If one wanted to encapsulate everything wrong with the MAGA movement and everything we fear going forward, the story of Solomon Pena is a very good place to start. Pena is the entire package. He was a committed member of the MAGA cult, shirts, hats, and all. He was nominated by the GOP to run for a seat in the New Mexico legislature, and when he lost, he claimed it was stolen. Then he responded violently, firing into Democrats’ homes.
The only departure from typical MAGA behavior is that Pena was actually arrested. From CNN: (All of the below remain allegations until conviction)
A former Republican New Mexico House of Representatives candidate – who, police say, claimed election fraud after his defeat – was arrested by an Albuquerque SWAT team Monday in connection with a string of recent shootings at the homes of local Democratic elected leaders, city police said.
Solomon Peña, who lost his 2022 run for state House District 14, is accused of paying and conspiring with four men to shoot at the homes of two state legislators and two county commissioners, Albuquerque Police said.
Shooting at homes is probably a means to get attention more than the intent to hurt someone. But it also says you’re willing to risk killing someone to get that attention. That level of anger was seen on January 6th.
“It is believed he is the mastermind” behind the shootings, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said during a news conference.
Now start arresting the other flamethrowers upset about losing elections, and the country will be much safer. The MAGA willingness to use violence as a political tool is the single most haunting aspect of the Right going forward. Arrests are needed.
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[email protected], @JasonMiciak, SUBSTACK: MUCH LEFT ADO
To all those who keep espousing that Trump is done. He’s over. He has no power. He’s yesterday’s news…are you serious? The damage to truth, democracy, our collective agreement that facts matter, etc., ripples on. The longer he’s free the worse it gets. Fascism, malignant narcissism, blindness born of immense wealth and white privilege, the soulless self that takes, rapes, lies, kills without remorse, ignorance elevated into a God, and hypocrisy his chariot of fire, all continue to be given respect no matter what’s he has done. As I type, there’s some black teenager face planted on the ground being arrested for weed. Given a criminal record that locks him out of opportunities to be independent. Laws that were politically motivated, done by a traitorous, criminal president, contrary to the known medical and scientific facts. Yet this king of traitors, committing his offenses in clear view all his life, is still free. Harmless? Hardly. His soliders keep marching on.
As a matter of fact, yeah, I’m deadly serious–first heart attack serious, in fact–on Trump being done. The mistake you continue to make is twofold. One, punishing him in the manner YOU think needs to done will make this stop…wrong. Teri Kanefield wisely pointed out that such punishments are badges of honor and thus will have no effect on making any of them back down. Second, that he has any direct control over events to still truly matter…not for a while now. Forget the bleatings of McCarthy and his ilk. Trump shredded his credibility with his cult with the trading cards scam. That’s when you started hearing serious MAGA musings about “Trumpism without Trump”, which is what this POS was trying to pull off here.
The damage is done here. What happens to Trump will do nothing to undo it on the scale you want. All that’s left is containment, which is what I’ll be doing my part on long after you’re dead and gone. You actually care as much as you say, do something to pitch in as opposed to pitch a fit here.
Agree 100%. Trumpelthinskin may never set foot in public office again, but he still has millions of cultist extremist followers, too many of them in trained terrorist cells who wait on every word from their Fuhrer and will carry out his commands, which he continues to issue on various little-regulated social media platforms. On top of that – at least for the moment – he continues to have strong backing from Odessa, NY Russian Mob, and Putin’s FSB agents. So, as much as we might wish to be true, the Orange Cheetoh remains a force to be reckoned with. Looking forward to celebrating when he is finally arrested. Truly believe this is the year. Keep the date of Wednesday, April 5, 2023 circled on your calendars. We may be in for a pleasant surprise then!
Maddow reported the shootings story a week ago yesterday, then covered the breaking story of this asshat’s arrest when she came on the air last night. Near the end of her hour she said more news was breaking about another SWAT raid in progress to arrest another suspect. Bad as what you’ve written about is it’s even worse. In telling us about this guy she noted some 19 arrests and multiple felony convictions. And the GOP nominated him! THIS is what the GOP has descended to. If this guy was a Democrat wanting to run for office GOPers would be shouting “SOFT ON CRIME!”, CRIMINAL CODDLERS!’ and rant on & on about locking such people up and throwing away the key. With more talk about “liberals letting criminals run free.”
But since the dude is a Republican all is forgiven. I’m sure he told them he was sorry, and just as (when it’s convenient for them to do so) they obeyed the teachings of their Jeebus and “forgave” him!
“Shooting at homes is probably a means to get attention more than the intent to hurt someone. But it also says you’re willing to risk killing someone to get that attention. That level of anger was seen on January 6th.”
Damn right it does. Accordding to the New Mexico Political Report, at one of those homes, the official’s 10-year -old daughter was sick in bed, and two of the shot went through her bedroom.
So glad they caught this NAZI. I’ve been following the stories of each successive shooting for weeks now. Outside of New Mexico, hardly received any press coverage. Gotta believe it would have been front page news in MSM if Republican elected officials were being shot out in their homes and offices. Same thing with the George Santos story pre-election. It was on twitter way before the Nov. election and never saw any traction. It’s as if the bar has been lowered so low for Republicans (candidates & elected) that it’s literally no big news if they got caught breaking the law, lied, cheated, stole, assaulted, shot, raped or even molested a child. Yet any time a Democrat is accused (not even convicted) of the slightest infraction, it’s a capitol offense to be shouted from the highest building with a megaphone. Even worse is what the social media companies did in giving 3 percenters, Boogaloo Bois, proud boys, etc as a central meeting place to coordinate & plan the J6 attack. Just read the 122 pg. Attorney-Client Work Product draft report the J6 committee which was never publicly release. WaPo obtained a copy of it and released it today to its subscribers. As you may imagine, the coordination went all the way up to Mark Meadows and Trump’s inner circle on getting the word out to these violent anti-government terrorist groups through reddit subgroups like TheDonald.win.