Co-Conspirators, All

GUEST WORDS--On the second day of Trump's impeachment trial Wednesday, a parade of eloquent, impassioned Democrats showed chilling video, told harrowing stories, cited ever-damning tweets, and offered "definitive proof that what broke into the Capitol last month was a hunting party.

They came to kill people." As a result of that stark fact, a dutiful FBI has to date arrested and charged over 200 perpetrators amidst rumors of "a tsunami" of indictments coming.

Many of those tracked down have been easy to find thanks to their oblivious selfies and social media posts; helping bring them to justice has also been an army of amateur online sleuths like Sedition Track, which keeps a database of suspects by date, name, state and status of those suspected of "incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority."

Despite the multiple arrests and implacable timelines and videos of lawmakers scrambling to safety just steps from rabid crowds yelling "Hang Mike Pence!" and creepy-sing-songy-chanting "Nannnn-cy??" - despite what Charles Pierce calls that "burial job," that "feast of shame" - or at least it would be if Republicans had any - the GOP has, astonishingly, still responded with see-and-hear-no evil denial.

Thus, GOP Senators' dripping contempt for Wednesday's proceedings, even unto the thunderclaps. Rand Paul, who "wrote a Fox op-ed calling the trial "of dubious merit," doodled on a pad. Chuck Grassley read on a hidden iPad, though he reportedly glanced up when the mob shrieked "Hang Mike Pence!" Rick Scott, who has called the trial "a waste of time," studied papers in his lap; Tom Cotton and Marco Rubio likewise found Very Important Things to read.

The seditious Josh Hawley lied the trial is unconstitutional, Ted Cruz told Hannity it's because "they hate Donald Trump" and every January "we're going to be doing another impeachment," Kevin Cramer sneered, “Welcome to the stupidest week in the Senate.”

Their silence, of course, is the sound of their complicity: They want to ignore the horrors of the Capitol riot because most of them are guilty of inciting it. Hillary Clinton: "If Senate Republicans fail to convict Donald Trump, it won't be because the facts were with him or his lawyers mounted a competent defense.

It will be because the jury includes his co-conspirators." For all the cogent professionalism of Jamie Raskin and other Democrats, some observers have longed for brutal truth-telling: WTF is wrong with you bootlickers and why are you protecting this scumbag?

Rep. Joaquin Castro came closest. "Senators, you have seen all the evidence," he said. "On Jan. 6, President Trump left everyone at this Capitol for dead."

(CityWatch guest columnist Abby Zimet writes for CommonDreams.org … where this piece was first posted.)

-cw