Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to freeze for about 30 seconds on Wednesday while speaking with reporters after a speech in Covington, Kentucky.
The incident is similar to an episode McConnell experienced at the US Capitol late last month and is likely to raise additional questions about the fitness of the 81-year-old to lead the Senate Republican caucus.
Wednesday’s episode occurred when a reporter asked the Republican leader if he was planning to run for reelection in 2026. McConnell had to ask him to repeat the question several times, chuckled for a moment, and then paused.
Someone at his side then asked him, “Did you hear the question, senator, running for reelection in 2026?” McConnell did not respond.
Article includes video of the incident.
It says something that he’s still the minority leader. Feinstein has similar issues and is still around, but she’s just a random senator. This is the Republican senate leader.
I imagine many knives are being sharpened behind the scenes. I wonder if he’s actively keeping himself in power, or if other people with power are “managing” (puppeting) him until they can grab power for themselves.
In Feinsteins case, she’s on the narrowly held judiciary committee. If she were to retire (and she should for her own sake, though she may not be capable of deciding at this point), no more judges get confirmed till after the next election (to my understanding).
So not just any senator.
If she resigned the California governor would appoint somebody to fill her spot, still giving democrats control of the senate they would be able to appoint somebody else to that committee, or am I way off base?
For Diane Feinstein to resign from the Judiciary Committee and for appointing someone else to the committee right now requires unanimous consent, and the Democrats are not going to get that from the Republicans right now. Regardless, the act of replacing someone on a committee is subject to debate and can be filibustered. If Diane Feinstein were to retire or die, that’s it, a 10-10 split in the Judiciary Committee until the next Congress, so long as the Republicans refuse to play ball.
Pardon my ignorance, which rule would apply requiring unanimous consent? And which one allows for debate when filling a vacancy? I can’t seem to find it.
I misspoke, unanimous consent isn’t required, but it makes the process much smoother, and is considered the “normal” means of ratifying committee assignments.
Isn’t there also some drama about how the governor and the democratic establishment want different people in her seat? The establishment wants to wait for the election to get the more moderate Schiff, who’s a safer bet against lesser known progressives. But if the governor can appoint his progressive pick, as an incumbent they’ll have a better shot at sticking.
I don’t care for Mitch’s politics, but I doubt I’ll like who comes after any better.
But, odds are they won’t be as effective at it. As awful as he has been, he’s also been very effective. It’s rare for a senate leader from either party to obstruct things as well as he’s obstructed them, or to shovel through things as effectively as he has.
His voice has lost any strength and authority it had, he sounds like my strong, loud grandpa after he got bad dementia, he sounded weak and scared. I think he’s beyond controlling anything, he’s being used now. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.