@cc21 Correct. Her testimony was that the incident was relayed to her by the head of TFG security detail.
On Twitter, someone mentioned that “the beast” had cameras inside it. No idea if that is true, but if it is, that is one quick way to corroborate that testimony.
Immediately after the hearing TFG said “I hardly know her”. Which is an obvious tell of his. But several outlets reported in mid January 2021, that she was one of the aides that were selected to help setup TFG post presidential office at Mar-a-lago.
Carol Leonnig of the Washington Post stated that the Cadillac limo (i.e. the Beast) was not the vehicle used on January 6th when the 45th wanted to go to the Capitol. it was actually the Suburban, which the 45th used for his joy ride around Walter Reed when he was hospitalized with Covid. She raised this point to emphasize that it would have been nearly impossible to grab the wheel in the Beast, but could be done in the Suburban.
Leonnig also stated that Engel and Ornato, the two Secret Service agents in the Suburban with the 45th on January 6th, were accused at times as being enablers and ‘yes men’ of the president—particularly Ornato. She said that was frustrating to agents who were more focused on security, being independent, and good planning. She feels they both lose some credibility because of how closely they have been seen as aligned with the 45th.
Leonnig said there was a very large contingent of the 45th's detail who were personally cheering for Biden to fail. She said some of them even took to their personal media accounts to cheer on the insurrection and the individuals riding up to the Capitol as patriots.
"I’m not saying that Tony Ornato or Bobby Engel did that,” Leonnig noted, “but they are viewed as being aligned with [the 45th], which cuts against them."
Here is Rachel Maddow's interview with Leonnig:
https://twitter.com/rgoodlaw/status/1541972469837430784
@deetoo Thank you. I like Carol Leonnig and her article helps to clarify the situation. Something smells off with the contradiction from the anonymous source about what happened in the Trump vehicle. Jamie Raskin made the comment that they have interviewed the two men under oath and there was nothing they said that contradicted Hutchinson’s testimony.
I think Ornato and Engel may have said one thing in their depositions to the J6 Committee attorneys and are saying an entirely different thing in the press, in order to preserve future job and $$$ opportunities in Trump World, knowing that they have absolutely no intention of testifying under oath in front of Liz Cheney on national television.
I feel that we are going through the birth canal right now into a new world, and it is painful and momentous and the outcome has not yet been achieved.
To use another metaphor, many, many people who were asleep before–who gave their power away or didn't realize they could exercise it, who thought they didn't really need to play a role, or that things would go along just fine on auto-pilot–are being asked to wake up and think about what they want the future to really be like.
The early adopters are already fully committed to the change–the equivalent of people who vote in every election, no matter how local. The change now is happening to those who might only vote every 4 years for president or never vote at all. The energy is massive and broadly spread and palpable.
The assaults from the SC seem to just keep coming at us, don't they? I was prepared for a sprint but this is a marathon. I'm grateful for this space of encouragement and would like to offer my own. I participated in a visionary breathwork ceremony in my local community last night and was gifted to feel the power of the Divine Mother flowing through me and all around me. It was very similar to what I experienced during a near-death experience decades ago. I share this with all of you because if we can tap into that power, however you do that, I know for sure we can create the future we long for. It's tempting to give into rage and despair. I've definitely had my moments. We have to feel it all, but we cannot give up hope. There is a power available to us, inside every one of us, that is unlike anything we've yet known collectively. What if that is the gift of this moment? Let's not lose sight of the future we want to create, if we do that we are truly lost. It's going to take all of us.
I had a vision many years ago that seems to have been about what's happening now with the Jan.6 hearings etc.
This was back in 2018, and I didn't get a timeframe, but I saw how the opportunists of the wourld would feel emboldenes by not seeing any real consequenses of their actions and stage a "coup". I write it in quotations because I sensed that there would be a lot of controversy around what to call it. Because of bad organizing some would be tempted to brush it off and ignore it. Then the opportunists would attempt to ignore it and go on with business as usual, but the evidence of their crimes would pile up until even the most intense deniers would be forced to admit that this didn't look good. I guess this is about as far as reality has caught up with that vision.
If the rest of my vision is right, we'll see the opportunist bunch back down, deny that they were part of it or shared any of the belifes of the people on trial. They'll backpaddle a bit, tone down their message and think that they'll just try again when the waters calm down a bit.
I saw a very unexpected turn of events that would surprise the world. I can't quite explain it though. Something like creating a place for all the opportunists to be as opportunistic and exploitative as they please, but only if they are completely open about their motives. I saw them gleefully jump back on board, more hateful and opportunistic than ever. Shamelessly admitting that they believe there should be one set of rules for them and other rules for others, that the poor should be exploited and some people are just worth less than them and so on.
What happens next I can't either really explain, but they seemed to be really happy to be on board their ship of hate and egoism, but slowly realizing the ship they were on was just a rusty old wreck and they were not able to get back on shore.
I have no idea what to expect, but judging from the timeline so far I would guess between a few months to half a year?
I read about the suggestion of Texas leaving the union and could help but wonder if that could have something to do with my vision. Seems far fetched at the moment though.
That's true: Cassidy was not in the car to witness events so her accounting was hearsay in nature. However, the Chief of Security and another Security guy who was there recounted the story to her. No facts were disputed at that time in front of each other and in front of her which leads me to believe it is, in fact, the true account of what happened.
I wouldn't be surprised if the actual witnesses (in the car) have already been intimidated in a dire way by Rumps enablers into either not testifying or lying under oath that nothing happened ...b/c if they verified he was out of control and trying to join his armed supporters in revolt, those would almost certainly lead to criminal charges and treason...the game would be over at that point.
@unk
Anyone read or see "A Hand Maid's Tale" yet (by Margaret Atwood)? REALLY important and relevant dystopian book and film to see, especially right now. Clarence Thomas would fit right in as one of their fixated "Commanders" using religion & piety as a pretext/diversion for the masses but all it ever really was about was maintaining male power & dominance.
Btw: Am I missing something about CT's obsession with ending abortion & birth control? What about Separation of Church & State? We are a secular country, not a Theocracy! Plus, if he is so hellbent on turning the clock back, how about him bringing back the ugly ban outlawing black & white marriages?
@isabelle yes, i read The Handmaid's Tale as soon as my library got a copy in the mid- or late 80s. I never forgot it, it is one of those books that just stays with you. This was during the reagan years, and even then, it felt like a warning of what the USA was becoming. I haven't seen any of the films yet, not sure if i could stomach it.
I also noticed how "Uncle Thomas" conveniently skipped over the Loving ruling when he listed all of the other ones he wanted to overturn. Guess he didn't want to piss off Ginni- bc that chick is crazy. Oh, and what about that old thing about Black folks being 3/5ths of a person?
"...in a ruling of 5 and 3/5ths to 3, the Supreme Court has decided..."
Something tells me Earl Warren would have a few choice words for Clarence, whose top priority all these years has been to "make liberals miserable" and apparently, establish a defacto theocracy through the court.
Ginny won't have to use hidden butter for lotion.
Agreed! Plus, Ginnie had been actively involved with John Eastman for a very long time and appeared at the Insurrection rally briefly too. It can be surmised she is and has always been in sympathy with the revolt/coup and constitutes a "domestic terrorist". She originally "was eager to testify at the Hearings"(her own words) then her lawyer gagged her probably realizing she'd put herself in legal jeopardy. The fact that we have a Supreme Court Judge married to (and "best friends with" per his own words) a "domestic terrorist" means that we have effectively corrupted the judicial bench. He should be impeached immediately and Ginnie's role should be actively investigated by the DOJ. Yes, he did conveniently skip over the "Loving" case...but would we have expected anything different from this type of self-serving hypocrite?
I read Handmaid's Tale back in 1985 when it was published, shuddering all the way through it. I can not watch the current --whatever it is, TV series or movie.
For a number of years now I have been known to scream at the TV/phone/newspaper "WE ARE NOT A THEOCRACY!!!!" infuriated with, well, all of the attempts to make Christianity into something ugly instead of the Loving Light it and many other organized religions are. All are One, is the concept so many humans have trouble comprehending.
The repugs "christianity" is human-inspired not the Divine Vibration of the Creator. The repugs are infiltrated by what I think of as evil, sneakily, venomously, slyly attempting to re-write the Christian understanding as "THE ONLY" religion that counts, not to mention being a favored factor of the American government.
I had "separation of church and state" drummed into me as a youngster, even with very devout Presbyterian parents. Bobert or Bobblehead as one of the late night guys calls her, literally just gave a speech saying the Founders intended Christianity to run the United States Government.
https://www.denverpost.com/2022/06/27/lauren-boebert-church-state-colorado/
I have to fight despair every day, not only about the overturning of Roe and the thoughts of women being imprisoned and dying because of miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies, but also that the phrase "freedom of religion" is fast becoming to mean "freedom to be right-wing christian and to take that freedom away from anyone else."
We are, of course, NOT NOT NOT a theocracy, but that is indeed what they want.
I keep remembering something my first Spirit Teacher told me, decades ago: If you fear it; it is yours.
To get past fear, anger, hate, frustration, screaming at the screens....we have to acknowledge that we do indeed feel these things, but these things DO NOT CONTROL US. If you fear it. It is yours. There are only two emotions on this earth plane: Love and Fear. All the negatives are variations of fear (hate, anger, bitterness, sorrow, etc) To release fear it is vital to face and then let go. I give myself ten minutes to scream, if necessary, then I meditate. I scream at God a lot because God, the Creator can handle my screaming and still love me. So scream. And then let go. Then DO whatever works for you to make changes in our literal world / donate time $ Energy. Write, speak, teach. Whatever works for you.
We all have to continue to work at dissolving fear and replacing it with knowledge, action, and trust in Spirit's words that all will, ultimately, come together for Good. This community is a safe place, a marvelous place to vent...and let go. It is sometimes unbearably difficult to face fear. I try to not "feed" the dark/evil/whatever word you want underbelly/sniveling nastiness/ takeover power-mongers with my own fear and anger. I often fail, but then I just keep saying over and over again what I was told: If you fear it. It is yours. The energy of anger can actually be transmuted and used in a good way...but FEAR, that we need to face and dissolve --- over and over and over again.
We do have negative thoughts. We do have to acknowledge and face the ugliness both outside and within us before we can release, so as long as we acknowledge the uglies, the negatives, the fears, we can let them go, into healing. Life is dynamic not static, so facing negatives be they things, people, emotions, ...whatever...they will happen. We WILL feel them. That is why we are here, to learn, to grow, to understand how to deal with all that being human means.
Here is a directed meditation I wrote and led in classes over the years. Right now I use it daily. Take the essence of the words and create your own healing meditation.
Sit quietly, comfortably. Feel the Sphere of White Light/Love/Joy/Protection in of around and through you, and all in the room. Safe, Loved, Whole, allow yourself to feel immersed in that Light of protection and wisdom. You are Loved. You are Whole. You are One with the Creator.
As you go deeper and deeper into the Greater Self, knowing you are completely safe, with your inner eyes see that you are standing in what seems to be a thick fog, so thick that even as your fingers touch your nose, your eyes cannot see them, the fog is that thick and black and heavy. Feel your way down past your face to your heart. Place your hand on your heart. As you do so, you see a Light pouring out of your heart, slowly but surely dispersing the fog. This is your Heartlight, the Source within, always there for in of and through you.
The fog may seem to cling to you, it may hang near you, but slowly, surely the Heartlignt is dissolving it. As the fog clears away you see that you are somewhere special that you love, a beach, a meadow, a park. You are outside, immersed in both the Light from your heart and the heat from the Sun. You look down at the ground around you and are instantly drawn to a big ugly rock. It has your name on it. You really don't want to go anywhere near it, but it draws you. Slowly you walk to it. Even slower, but knowing you must, you pick it up, because it is, after all, yours.
This is your fear, your anger, your pain. Pick the rock up. It is heavy and at first it is difficult to even lift it an inch off the ground. But you lift it. The second time it is slightly less heavy and you are able to pull it further from the ground. Keep picking it up, even when it falls back to the ground, even though it is still heavy. Even though it seems to take forever. (There is silence here for a few moments)
As you pick it up one more time you find you are able to lift it all the way up and you throw it up into the air, away from you. At the peak of the throw, when the rock is at the height of it's flight, instead of dropping to the ground, it transmutes into a dove (or bird of your choice) and flies away.
YOU have control of your fear. YOU have control of your anger. YOU have control of all that you choose to release and free, toss it away from you, watch it fly up, no longer dark, transmuted by Love and forgiveness, brilliant in the Light that is the Creator's Joy.
Know that you can come back to this special place at anytime, face and acknowledge your own fears and negatives, and every time, you will be able to throw the dark away, toss the heavy rock of your pain into the air and see it transform into the release from all that no longer serves you.
Slowly now, return to your physical self, knowing you are loved, you are One with the Creator, and you are one of the many Wholenesses that comprise the Greater Whole of All.
Namaste.
I would be willing to record this (or whatever comes through, it is slightly different each time) if anyone is interested in it. The community has done so much for me, just simply by BEING HERE, and I would be glad to give back if it is OK with @jeanne-mayell to post a recorded meditation. I know she has her beautiful ones! If it is approved I would need help in how to post it here. I have the recording equipment to make an mp3, or other formats for that matter, (we had a recording studio for years) but I would need to know if that can be posted here in the forum for anyone to download.
This is probably not the best place for the meditation, but I write as it comes to me. Please move the written meditation wherever it needs to go and let me know where to post a recording if it is approved and wanted.
Blessings,
Karrie
Just in case you are wondering how the Native American population is feeling right now, this tweet might give you an example. Though I am sure it does not represent all views, it certainly represents many. And rightly so.
The United States of America, with the help of its Supreme Court, has broken every single treaty it signed with my tribe — EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
Texas can't leave, it's against the law and would trigger a civil war. They can only leave if a Constitutional Congress is called into session and 2/3 of the other states vote to let them go. Will never happen.
The US will be more and more divided, more patchwork than ever, but will not dissolve in the near future.
Read it when it came out. The film sucks BUT the show on Hulu rocks.
"It was meant to be a cautionary tale, not a how-to." -- M. Atwood
Highly recommend her follow-up that came out in 2019(?) - The Testaments - all about how Gilead falls. Great read.
I agree: I loved the book when it first came out (1986?) and the current Hulu version with Elizabeth Moss is captivating!! "The Hand Maid's Tale" is being cited increasingly in news articles these days b/c of its spot on relevance as to what we are facing today. Definitely should be on all college curricula if it isn't already...
@isabelle It's popular in high schools. Some want to ban it, but young women and men go out and buy copies and hold their own group studies of banned books. I'm thrilled to hear of my younger cousins doing this. It makes me feel very hopeful for the future.