Tired of the meanness, bigotry, and recreational cruelty

Lisa Needham of Daily Kos discussed the 165 page court motion that special counsel Jack Smith filed in the case accusing the nasty guy with interfering in the 2020 election. The accusation needed to be rewritten because of the Supreme Court granting the president broad immunity. Smith countered that the nasty guy’s actions were taken not as official acts of a president, but as a private citizen and candidate. The document is long because Smith carefully detailed every step the nasty guy took to undermine the election. It also includes new evidence, such as the vice nasty trying to tell him, “Don’t concede, but recognize the process is over” and that the election is “just an intermission.” Smith explains the nasty guy, in trying to claim he was protecting election integrity, talked only to Republicans, though in Michigan it is the Secretary of State, a Democrat, who controls elections. The nasty guy claimed he was not allowed to present evidence. So Smith documented the many cases when evidence was promised and never delivered. A clue that the nasty guy and co-conspirators knew they were lying was their claim of the number of fraudulent votes in Arizona kept changing. Needham included the entire text of Smith’s document. I didn’t try to read it. Needham concluded:

Trump’s legal team has now proposed that he get an additional five weeks to file his response, pushing it out comfortably past the election to Nov. 21 instead of the required deadline of Oct. 17, along with a request to file an additional reply brief by Dec. 19. His only real plan is to drag this out past Election Day and hope he wins. That’s just another reason why Trump needs to lose.

Morgan Stephens of Kos described how the nasty guy could weaponize the Department of Justice to harass anyone he deems insufficiently loyal. She worked from an article posted in the New York Times. The steps: + Fill the DoJ with loyalists and family, who would be willing to ignore the department rules and precedents that don’t let a president meddle in what it does. + The nasty guy could pressure (well, “ask”) the DoJ to open investigations on particular people. + Steer cases to the 54 judges the nasty guy appointed the first time around. + Appeal losses to the Supreme Court, already viewed as highly partisan due to the three justice he appointed. + Wield the presidential pardon. If Democrats hold the Senate they could block his choices and force him to pick moderate candidates. If Republicans take the Senate there will be no pushback. The plan the NYT laid out is similar to the Project 2025 call to eliminate checks and balances within the executive branch.

The nation’s founding fathers created three separate and equal branches of government in an effort to instill checks and balances and prevent the misuse of power. These separations are inherent to our national interest and the people’s free will in this democracy.

I’ve written that Liz Cheney and her father former VP Dick Cheney have endorsed Harris. Liz Cheney co-chaired the House Jan 6 Committee and was beaten in her next election by a MAGA candidate. An Associated Press article posted on Kos reports that Cheney took part in a Harris campaign event in Wisconsin. This is part of Cheney’s pledge to do what she can to defeat the nasty guy. Oliver Willis of Kos added that the nasty guy rage-tweeted about Cheney speaking at a Harris event. Then Willis listed some other Republicans who have declared support for Harris. One of them is Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who was the only other Republican on the Jan 6 Committee. Ten days ago Stephens wrote about the origins of the group White Dudes for Harris. One of the organizers is Ross Morales Rocketto. They want to spread the word that not all white dudes are part of the problem. They’re also providing space for other white guys to give their vote and support to Harris. The group will use some of its funds for digital ads in swing states.

As The 19th reported in August, Democrats like Walz may be changing how men—and women—view traditional masculinity. Instead of brawn, shirt-ripping Hulk Hogans and brash Kid Rocks, Democrats offer a son filled with emotion and joy while supporting his father. And hunting-style camo hats, which were sold out for weeks. And second gentleman Doug Emhoff beaming with pride when speaking about his wife’s ambition. “In order to engage people, you need to make sure you can create a space for them where they can feel a sense of belonging, where they’re not going to feel judged,” Morales Rocketto said. “This isn’t anyone else's job to do. White men need to organize themselves to do this work. It’s not Black women’s jobs, not Black men’s jobs, not Latino women’s jobs. It’s our job.”

Another AP article, this one posted two weeks ago, discusses evangelicals who support Harris. Talking about that support is risky. But Rev. Lee Scott, of Butler, PA, can’t be quiet. He was was part of an Evangelicals for Harris call. He doesn’t accept the high level of violence that has been normalized in politics.

“I am tired of watching meanness, bigotry and recreational cruelty be the worldly witness of our faith,” Scott said on the call. “I want transformation, and transformation is risky business.”

While Scott doesn’t like everything in Harris’ policies – he’s against abortion – he does see that Harris is pro-family in her education and tax policies.

Vote Common Good, a similar group run by progressive evangelical pastor Doug Pagitt, has a simple message: Political identity and religious identity are not a package deal.

In August the Harris campaign hired Rev. Jen Butler, a Presbyterian minister, to lead religious outreach. She has reached towards Mormons, Catholics, black church groups, and interfaith groups. Supporting Harris also means if she’s elected evangelicals can “hold the party accountable by being involved.” That could mean push for her to do better on immigration and in Gaza. Alas, far right Evangelicals are quick to brand any who are considering a vote for a Democrat to be “Heretics for Harris.” But the white Evangelical vote isn’t the solid block it might have been. A third AP article, this one from last Tuesday (and now a bit out of date) discusses the devastation from Hurricane Helene. It also discusses the relief efforts underway. The article mentions why western North Carolina had so much damage.

Asheville and many surrounding mountain towns were built in valleys, leaving them especially vulnerable to devastating rain and flooding. Plus, the ground already was saturated before Helene arrived, said Christiaan Patterson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

There was a lot of rain there because the remnants of Helene hit the higher elevations and cooler air of the Appalachian Mountains. I mention that article partly because I haven’t seen another big article since Tuesday, though I have heard the death toll has topped 200 and that Biden and Harris have each visited the area with pledges of assistance. The nasty guy visited too, to accuse Biden and Harris of not helping Republican states (which is a lie). I also mention it because FishOutofWater of the Kos community looked at National Weather Service reports and saw tropical storm Milton has formed in the western Gulf of Mexico and is heading towards Tampa. Before hitting the Florida coast Milton will cross over warm Gulf waters and will perhaps be a category 5 by the time it gets there Tuesday or Wednesday. Before it arrives there will be rain to saturate the ground. That will be followed by the rain of the storm, the storm surge, and strong winds.