That in itself is a real important strain in presidential oratory. Going all the way back, even Jefferson, after the 1800 election was over at his inauguration, said- we are all Republicans, we are all Federalists!. Richard Hofstetter, the historian, said that our constitution was a constitution written against political parties. On one hand, they denounced factions and engaged in a lot of high-minded rhetoric. The founders had a schizophrenic attitude just like the political parties today. Raskin: I think we need to have a rigorous examination of what partisanship is: what are parties? And in that context, I want to offer two cheers for partisanship. I think the youth really struggles with the ability to have an argument with those on the other side- so, in a situation like this where do you think the hope for bipartisanship comes from? And, I think that one of the biggest arguments that the youth of today often makes is how are we to have any faith in our institutions, how are we to look forward to bipartisanship if all the other side does is vehemently deny the verity of facts, reality, et al. HPR: You are, however, a strong proponent of bipartisanship too. On the other hand, the Republicans who have stood up as constitutional patriots, for our democracy, have created a far more vibrant bipartisan collaboration and energy than I’ve ever seen in Congress in a long time. Raskin: It has deepened the partisan divide in one sense, because a number of our GOP colleagues who denounced the insurrection at the time, called it terrorism, called it unacceptable, have now backtracked and retreated from that position, as Donald Trump reestablished his hegemony over the GOP. In that context, what do you think has changed around the Capitol and with respect to the relationships between Congresspeople? HPR: We recently marked one year since January 6. He would have wanted me out there with my colleagues, struggling to defend our institutions against this fascistic assault on America. I felt that Tommy was with me, he was in my heart, I could feel him very much in my chest and I felt that I needed to participate in this struggle to defend democracy because Tommy was someone who wanted a lot more from democracy, not a lot less. Jamie Raskin: Well, you ask some tough questions, and I wrote a whole book really trying to answer the questions you just posed to me. So, what was going through your mind during the whole process – how was it for you to live through the same experiences again and again almost every day, look back at those horrific videos, and then culminate the whole experience with a denial of conviction to the President? You called Pelosi’s request for you to be the lead investigator as a lifeline and made a passionate plea for the senators to hold Trump to account. Yet, when it came to fighting back against tyranny, you were there, congressman. Harvard Political Review: Congressman, you were the lead House investigator in Trump’s second impeachment, you were there on the House floor, and you had just lost your son. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD), chair of the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and lead impeachment manager on Donald Trump’s second impeachment, shares his thoughts about January 6th, its aftermath, partisanship, and the nature of political institutions.
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