Road To Sedition

It looks like Merrick Garland's slow, low-keyed approach to prosecuting instigators of the January 6 insurrection, long assailed by folks on the left as well as other commentators (including yours truly), may actually be the way to go.  Because it just paid off big time in a major sedition charge in the Justice Department's ongoing investigation.

Stewart Rhodes (above), founder of the so-called Oath Keepers, a right-wing paramilitary group loyal to Trump, was arrested and charged in Texas on plotting to overthrow the federal government.  He was not at the insurrection but is believed to have helped plan and execute what appeared on live television to have been an attack that happened on the spur of the moment, emanating from an initially peaceful but raucous pro-Trump demonstration.  Rhodes is also said to have been planning a reconnaissance mission for the days after the insurrection to probe the line of defenses against the Capitol in an ongoing effort to derail the inauguration of President Biden.

Ten other militants were also indicted, including Edward Vallejo, was was part of a "Quick Reaction Force" lying in wait at a hotel on the Virginia side of the Potomac River that was ready to send in reinforcements.  This should put to rest ant idea that the insurrectionists were "tourists" in Washington and were more on a tour of duty . . . to Trump.

Sedition is a rarely issued charge, so the Justice Department wouldn't make such an accusation if it didn't have evidence ready to back it up.  Now I'm willing to gave Garland the benefit of the doubt as far as his modus operandi in pursuing this case is concerned.  The January 6 select committee in the House may have only one year left, but Garland has three years left, and he'll have plenty of time to pursue any other recommendations for investigation that the committee sends to him later this year.  It seems that the fable of the tortoise and the hare was right - slow and steady wins the race.

Except in combatting a pandemic - we still have to move fast on that one.