Week 195: October 11-17

The Barrett confirmation hearings began on Monday. It was over in the judiciary committee by Thursday. All Democrat boycotted the final vote.

The FBI announced that Iran was behind a series of election interference emails sent to Democrats.

Election 2020

Early voting started in many states this this week and there were a lot of stories about long lines at least during the first days.

Zoe Tillman of Buzfeed news covered a judge dissent in a voting access case this week: Judge Karen Nelson Moore of the US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit wrote a scathing dissent in a case about how Tennessee handles absentee voting — she disagreed with her two colleagues in the majority who rejected a challenge to the state’s signature match rules for mail-in ballots. But Moore’s dissent went further, criticizing judges across the US who have sided with states seeking to limit mail-in voting this year.
“Hiding behind closed courthouse doors does not change the fact that ruling by ruling, many courts are chipping away at votes that ought to be counted. It is a disgrace to the federal courts’ foundational role in ensuring democracy’s function, and a betrayal to the persons that wish to participate in it fully,” Moore wrote.

New York Times on the same issue: The Texas case is one of at least eight major election disputes around the country in which Federal District Court judges sided with civil rights groups and Democrats in voting cases only to be stayed by the federal appeals courts, whose ranks Mr. Trump has done more to populate than any president in more than 40 years.

Rudy Giuliani perpetrated a bizarre hack-and-leak scheme this week about supposedly stolen emails of Hunter Biden. The most interesting thing is that Twitter and Facebook took strong moves to keep the Russia-backed story from spreading on their sites.

At a Biden Town Hall on ABC, the moderator asked: Mr. Vice President, if you lose, what will that say to you about where America is today?

BIDEN: Well, it could say that I’m a lousy candidate, and I didn’t do a good job. But I think — I hope that it doesn’t say that we are as racially, ethnically, and religiously at odds with one another as it appears the President wants us to be. Usually, you know, the President, in my view, with all due respect, it’s been divide and conquer, the way he does better if he splits us and where there’s division.

And I think people need hope. I think — look, George, I’ve never been more optimistic of the prospects for this country than I am today. And I really mean that. I think the people are ready. They understand what’s at stake. And it’s not about Democrat or Republican.

Trump’s Job Approval: 42.8%

COVID Cases/Deaths: 802,8332 / 217,918