Here are this week’s SWAJ Research Links, compiled by SWAJ Team Member Mark Kurth.
National Inquiries
The GOP’s revenge plot against Pelosi is unhinged — but revealing
After Democrats voted en masse this week to remove the California Republican as House speaker, his fellow Republicans responded by revoking some of Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s Capitol office privileges. They are reportedly planning more acts of retaliation.
But Democrats were right not to save McCarthy. With the forces unleashed by former president Donald Trump and the MAGA movement damaging the House GOP caucus, Democrats absolutely shouldn’t have stepped in, because so doing would help Republicans erase their own culpability for nourishing those forces for so long.
Kevin McCarthy’s Downfall Is the Culmination of the Tea Party
The tea party that Skocpol was referring to no longer formally exists as a faction in Congress, its erstwhile allies having been subsumed into the far-right Freedom Caucus or into the generic “America First” wing of the GOP. But according to Skocpol, the history of the tea party remains essential to understanding the forces that ultimately led to McCarthy’s political demise.
“It represents the culmination of [the tea party movement],” said Skocpol. “All the research that I and other political scientists have done on the movement shows that by the 2010s — just before Donald Trump emerges — the tea party had taken the shape of a just-say-no, blow-it-all-up, don’t-cooperate, do-politics-on-Twitter faction — and this is the perfect expression of it. This is where it leads.”
Even some RNC members are fed up with ‘embarrassing,’ Trump-less debates
“You can’t put your head in the sand and pretend these debates are going to result in someone other than Donald Trump getting the nomination,” said Patti Lyman, the RNC’s national committeewoman from Virginia, who called the debates “embarrassing” and said they “reflected very poorly on our party.”
House devolves into angry round of retribution following McCarthy’s ouster
And it all comes as a GOP leadership scramble to succeed McCarthy has begun to take shape, even as rank-and-file Republicans warn the speaker candidates that there is ample work that must be done to repair the frayed relations within their badly divided conference.
Rep. Kelly Armstrong, a North Dakota Republican and close McCarthy ally, said there are a “lot of raw nerves” and that the next speaker candidates must make clear that they will “never” allow a single GOP member to oust a sitting speaker again.
Vote to oust McCarthy is a warning sign for democracy, scholars say
“If you want to know what it looks like when democracy is in trouble, this is what it looks like,” said Daniel Ziblatt, professor of government at Harvard University. “It should set off alarm bells that something is not right.”
The vote reflected the enormous power that a small group of representatives camped on their party’s ideological fringe can wield over an entire institution, said Ziblatt, co-author of the book “Tyranny of the Minority.” It also showcased how difficult it will be for anyone to corral the House in a way that’s functional, with major decisions over the budget and Ukraine funding ahead.
‘There isn’t a mainstream mega-donor now not looking at Nikki’: Haley catches post-debate spark
Two months, two debates and $11 million worth of television ads later, Haley is gaining air. She is close to snatching the No. 2 spot in the GOP presidential primary, eclipsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in New Hampshire and her home state of South Carolina, recent polls show. She is drawing a second look from donors following her performance in Wednesday’s debate.
And the former governor is doing so on a relatively lean campaign budget, so far leaving all the TV to her aligned super PAC, SFA Fund Inc., and keeping her early state staffing footprint to a minimum.
Trump co-defendant pleads guilty in Georgia, becoming first to reach plea deal in election-subversion case
Hall, 59, who was involved in a breach of election equipment, pleaded guilty Friday in Atlanta to five counts of conspiring to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties. The plea deal included an agreement to a sentence of five years of probation, a $5,000 fine and a letter of apology to the state.
Black history 'Underground Railroad' forms across US after increase of book bans
And in Pennsylvania, a 91-year-old pastor reached out to an expert in South Carolina to help his church set up Black history lessons.
They are part of a growing movement across the country of educators, lawmakers, civil rights activists and church leaders who say there is a renewed urgency to teach Black history in the wake of a crackdown on Black scholars and inclusive lesson plans. The effort has seen historians share ways others can teach Black history, churches hold history classes during Bible study, film festivals showcase Black history work, and Black leaders in Congress ask museums and local institutions to help in the campaign to preserve that history.
Donald Trump, Stochastic Terrorist
Stochastic terrorism is defined by conflict and law enforcement experts as the demonization of a foe so that he, she, or they might become targets of violence. Scientific American recently put it this way:
Dehumanizing and vilifying a person or group of people can provoke what scholars and law enforcement officials call stochastic terrorism, in which ideologically driven hate speech increases the likelihood that people will violently and unpredictably attack the targets of vicious claims. At its core, stochastic terrorism exploits one of our strongest and most complicated emotions: disgust.
In addition to disgust, fear and hatred can work, the point being to depict a person or set of people as a loathsome other undeserving of respect or acceptance, and a dangerous threat. Establishing such a framework boosts the odds that a lone individual or group will violently assault the deprecated.
Anger grows over Ukraine's largest Orthodox church, aligned with Moscow despite war
The militant role of the Russian Orthodox Church has drawn condemnation from religious leaders including Pope Francis, who described Kirill as "Putin's altar boy."
Kirill's embrace of the war also sparked growing rage and division within Ukraine, where millions of Ukrainians still choose to worship in Moscow-affiliated Orthodox churches.
Researchers say before the war began there were roughly 12,000 Orthodox parishes in Ukraine linked to Russia. Over the last 19 months, only about 1,500 of those congregations have voted to join a break-away Ukrainian-led church.
Shutdown averted: Senate clears stopgap bill with hours to spare
"It's been a day full of twists and turns, but the American people can breathe a sigh of relief. There will be no government shutdown," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said shortly after passage.
The package is a departure from Senate leaders' original ambitions to include Ukraine aid in the short-term funding bill. The final version of the bill — which overwhelmingly passed the House with bipartisan support Saturday afternoon — only includes disaster relief alongside regular government funding. Senate Democrats now say they’ll be seeking a supplemental bill to continue assisting Ukraine in its war against Russia.
"Most Senate Republicans remain committed to helping our friends on the front lines," said Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
He, She, They: The Pronoun Debate Will Likely Land at the Supreme Court
The legal issues in these cases are not easy ones, pitting children’s rights against their parents’ rights. Upset parents contend that by using a child’s preferred pronouns without their knowledge, government actors are illegally providing medical care without the parental consent that state law mandates. Weighing against the parents are their kids’ requests as well as state laws requiring that schools provide non-discriminatory environments in which students can safely express their gender identities. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 22 states and the District of Columbia have laws protecting students from harassment based on gender identity.
RFK Jr. Aided by GOP and Trump PAC Donors
In recent years, the Chernicks have been generous donors to Republicans and pro-Trump political action committees. They also in the past have financed Democratic candidates, conservative outfits, and groups cited as Islamophobic.
John Kelly goes on the record to confirm several disturbing stories about Trump
Kelly set the record straight with on-the-record confirmation of a number of damning stories about statements Trump made behind closed doors attacking US service members and veterans, listing a number of objectionable comments Kelly witnessed Trump make firsthand.
“What can I add that has not already been said?” Kelly said, when asked if he wanted to weigh in on his former boss in light of recent comments made by other former Trump officials. “A person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all ‘suckers’ because ‘there is nothing in it for them.’ A person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because ‘it doesn’t look good for me.’ A person who demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family – for all Gold Star families – on TV during the 2016 campaign, and rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in America’s defense are ‘losers’ and wouldn’t visit their graves in France.
Feds say Liberty University created 'fear of reprisal' for sexual violence survivors
“Victims of sexual assault felt dissuaded by Liberty administration’s reputation for punishing sexual assault survivors rather than helping them,” federal investigators wrote in the May report
Liberty has faced increasing public pressure in recent years over policies that survivors say allow sexual violence to run unchecked. The preliminary report says overlooked allegations of violence reached all the way to the top, including accusations involving a former university president and a senior administrator.
Judge issues gag order and rebukes Trump after social media post attacking his clerk
“This morning one of the defendants posted on (a) social media account a disparaging untrue and personally identifying post about a member of my staff. Although I have since ordered the post deleted and apparently it was, it was also emailed out to millions of other recipients,” the judge said in court.
Trump looked straight ahead at the judge as he issued the order.
The judge then said all parties must not speak publicly about any members of the court staff.
“Consider this statement an order forbidding all parties from posting, emailing or speaking publicly about any members of my staff,” Engoron said. “Failure to abide by this … will result in serious sanctions.”
Trump posted on Truth Social Tuesday attacking Engoron’s clerk, claiming she was a “girlfriend” to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, and showing a picture of the two of them together.
‘Red Caesarism’ is rightwing code – and some Republicans are listening
For the last three years, parts of the American right have advocated a theory called Caesarism as an authoritarian solution to the claimed collapse of the US republic in conference rooms, podcasts and the house organs of the extreme right, especially those associated with the Claremont Institute thinktank.
Though on the surface this discussion might seem esoteric, experts who track extremism in the US say that due to their influence on the Republican party, the rightwing intellectuals who espouse these ideas about the attractions of autocracy present a profound threat to American democracy.
Pope Francis could decide whether Catholic Church will bless same-sex unions
A letter by the pope, published by the Vatican on Monday, suggests the church will review if same-sex marriages could be blessed in the church, breaking a longstanding opposition to such unions. In July, Francis wrote an initial response to questions posed to him by five cardinals from the U.S., Africa, Asia and Europe asking him to affirm the church's teaching on same-sex marriage, the role of women, the authority of the pope and other issues.
Faith in the Supreme Court is down. Voters now say they want changes.
In addition to the 75 percent of voters — a bipartisan consensus of 81 percent of Democrats, 72 percent of Republicans and 69 percent of independents — who support a binding ethics code, roughly two-thirds of voters support term limits for the justices (68 percent). A similar percentage (67 percent) say the court should televise oral arguments, while 66 percent believe there should be an age limit for the justices. A smaller majority, 60 percent, think there should be an equal number of Democrats, Republicans and independents on the high court.
The House GOP Is a Failed State
McCarthy’s ouster is dramatic evidence, if redundant, about the state of the modern GOP. A party that used to have an instinctual orientation toward authority and order — Democrats fall in love, went the old chestnut, while Republicans fall in line — is now animated by something akin to nihilism. The politics of contempt so skillfully exploited by Donald Trump is turned inward on hapless would-be leaders like McCarthy with no less ferocity than it is turned outward on liberals and the media.
States Fights
MAGA Mayoral Candidate Seemingly Promotes White Nationalists in News Release
Hanson, who’s vying to become the mayor of Franklin, Tennessee, shared the messages in an attempt to prove that the Tennessee Active Club—recognized as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center—weren’t invited to provide security for her outside a mayoral forum on Monday. She claimed they instead showed up and acted on their own.
But Hanson never condemned the neo-Nazis in her news release, nor did she ask them to not show up at future forums and events. Instead, she embedded three Telegram messages to a news release that did more to promote the hate group than it did to denounce it.
Matt Gaetz just positioned himself for Florida governor
Gaetz emerged Tuesday, after successfully booting McCarthy from the speakership, as one of the most influential Republicans in the nation — the leader of the first successful House coup. And as he eyes Florida’s governorship, his shadow feud could quickly turn Washington dynamics into fodder for a Tallahassee campaign war.
Marion police chief suspended after raid of Marion County Record newspaper in Kansas
The now-suspended police chief is also at the center of a federal lawsuit filed by Marion County Record reporter Debbie Gruver, who accuses Cody of violating her constitutional rights by obtaining an “unreasonable and unlawful” search warrant and seizing her personal property, according to the complaint.
The suit alleges Cody targeted Gruver because he knew she had been investigating allegations of misconduct against the chief during his time working for the Kansas City Police Department, although the newspaper has not published those allegations.
Florida legislature proposes dangerous rollback of child labor protections
Florida’s bill proposes eliminating all guidelines on hours employers can schedule youth ages 16 or 17 to work, allowing employers to schedule teens to work unlimited hours per day or per week—including overnight shifts on school days. The bill bears similarity to child labor legislation heavily backed in other states by the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA)—a right-wing dark money group based in Florida—and its lobbying arm Opportunity Solutions Project.
At a time when violations of child labor laws are on the rise nationally—and amid reports of serious violations in Florida—lawmakers must act to strengthen standards, not erode existing minimal standards designed to keep youth safe at work and guarantee all children equal access to education.
North Carolina Republicans create "secret police force"
The Joint Legislative Committee on Government Operations — or Gov Ops for short — is empowered to seize “any document or system of record” from anyone who works in or with state and local government during its investigations. The rule applies to contractors, subcontractors, and any other non-state entity “receiving, directly and indirectly, public funds,” including charities and state universities.
Moreover, Gov Ops staff will be authorized to enter “any building or facility” owned or leased by a state or non-state entity without a judicial warrant. This includes the private residences of subcontractors and contractors who run businesses out of their homes, lawmakers say.
North Dakota GOP lawmaker Brandon Prichard goes on theocratic, homophobic tirade
On Saturday, Prichard said that all schools should teach LGBTQ history and that “lesson one should be Sodom and Gomorrah,” referencing the story in Genesis 19 in which God uses fire and brimstone to destroy those cities on account of their wickedness. (Conservatives usually argue the wickedness involved sodomy, though it could also be argued that the sin was not being hospitable to strangers.)
The implication here was clear: Prichard wanted LGBTQ students to know God hated them to the point where He’d commit genocide over it.