In wake of Bannon indictment, Republicans warn of payback

[spanone]

GOP lawmakers say Democrats, by pursuing contempt charges against a Trump ally, are paving the way for them to go after Biden aides if they retake the House in 2022

Republicans are rallying around former White House adviser Stephen K. Bannon after his indictment on charges of contempt of Congress on Friday, warning that Democrats’ efforts to force Bannon to comply with what they say is an unfair subpoena paves the way for them to do the same if they take back the House in 2022.

Bannon, like former president Donald Trump, has refused to comply with an order from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection to turn over records and testify about his actions leading up to the attack, when a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol trying to stop the certification of President Biden’s electoral college win.

Bannon is expected to turn himself in to law enforcement Monday ahead of a court appearance that afternoon. Democrats and a handful of anti-Trump Republicans argue that the indictment was necessary to enforce subpoenas issued by the Jan. 6 committee to Trump associates who are resisting cooperation and to witnesses summoned by other congressional panels.

Many GOP leaders, however, are seizing on Bannon’s indictment to contend that Democrats are “weaponizing” the Justice Department, warning Democrats that they will go after Biden’s aides for unspecified reasons if they take back the House majority in next year’s midterm elections, as most political analysts expect.

**PayWall**https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/11/14/bannon-indictment-republicans-payback/

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Republicans have been threatening "payback"

since Nixon.

[spanone]

5. 'Payback' for a slimy pos like Bannon. Wow.

[PufPuf23]

31. The problem is that Republicans who misbehaved since Nixon have

not been called to task since Nixon.

Think Nixon and Watergate.

Think Reagan / GHWB and Iran-Contra and BCCI Bank.

Think GWB and his cabal of war criminals.

Now Trump.

I find recent moves on 1/6, the arrest of Bannon today, and some of the other information now coming out encouraging.

[intrepidity]

2. Huh, which Dems plotted to overthrow the govt?

Good luck with that "payback."

See, thing is, Dems have nowhere near as much to hide.

[NullTuples]

41. That won't stop Republicans; they'll just make something up, or

go after Dems for things Republicans themselves have done. Consistency is not a virtue in their world, nor are things like honestly or honor.

[KS Toronado]

3. I'd like to know when trumpers

are gonna start attacking anti-Trump Republicans, you'd think they hate them also.

[thucythucy]

4. Yeah, Ken Starr handled "Whitewater" with kid gloves

and the whole orgy of Benghazi "investigations" were the epitome of non-partisan decorum.

Also--I don't recall a single member of the Obama/Biden administration, either while in office or after leaving, downright refusing to appear to testify in response to a Congressional summons. I don't expect this to change under Biden/Harris.

What are they going to do: charge people with actually showing up and telling the truth?

[Bettie]

6. Right?

So, they are going to investigate, everything that has ever happened and subpoena everyone...and what? Make up stuff that never happened?

[thucythucy]

7. That seems to be their go-to in any case.

To try to gain their favor by going soft on actual demonstrable law-breaking would seem to be a losing proposition.

[nuxvomica]

8. David Simas refused in 2014

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/16/us/politics/obama-official-wont-testify-to-congress.html

The White House said Tuesday night that it would refuse to allow its director of political strategy to testify Wednesday before a Republican-led House committee investigating whether the administration had illegally conducted political activity in the West Wing.

In a letter to Representative Darrell Issa, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the president’s top lawyer said that as a member of the executive branch the political director, David Simas, had immunity from being compelled to testify before Congress

.

But he was a member of the Executive Branch at the time. Bannon can't claim that. And generally speaking, the Obama administration was much accommodating to congressional requests for testimony, including Secretary Clinton's marathon testimony at the Benghazi hearings.

[gab13by13]

10. Eric Holder voluntarily testified 9 times,

on Fast and Furious which was basically a political stunt on GOP's part.

[HariSeldon]

13. Holder refused

In June of 2012, Eric Holder -- then Attorney General of the United States -- was held in contempt of Congress by the Republican-led House of Representatives. Holder had refused to produce certain documents related to Operation Fast and Furious.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

32. That was long after the testimony and the charade had long played out...into nothing.

[jimfields33]

20. Eric holder told Repugs to go pound sand.

That was perfect because Repugs just stomped their feet and turned red. Lol.

[gab13by13]

9. I say, so what?

[ProfessorGAC]

12. Ditto!

They've subpoenaed people in the past.
Nothing is different.
As you said, so what. Let them threaten.

[DFW]

11. With Hillary, the Republicans have already paid it forward

After what they did to her, just what drastic moves do they think they have up their sleeves, anyway? Dragging former staffers in for endless testimony? Well, if they have the majority, and it ties them up from doing even worse things, I suppose they should go right ahead and be as useless as we have always said they are.

[2naSalit]

17. +1

[GoCubsGo]

21. Yeah, and not just Benghazi, either.

The whole Whitewater witch-hunt, alone, paid it forward by multiple centuries. Ditto for their McCarthy "commie" witch hunts.

[tavernier]

14. Screw them.

Yes, screw. I’m reserving the f word for more important people.

[70sEraVet]

15. Are they nervous about Bannon testifying?

I know that the general consensus on DU is that Bannon would relish spending a year or two in jail, and that he is eager to attain his martyrdom for The Grand Orange Wizard.
Maybe the Republican leadership isn't so sure.

[machoneman]

29. He would likely brag about all of his involvement and dare a prosecution by a grand jury.

[A HERETIC I AM]

16. If they would do away with the filibuster....

And pass the voter rights bills, including making gerrymandering illegal, we wouldn’t have to worry about that bullshit.

But I agree with the sentiment above;

So what?

[randr]

18. Thanks but no thanks, we are already very good at expelling our criminals

[JHB]

19. So what? If they're in a position to do so, they'll do it no matter what.

They'd just call it "playing hardball" instead of payback.

This is just "No fair hitting back!" whining.

[GoCubsGo]

24. Actually, this is straight out of the Mafia's playbook.

It's the kind of threats mobsters and thugs make. And, that is basically what this party is: a bunch of thuggish criminals.

[malaise]

22. ReTHUGs believe they are above the law

Fuck them!

[spanone]

23. Agreed. Fuck them ALL.

[GoCubsGo]

25. Yup. Emphasis on "THUGS."

[malaise]

26. And they are THUGs

[The Wizard]

27. I guess Repubics are not

the law enforcement party. An attempted coup d'etat is a serious and possibly capital offense. Maybe if Bannon had a stained blue dress and a mouthful of DNA evidence they'd want him jailed for contempt.

[themaguffin]

28. All they do when they have the House is go after Democrats. JFC, Benghazi...

[Mr. Ected]

30. Fear of payback is what let us get to this point in the first place

Anyone willing to commit to office as a Democrat these days will need to be a profile in courage. The fascists have already distorted our justice system; if we don't move forward now and with conviction, this democratic experiment will have failed and we'll all be fighting for the crumbs.

[bluestarone]

33. When the Democrats SUCCEED in their Jan. 6 investigation

Lot of these SAME RETHUGS should be in jail!

[Alien Life Form]

34. I read this this morning and I really think they hate America and

have decided that if they cannot rule they will ruin and if they do rule..they will still ruin..I never saw such a crazy bunch and I don't think there has been such a blatant attack on the democratic experiment since the Civil War. I just cant believe the hate that is running rampant in the GOP

[CousinIT]

35. 2 things:

1. CONS weaponized the DoJ THEMSELVES under Trump and will again - no matter what happens with Bannon.
2. CONS ALWAYS project, accusing Democrats of that which THEY THEMSELVES are guilty.

[bluecollar2]

36. Which republicans?

As usual, another bullshit story/fluff piece example of crappy American journalism.

Four paragraphs of generalizations about a topic we already expect to take place.

After Cronkite passed the spiral began.

[Crunchy Frog]

37. As if they were'nt going to do it anyway. nt

[Sugarcoated]

38. Yawn

[Johonny]

39. The problem is. . . Dems show up when called

[lagomorph777]

40. They're the ones who should be afraid of payback.

We're just getting started!

[Hugin]

42. Funny how what they call "Bipartisan" when Republicans are involved is...

"Democrats and a handful of anti-Trump Republicans" when the shoe is on the other foot.