Senator Feinstein is getting senile

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I heard there are reports she needs people reintroduced to her within the same meeting and she relies heavily on her staffers for how to vote. Despite this, she plans to complete her term and run for another.

Here’s an idea, leave with some remaining dignity. Here’s another idea, DNC, quit protecting your museum piece members and cockblocking anybody from the same party running against them.

 

[Yoused]

She is currently the creakiest member of Congress, a mere 12 years of age behind the delightful Senator Strom Thurmond (who bought the farm just 6 months after leaving office). Perhaps there should be a mandatory age limit that would prevent any person from taking the oath of office after age 72.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

She is currently the creakiest member of Congress, a mere 12 years of age behind the delightful Senator Strom Thurmond (who bought the farm just 6 months after leaving office). Perhaps there should be a mandatory age limit that would prevent any person from taking the oath of office after age 72.

The arrogance of these people is off the charts. They have more than enough money to enjoy their twilight years whether that's another 5 years or another 20, but they think it's their God given right to stay in office into the grave and their party often agrees with that, as I mentioned, backed by the full financial and propaganda weight of the party. They don't want to have to train a new person on how the corruption machine works while they beat the ideals and integrity out of them over the course of months or years.

 

[GermanSuplex]

I’m amazed people at this age can handle the rigors of travel and working in a bustling office, with constant circus-like activity swirling around you, both in-person and the press. Seems mentally and physically exhausting, but the prestige and genuine love many of them have for the job - for better or worse - probably makes it addicting and hard to quit. I imagine being a member of Congress - especially a Senator - it’s probably more of a lifestyle than a job. You don’t clock in and clock out and have stretches of time off in the traditional sense. You live like that for a long time and I imagine it’s hard to quit, for numerous reasons.

But she probably should.

 

[Alli]

Feinstein and Andrea Mitchell. Once you start forgetting more words than you’re remembering, it’s time to retire.

 

[ronntaylor]

It's not about the Dem party leadership. If voters don't get off their asses and vote out someone that is obviously not fit, it's their own fault. If they keep voting for someone simply because that's all they know...

Colleagues and pols have to take into consideration what happens if she steps down. Padilla is already at the bottom of the pecking order as Kamala Harris's replacement. It would be nice if Feinstein stepped down depending on the results of the 2022 midterms if necessary (ie. Dems don't gain outright control of the Senate). The last thing Dems need is the GOP taking over due to a death of a sitting senator. But that's the case with several octogenarians currently serving in the Senate under both parties. Hell, it was scary enough when Senator Lujan of New Mexico, below the age of 50, suffered a stroke. And what about Bernie? He's one of the oldest and suffered a heart attack that kept him out of commission for a bit.

 

[Herdfan]

It's not about the Dem party leadership. If voters don't get off their asses and vote out someone that is obviously not fit, it's their own fault. If they keep voting for someone simply because that's all they know...

How would they know she is not fit? Most people don't follow politics to the extent most of us do. They see a name they recognize and pull the lever.

So unless the CA media makes a big deal out of it, most people won't know.

 

[Yoused]

Maybe we should have a trigger law: if a candidate receives more than 60% of the general election vote, they are not eligible to run in the subsequent election. They can run after that, but they must sit out a full term.

 

[ronntaylor]

How would they know she is not fit? Most people don't follow politics to the extent most of us do. They see a name they recognize and pull the lever.

So unless the CA media makes a big deal out of it, most people won't know.

Senator Strom Thurmond was not fit to be in office for several years. It was obvious with his frequent absences and his rare appearances at events. If she is as bad as talked about, the voters will see and know. Too many are voting for her because that's all they know. Too many don't even look into the record of their congress members and their effectiveness. They see a name and are familiar with it and for many, that's all they know or care to know. De Leon made the case that she was no longer effective. Voters gave her overwhelming support anyway. That was four years ago. If all these years of questioning her ability doesn't wake voters up, nothing will.

 

[Cmaier]

Senator Strom Thurmond was not fit to be in office for several years.

The guy thought Brown v. Board of Education was wrong. At what point was he fit to be in office?

 

[SuperMatt]

Senator Strom Thurmond was not fit to be in office for several years. It was obvious with his frequent absences and his rare appearances at events. If she is as bad as talked about, the voters will see and know. Too many are voting for her because that's all they know. Too many don't even look into the record of their congress members and their effectiveness. They see a name and are familiar with it and for many, that's all they know or care to know. De Leon made the case that she was no longer effective. Voters gave her overwhelming support anyway. That was four years ago. If all these years of questioning her ability doesn't wake voters up, nothing will.

Alaska had the same representative in the House for 49 years. He stayed until he passed away, just shy of age 90.

Shouldn’t we have term limits? Not sure why we have them for president, but not for members of Congress.

 

[Cmaier]

Alaska had the same representative in the House for 49 years. He stayed until he passed away, just shy of age 90.

Shouldn’t we have term limits? Not sure why we have them for president, but not for members of Congress.

Because republicans didn’t want another democratic president to win four terms?

 

[Yoused]

Shouldn’t we have term limits? Not sure why we have them for president, but not for members of Congress.

To start with, Congress is the body that enacts laws and presents Constitutional Amendments, so to get them to rein themselves in, good luck with that.

Then there is the question of what it would accomplish. Seems like term limits would simply churn Congress to the point that it would be full of newbies who would basically be at the mercy of the biggest special interests.

I mean, if you want a truly fair system, go with a jury-type legislative scheme, where no one knows who are going to be deciding the legal code structures. That of course hinges on the ethical purity of the jury selection administration.

 

[GermanSuplex]

Maybe an age limit instead of a term limit. Fair and even for everyone. No person under 65 or 70 to be sworn in, or only one term if they are that age. Something along those lines.

 

[ronntaylor]

Term limits already exist. They're called elections. I don't think there should be term limits for President. Just make laws fair so incumbents are nearly bullet-proof. New York and other states are going in the right direction with election reform efforts. They need to continue.

And I definitely don't like age limits. I know people in their late 70s and 80s that are smart as a whip. And I know folk in their 40s and 50s that started deteriorating mentally. Release your tax returns and release your medical records so voters can be as informed as possible. Anyone that has been paying attention knows Feinstein needs to take a seat.

 

[SuperMatt]

Term limits already exist. They're called elections. I don't think there should be term limits for President. Just make laws fair so incumbents are nearly bullet-proof. New York and other states are going in the right direction with election reform efforts. They need to continue.

And I definitely don't like age limits. I know people in their late 70s and 80s that are smart as a whip. And I know folk in their 40s and 50s that started deteriorating mentally. Release your tax returns and release your medical records so voters can be as informed as possible. Anyone that has been paying attention knows Feinstein needs to take a seat.

I agree on the age limit thing. Imagine if they set age limits in the late 18th century! 100 years from now, life expectancy could be quite a bit higher than today!

As for term limits for President, it wasn’t in the original constitution, but when you look at countries where the leader can stay indefinitely? We’re not talking about countries with a very democratic system.

 

[Roller]

Term limits already exist. They're called elections. I don't think there should be term limits for President. Just make laws fair so incumbents are nearly bullet-proof. New York and other states are going in the right direction with election reform efforts. They need to continue.

And I definitely don't like age limits. I know people in their late 70s and 80s that are smart as a whip. And I know folk in their 40s and 50s that started deteriorating mentally. Release your tax returns and release your medical records so voters can be as informed as possible. Anyone that has been paying attention knows Feinstein needs to take a seat.

I agree with you. Setting an arbitrary age limit of 65 or 70 will eliminate people who have far more to offer than people half their age. And, as Josh Hawley (age 42) has demonstrated on several occasions, youth hardly guarantees fitness for service. Instead, I'd like to see prospective officeholders demonstrate that they meet reasonable physical and mental health criteria, though these would have to accommodate improvements in medical care. For example, someone who is HIV-positive shouldn't be disqualified, since it's become a chronic condition. Also, people with conditions that impair their mobility or other functions have a valuable perspective.

As well, I think senators and congresspeople should be required to show that they have a basic knowledge of how government works. It's beyond embarrassing that a senator like Tommy Tuberville didn't know the three branches of the federal government.

 

[lizkat]

I agree with you. Setting an arbitrary age limit of 65 or 70 will eliminate people who have far more to offer than people half their age. And, as Josh Hawley (age 42) has demonstrated on several occasions, youth hardly guarantees fitness for service. Instead, I'd like to see prospective officeholders demonstrate that they meet reasonable physical and mental health criteria, though these would have to accommodate improvements in medical care. For example, someone who is HIV-positive shouldn't be disqualified, since it's become a chronic condition. Also, people with conditions that impair their mobility or other functions have a valuable perspective.

As well, I think senators and congresspeople should be required to show that they have a basic knowledge of how government works. It's beyond embarrassing that a senator like Tommy Tuberville didn't know the three branches of the federal government.

I don't especially like age limits OR term limits really, but worse than either is the low level of voter education, and as you pointed out, pretty lax standards for candidacy... although fixing the latter is problematic.

People really don't get the impact of either their own vote or the dire effect of money in politics on how life in the USA is constrained or bettered by our governance.

Better civics education is quite possible though, and could improve on the current and grossly oversimplified explanations in K-12 education of how our US lawmaking works.

 

[Roller]

I don't especially like age limits OR term limits really, but worse than either is the low level of voter education, and as you pointed out, pretty lax standards for candidacy... although fixing the latter is problematic.

People really don't get the impact of either their own vote or the dire effect of money in politics on how life in the USA is constrained or bettered by our governance.

Better civics education is quite possible though, and could improve on the current and grossly oversimplified explanations in K-12 education of how our US lawmaking works.

I'm reminded of the scene in Back to School, where Professor Barbay is showing his class how to set up a fictitious company that manufactures widgets. Thornton Melon, played by Rodney Dangerfield, corrects him by pointing out how the business world really works, with bribes and kickbacks. Perhaps it's not quite so egregious in Congress, but I'm convinced many lawmakers' primary goal over time becomes simply to remain in office.

 

[Herdfan]

Better civics education is quite possible though, and could improve on the current and grossly oversimplified explanations in K-12 education of how our US lawmaking works.

I doubt the ruling class wants better civics education.