"Just say aye," Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray repeatedly pleaded to Feinstein during the vote. Eventually, Feinstein did just that.
"Just say aye," Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray repeatedly pleaded to Feinstein during the vote. Eventually, Feinstein did just that.
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Thursday appeared confused and attempted to deliver a longer speech during a Senate hearing, the latest in a string of episodes that have raised further questions about her ability to continue serving in office.
"Just say aye," Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray repeatedly pleaded with her colleague.
Instead of a short reply, Feinstein began her response by saying, "I would like to support a yes vote on this, it provides $823 billion ...." As the California Democrat continued to speak, an aide also intervened to try to remind the lawmaker that this was not the time for speeches.
"OK," Feinstein then said as Murray reminded her one final time to "just say aye." "Aye," she finally said.
The reason national party leadership keeps propping her up, is because the vast amount of people leading the party is also too old to be in office, or will be before their next term is over.
It's like wondering why cops never turn on the "bad apples" there's an unspoken agreement that everyone has everyone's back. Unless theyre progressive and/or a rising star like Franklin, then their treated worse than republicans because they're a bigger threat to party leaders who occupy seats that will never go republican
No, it's because she's the deciding vote on the judiciary committee and is needed to confirm judges. I'm not saying it like that's much better, but it's not because they're a bunch of old folks looking out for each other.
This is the answer. She doesn't just get replaced instantaneously and she absolutely doesn't get her committee positions filled quickly, if at all. She took things too far to turn back. The GOP will stall any committee replacement for Feinstein. It's already too late. At this point, pulling a Weekend at Bernie's is unfortunately the preferable solution.
I don't disagree this could be considered "news". And I don't want to weigh in on what's already been covered very well by the commenters here. I just want to point out "businessinsider" isn't a real news organization per se, as they recycle other links often. And they very much supported Trump throughout his setting fire to American democracy.
So it doesn't surprise me to see them publish a "counterbalance" article to go out after Moscow Mitch Ate The Big One.
We are suffering with that all along the west coast.
People complain and bitch all the time then just vote in the incumbent or a recycled version of them. Mostly because those already in power have bent their knee to corporations and lobbies, so as long as they play ball the campaign funding will keep flowing.
Most primary attempts are just drowned out by the money and fatigue of voters seeing too mant candidates that say the same thing... so incumbet it is.
Then comes the election where they get to choose, the same old thing OR some maga qanon crazy ready to take away basic human rights.
Incumbency advantage is huge. People have seen her name on the roles for years, decades. It's a familiar sight so it's a lot harder to win a primary. And the party is afraid a new face would win the general and flip the seat to Republicans. So it's "safer" to keep an ineffectual incumbent in since they can be controlled, mostly.
@Drusas Someone close to Feinstein needs to talk to her and make her understand how badly she is embarrassing herself and doing a dis-service to her constituents, the caucus, and the country at this point
Actually there needs to be an overhaul of the system, either age limit on senate, house and presidency which I agree with, or an independent medical examiner/s verifying they are mentally capable of carrying out duties (this wouldn't work and is too open to corruption).
Just don't let people serve after 60. It even works to reduce generational thinking that infects government policy.
@Emu I'm over 60 and still have all my faculties, I can assure you. Thirty-plus years ago, it was hard for me to imagine what I would be like at 60 but its actually not different, at least from the life of the mind perspective. I think your position is ageist and is itself generational thinking. Nevertheless, I have favored term limits for many years, including when I was young. The 25th Amendment was enacted and ratified to address Presidential incapacity after President Wilson became mentally incapacitated and his wife took over the office when no one was legally able to remove him.
Any sort of neuropsych evaluation is most likely not objective enough, and could be discriminatory. For example, against autistics, or for them. No need to have that value judgement discussion.
Just have an objective competence exam. Final exam questions from 101 courses dealing with geography, physics, calculus, world and US history, micro and macro economics should suffice. Have the tests written, proctored and graded by a panel of judges appointed by larger public colleges in the country. That should do it. If a 90 year old is still with it enough to get a passing score of say 80% and continue to do so for the next decade, then mazel tov, let them serve.
No one wants this more than the GOP, unfortunately, because the moment she's out a number of bipartisan commissions will now have 1 more R than D and all the people the Dems nominate to fill the empty slots will get rejected by the Freedom Caucus members pulling McCarthy's strings.
Why was someone over 85 put on multiple committees? It’s not like she’s just now slowing down, she’s lost it completely already, this can’t be a surprise to anyone. The system is so fucked.
So long as Feinstein continues to choose to run, there is little that anyone can do. At least those constituents can see that the republican party is a non-starter as they actively make everything worse for everyone.
Afaik, there is not a single R that would pull a Manchin or Simena and vote against party lines (for more progress at least, many of them will vote against out of spite or to push to make things even worse).
It's never going to happen. She's the deciding vote on the judiciary committee. Without her it's deadlocked, which means no more federal judges. You can say what you want about how how terrible it is that she didn't retire decades ago and I'll agree with you wholeheartedly, but I'm not sure I even want her to retire if it means no more sane judges get confirmed.
In case it isn't clear. Her Congress seat can be filled, but the committee seats she holds need to be voted on, and it can be filibustered. The GOP won't let Dems reassigned those seats to another Dem; they'll remain open until next session.
She has already ruined her legacy, much like Ruth Bader Ginsburg did. Fortunately, she doesn't seem to have caused as much damage (yet) as RGB did with her clutching onto power until death.
I often wonder how much like politics first few episodes of Succession.
Are these folks actually competent at doing their job, or is the only thing they can do keep a firm grasp on their power, no matter what it costs those "beneath" them?