After two Democratic congressmen called for her resignation Wednesday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said that she’d asked to be temporarily replaced on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
She’s missed 60 votes. Really, Dianne, it’s time to step down, no one can do this job forever especially from 3000 miles away.
“Per Sen. Feinstein’s wishes, Majority Leader Schumer will ask the Senate next week to allow another Democratic Senator to temporarily serve on the Judiciary Committee,” a Schumer spokesperson said.
Do, or do not. There is no try.
She’s changing careers, apprenticing to a roofer on the sly.
Why else would there be all this talk about shingles?
They’ve also held back consideration for dozens of judges because a tie vote in committee is the same as a loss.
0 chance the R’s just let Dems replace her on that committee. But then, she had absolutely no business running in 2018 and to an extent, this is what Dem leadership gets for hiding her condition from the world. There was no need whatsoever to protect the seat by keeping her in it.
I’m a strong opponent to term limits because I think it locks out younger talent that doesn’t want to end up in lobbying, but I’d be fully behind a constitutional amendment forcing retirement by 67, the age we all agree you should be fully retired.
Should Feinstein resign, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) would appoint her replacement. He’s already promised to pick a Black woman should the opportunity arise, potentially giving Lee the jump on the race.
She beat him.
I had shingles just prior to the plague, in my early seventies. It was a painful two to three weeks. At 89 it must be much worse but she’s been out for months. There’s something else going on.
I’m struggling to process how Sen. Feinstein’s potential cognitive confusion, as Josh gestured towards in his most recent editor’s note, might be playing into this. That is, stubbornness may be an issue of ego, which all politicians no doubt share, but also of advanced age. My mother is the same age as Sen. Feinstein, and she tends to get fixated on particular issues and decisions in a way that she never did as a younger person, even 5-8 years ago. Of course, my mom is not a senator, and her stubbornness tends to revolve around resisting medical advice. But, as Josh suggested, this may be a decision requiring the participation of multiple people, each with their own agenda.
I hope everyone can come together on what’s best for California and democracy, which is having a senator who can do the job.
Josh is right, “This is an undignified and unkind spectacle.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg also had this problem of not acknowledging when it was time to step down and look how that played out.
no thanks. My excellent Senator, Elizabeth Warren, would be disqualified by that rule. She is 73 but still kick-ass at her job and I want her in there for as long as she can be effective.
DiFi is no longer effective. I think she should step down but I’m against treating the whole issue with a broad brush rule. The reality is, she has been struggling with the ability to do the job for some time, and it has been obvious to a lot of people. Maybe this is a lesson that she should have been challenged earlier. But the party leaders should also have been turning up the heat earlier. They do have some influence. Everyone let this go for too long.
RBG was able to do her job. The issue people had with her not stepping down is timing, not ineffectiveness.
(I for the record don’t blame RBG, I blame asshole Mitch McConnell)
Amen, this is ridiculous. Lots of crucial votes are hostage to her selfishness and sense of political entitlement.
To quote Oliver Cromwell in dismissing the Long Parliament, “You have sit here too long; for the sake of God please go.”
A good politician, like a good athlete, knows when it’s time to quit. Not everyone can have a last appearance like Ted Williams (hitting a home run in his final at bat.
My real question is how will Mitch find a way to use this to screw us via the federal courts once again? Will we get stuck with a tied up judiciary committee until the next election?
No way the gop gets them to 60 votes to replace her on the committee.
If Republicans choose to, they could try to obstruct this procedure to further hold up Biden judges.
If?
So am I understanding this? If they can’t get to 60 votes, then no more judges are approved? FFS! 50 years of power wasn’t enough for her?
Can Durbin push for full Senate vote on nominees if committee is not complete and unable to vote? That and ignore blue slips like GOP does…