence reviews to the Capitol Police that the Capitol might be attacked – and so they did nothing to guard the constructing. Or, they didn’t know in any respect, which suggests they had been incompetent.
The place is the protection of that? Reply? Nowhere, after all. Right here, on the contrary, are pattern headlines protecting Raskin.
Baltimore Sun: “‘Dad, I don’t need to come again’: Rep. Jamie Raskin recounts Capitol rebellion throughout first day of Trump’s impeachment trial.”
PBS: “WATCH: Rep. Raskin chokes up speaking about Capitol assault.”
On and on and on go the headlines and tales about Raskin. Not a one which I’ve seen mentions that Raskin himself is on the Home Administration Committee which had a direct supervisory accountability for the Capitol Police.
Ditto the headlines and tales about Schumer. Not a phrase that Schumer himself sits on the Senate Guidelines and Administration Committee that shares management of the Capitol Police with the Home committee.
But the media protection is kind of plain that the Capitol Police, within the phrases of the Washington Submit, had been “warned three days earlier than assault that ‘Congress itself’ might be focused.”
However surprisingly there isn’t any one within the media asking of Raskin and Schumer what was famously requested of Nixon by then-Tennessee Senator Howard Baker of the Senate’s Watergate investigating committee. To wit:
What did Raskin and Schumer know and when did they comprehend it?
And why didn’t they do something to guard the Capitol, their colleagues and workers from what was coming?
However no. In traditional Washington type, the blame is dumped on the 2 sergeants at arms and the chief of the Capitol Police. They did certainly screw up – huge time. However one way or the other their congressional and Senate bosses are untouched. And the media might care much less.
Think about that.
