The Presbyterian Church takes a progressive stance; North Carolina Democrats use Republican's desperation for money against them; And Montgomery, Maryland makes life harder for ICE
We're NOT Doomed 65: Wed Aug 5, 2026
Mitch McConnell isn’t dead, most likely, and frankly, I don’t care if he is.
When the jokes started, I knew exactly how this would go.
I knew that within days it would go from jokes to rumors to a full blown conspiracy theory.
I cannot properly articulate how much I wish I had been wrong.
But here we are.
And I could have almost accepted that, if not for the very strange obsession with wanting that seat to not be empty.
With McConnell off the floor, Republicans have one less vote. And in a closely divided Senate, boy does that matter.
Instead of 53 seats, they have 52. That’s a good thing in my book.
And Governor Andy Beshear said it best in a tweet this week:
I know there are a lot of folks wondering about the significance of August 3 regarding a potential Senate vacancy. I want everyone to know that this date has no legal impact on my options should there be a vacancy this year. Worth a reminder, right now, there’s one less vote for the SAVE Act, Trump’s war with Iran, or the potential replacement of a SCOTUS justice.
IF, and that’s a big if, McConnell is dead and Republicans are keeping it a secret, they VASTLY miscalculated, and we should take that as the win it is. Which we are literally seeing today, as the farm bill failed to get out of committee with him gone.
And I think people forget that Beshear is one of the few Democrats who was elected governor of a red state. And that’s because he is VERY good at convincing Republicans to sign on to things they would NEVER sign on to.
Just Wayne interviewed Beshear on June 5 and asked about what he’s been able to do that he’s most proud of:
We built the first hospital in our largest African American community, West Louisville in 150 years. It saw 60,000 people its first year in operation.When you deliver for your people, everybody does better.
Can you IMAGINE Republicans willingly opening a new hospital in a Black community? But they let it happen, because Beshear is good at what he does. Beshear’s budget proposal this year include keeping them open through state dollars regardless of what happens with Medicaid rules nationally.
THIS is what Beshear is focused on. THIS is why he keeps getting elected and THIS is the power of a Dem being given the opportunity to run a red state.
But no one cares about that. They care about if he announces he’s replacing McConnell with Thomas Massie.
Massie is a Republican. He is not a RINO, he is very much a Republican. We agree with him on a small number of things, but it really is a very small number.
Think of it this way. We hear about every time Massie crosses the aisle. It’s big votes but it’s not that often.
And the thing is, we HAVE a Democrat running for that seat in the fall.
His name is Charles Booker. He is a former Kentucky State Rep. He wants money out of politics. He is against the Iran war. He wants to abolish ICE. And he supports Medicare for All.
He is the exact candidate with the exact values we want running for the seat McConnell is leaving.
And yet, most people don’t know his name.
They know Beshear’s name though. The name that is now synonymous with “won’t do what’s needed to replace McConnell.”
But that’s not the story. That’s never been the story. He is doing what he knows how to do best. Fighting hardball. In this case that very literally means, doing nothing.
If McConnell is actually dead and Republicans are willingly leaving his seat empty in some attempt to spite Dems, let them miss the point. And trust that Andy Beshear will do what’s right for Kentucky.
Also, if you’re REALLY angry? Yell at the person actually responsible for making the seat is vacant, which would be Senate Majority Leader John Thune. If you attack Beshear instead of saying ANYTHING about Thune, I question if it’s about the seat at all.
And if you want to actually make a difference, really try to get a Dem in that seat, it’s not about Beshear, or Thune, all eyes should be on Charles Booker.
If social media lifted up Charles Booker even half as often as the berated Beshear about McConnell, maybe Booker could genuinely have a shot. But that’s certainly not the case with how things are going now.
So, anytime you wanna talk about McConnell, talk about Booker instead. Kentucky never gets this much attention, so let’s use it to our advantage.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wed, July 1 - 227th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Church voted 459-25 to stand against white nationalism by categorizing it as a “theological error” and added this language to their governing document, The Book of Order.
The policy says:
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) repudiates the ideology and practices of
white Christian nationalism in all its forms and affirms the PCUSA’s historical support for disestablishment of religion as enshrined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
And goes on to say:
The White Christian Nationalism agenda frequently extends beyond legislation into the active dissemination of misinformation and incitement of hostility against LGBTQIA+ persons, religious minorities, immigrants and communities of color. This ideology has made LGBTQIA+ persons specific and repeated targets. By characterizing diverse sexual orientation and gender identities as existential threats to the homeland or national identity, this ideology utilizes dehumanizing language to justify the exclusion of these communities and other marginalized groups from public life.
The Presbyterian Church has not always made sweeping progressive statements like this. In 1977, a vote to allow gay and lesbian members to become clergy failed, and it failed again in the 90s. But in recent years they have embraced progressive viewpoints, like this one, wholeheartedly.
It is wonderful to see that they are continuing to take stances like this, especially int his political climate.
The new PC(USA) policy shows people who have religious trauma, that PC(USA) might be a safe place for them. It reminds MAGA and other bigots that this Church is not a safe place for them, and it makes sure they’re not just talking, but also walking that talk.
North Carolina
Mon, July 6 - North Carolina Republicans have put a lot of effort into making sure Dems have as little power as possible, even though Dems are in control of the executive branch.
So it’s all the more impressive that the Dem minority in the legislature was able to convince the Republican controlled legislature that expanding parental would help their business interests, since that’s all they care about.
Before this bill, state employees who gave birth were given eight weeks paid leave while other parents were only given four. Now both get 12, and it’s all because North Carolina Dems are strategic.
This bill, The Public Workforce Modernization Act, which Governor Josh Stein has now signed into law, marks the largest update to the Human Resources regulations in over 60 years.
State Senator Natalie Murdock explained to me:
Years of advocating for 12 weeks of paid leave finally paid off. Session after session, Democrats file legislation to allow family members and new moms to take the time needed take care of themselves and their new child. No one should be in fear of losing their job to care for their new born or family member. This policy was included in a massive overall of our state HR policies. Our state needs to enact more policies like that this to improve maternal health outcomes. We look forward to building upon this work next year during long session.
I know that other countries are probably horrified that this is a win, but, in the US, it is. And it was only possible because Democrats in North Carolina are very good at what they do.
Even when Republicans think they have the power, even in a state like North Carolina, where they mostly do, good elected Dems are still able to create some change that gives me hope every single day.
Montgomery County, Maryland
Fri, July 10 - Montgomery County has created a portal to keep track of where ICE is through the County Values Act they passed in March. People go to the ICE Reporting Portal and input if the agent is wearing a mask and where they spotted the officer and then it gets filed.
It’s not ideal, of course, but it is what the county can legally do as county executive Mark Elrich said in his newsletter:
I want to be clear about what the County can and cannot do. We cannot stop ICE from enforcing federal immigration law in Montgomery County, and this reporting mechanism will not change that. What we can do is document what is happening, track patterns, and take action within our legal authority, including enforcing the limits we have placed on where ICE can operate without a lawful warrant…We have legal limitations, but we are doing everything within our power to minimize the damage ICE is making in communities.
And this isn’t all the County is doing either. They passed the Unmask ICE Act back in April as well.
And while they’re doing what they can, there are some hiccups, like last week when county firefighters inadvertently helped ICE capture three men when they were called following these men jumping into the Patomac to get away from the federal law enforcement.
Councilmember Kristin Mink responded saying:
What this shows is that there is more scenario planning that we can do and that we need to do to make sure that we are prepared and ahead of this federal government in the actions that they are taking.
To me, this response shows that they are really trying. This is real and not just something they’re doing to try and appease their constituents.
And there is real power in that. I really hope they are able to get some good data out of this new portal and that, even though it can’t stop ICE from operating in the county entirely.
And those are today’s stories. Having Democrats in office really matters, especially in red states. I wish more people knew that, but now that you do, spread the word!
And remember, our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!
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