Raskin doubts Republicans’ abilities to pursue charges against Cheney, Hutchinson

In a stunning display of political theater, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the darling of the House Democrats, has thrown a bucket of ice-cold reality onto the fiery ambitions of the GOP. In what can only be described as a plot twist in the ongoing political soap opera, Raskin has scoffed at Republican fantasies of sending January 6 Committee members to the slammer.

Just weeks after President-elect Donald Trump, in what can only be described as a tantrum with a side of conspiracy theory, suggested that the Committee members deserved jail time for allegedly playing hide-and-seek with evidence, Raskin, during an interview on the “Highly Conflicted” podcast (because who doesn’t love a good conflict?), expressed skepticism. He suggested that the GOP might be short on the whole “evidence” thing, which, let’s be honest, is like trying to bake a cake without flour or eggs.

Raskin, now the head honcho of the House Judiciary Committee, vowed to “resist any efforts to politicize the Department of Justice,” which translates to “not letting the DOJ become Trump’s personal vendetta machine.” He pointed out the Speech and Debate Clause like a magician revealing his best trick, offering protection to Liz Cheney, who Republicans claim was playing fast and loose with witnesses.

“Witness tampering and perjury are about lying, not about encouraging the truth,” Raskin quipped, essentially saying that telling the truth is not a crime in America, yet. He also threw shade at the GOP for not debunking a single statement from Cassidy Hutchinson or any other factual tidbits from the January 6 report, which, according to some, has more plot holes than a badly written screenplay.

The GOP’s interim report reads like a detective novel gone wrong, alleging missing digital data, vanished video recordings, and a conspiracy so thick you could cut it with a knife. But Raskin, ever the constitutional scholar, reminded everyone that the Speech and Debate Clause isn’t just for show; it’s there to shield legislators from executive branch bullying.

Meanwhile, the January 6 Committee’s conclusion that Trump was the ringleader of the Capitol chaos has been met with Trump’s retort that he was all about peace and love, asking for thousands of troops (which were apparently denied by Nancy Pelosi, the gatekeeper of Capitol security). Trump, ever the magnanimous leader, says he won’t command his law enforcement to enact his personal justice, leaving that delightful task to others.

In summary, in this latest episode of “Politics in Wonderland,” Raskin and Trump continue their dance, one with the Constitution in hand, the other with a megaphone, as the nation watches, popcorn in hand, wondering what the next act will bring.