Maxine Waters exemplifies the disconnect between the Capitol riot and the Burn, Loot, and Murder urban riots. Her “get more confrontational” comments regarding the trial of Derek Chauvin are by Democrat standards an incitement to violence if the “wrong” verdict is handed down. An incitement, by the way, that she made after requesting an armed police escort. She took some justified criticism, received some hypocritical defense, and doubled down herself.

First, Waters may be “in over her head” this time, because at this point any window that gets broken in Minneapolis is going to be hung around her neck. Moreover, the judge in the Chauvin trial slammed her for jeopardizing the trial itself.

Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill declared during the closing moments of Chauvin’s trial that it was abhorrent of Waters to tell protesters it would be unacceptable for the former officer to be acquitted of murdering George Floyd. “I’m aware that Congresswoman Waters was talking specifically about this trial and about the unacceptability of anything less than a murder conviction and talk about being confrontational,” he said. “I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function. I think if they want to give their opinions, they should do so in a respectful [way] and in a manner that is consistent with their oath to the Constitution to respect a coequal branch of government. Their failure to do so, I think, is abhorrent.”

After Chauvin’s defense lawyer requested a mistrial, Judge Cahill, a Democrat who worked for Amy Klobuchar, denied the request. Even so, he conceded, “I’ll give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result on this whole trial being overturned.”

Waters has a long and sordid history of promoting violence. Long before she was advocating that mobs attack Trump officials, she was promoting the Burn, Loot, and Murder mobs in the bloody 1992 Los Angeles riots. Back then, Waters declared, “The fact of the matter is, whether we like it or not, riot is the voice of the unheard.” Fifteen people were murdered during those riots and many more were seriously injured.

Nevertheless, when asked to answer for her colleague’s comments, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi likened Waters to a civil rights hero. “No, I don’t think she should apologize,” Pelosi insisted. “Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the civil rights movement.”

On the contrary, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy argued, “Maxine Waters broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence. Speaker Pelosi is ignoring Waters’ behavior — that’s why I am introducing a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for these dangerous comments.” His motion will have to be brought to the floor for a vote.

Senator Tom Cotton weighed in as well, saying, “It is appalling to see a senior Democrat in Congress going out of her way to Minnesota to fan the flames in the streets.” He added, “[There is] no grievance, there is no perceived injustice that is a fit object for mob violence.”

Finally, that brings us back to a very unrepentant and still belligerent Waters. Asked to respond to Judge Cahill, Waters repeatedly protested, “The judge says my words don’t matter.” And as far as basing a verdict appeal on her words, she replied, “Oh no, no they didn’t.”

So if words don’t matter, why did Waters vote “yes” on Pelosi’s charade to impeach Donald Trump for “inciting” the Capitol riot? In explaining her own vote, she accused Trump of “trying to create a civil war.”

Rioters in every case are responsible for their own behavior, but if Democrats are going to set a different standard — that political words do matter — they’re going to have to live by it. Of course, we all know they’ll refuse to do that.