Originally published at: Keith Olbermann calls for the arrest of Marjorie Taylor Greene for threatening Biden (video) | Boing Boing
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…people will not allow the government to force vax, mask, and lockdown again!
Er, has there been any indication that the government is planning to force any of those things again? For that matter, did the US federal government actually mandate any of them in the first place? (Seriously, did they? I don’t remember that.) I could swear I remember some other dude being president at the height of the Covid restrictions, though. Anyway, my memory must be playing tricks on me in my old age. Either that or an elected member of congress is a complete gibbering shithead, who knows?
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The only problem I see is the lack of specific threats – like “I will kill you”. 
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Sounds like someone on a one way ticket to death by police/other enforcement agency.
In one line he says something about medical freedom. Does the constitution guarantee or protect that?
But no specific threat in the video, but towed the line tho.
“I will eff you up” is a very specific threat.
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I can see a lawyer in court with this. Eff you up physically, emotionally, financially?
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Feels a little iffy. As much as I loathe MTG I don’t think I’d feel good about someone facing Federal charges for sharing similar sentiments during a Republican administration. Censure, maybe.
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Hmmm, I dunno. He says (I’m paraphrasing because I’m not watching that garbage again to get an exact quote) “And I mean this. This is not a threat. This is a promise. I will fuck you up.” I can’t see any jury of reasonable people not taking that as an actual threat of violence. Now…would this guy actually do anything? I don’t know. He might. Before Jan 6, I would have said no. Now…some of these people are serious. I would not be surprised if this guy gets a visit from Secret Service. Will the threat be imputed to MTG? No, I can’t see that happening at all. But the guy in the video may soon regret his choice of words in saying “Fuck around and find out,” because he may be about to do just that.
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Literalism doesn’t play well in court. It’s clear from the video that the guy meant physical harm. That would be up to a jury to determine, but it would hardly be dismissed by a jusge given the tone and context.
As for EmptyGreen, she clearly agreed with the message. There’s certainly grounds to file charges here.
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100%. Well, in criminal law anyway. In civil cases, it depends. For rich people and corporations in contract disputes, literalism often works quite well.
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Sartorially?
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Of all the qualities possessed by Keith Olbermann, dependably accurate legal analysis is not high on the list.
It’s one thing to declare confidently that you’ve read what the law says and this obviously fits, it’s another to talk to actual lawyers who know how this law is applied in practice. It doesn’t appear he’s done that, but I may have missed it.
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While MTG unquestionably belongs in jail for a variety of reasons, a former TV host and podcaster calling for her arrest is about as effective as MTG calling for Biden to be impeached. Stuff doesn’t happen just because people really, really want it.
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… unless the stuff is us clicking on the headline
“<famous person> denounces <other famous person>” gets us every time
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They want ‘medical freedom’ to freely spread disease and hurt other people. Yet they do not want that same freedom for every single trans person out there who wants medical intervention.
Which tenet of the GQP is hypocrisy, first or second ?
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Only.
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When someone broadcasts enough hate, some less than stable idiots will take that as literal call for action. This is dangerous. MTG should be held liable should there be any attempt at all. Someone already possess hate mix that with abundance of drug will be disaster.
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I don’t think Biden has worn a tan suit.
Yet.
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I mean, we’re talking about a rep who has engaged in despicable behavior since day one, and ramped it up after security checks began to include congress-critters in the wake of Jan. 6, but she’s still up there doing her thing. I’m not saying she’s right, I’m saying it feels like trying to catch a greased pig.
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And there’s little chance of accountability for her within Congress. But criming outside of the rules of Congress is different. There is no restriction on prosecution for congresscritters.
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