Dianne Feinstein: oldest serving senator says she 'hasn't been gone' despite absence

[jgo]

"
Tue 16 May 2023 21.30 EDT
A bizarre exchange with reporters has raised new questions about the return of Dianne Feinstein, California’s senior senator who has been absent from Washington for months due to shingles.

Jim Newell, a reporter for Slate, ran into Feinstein shortly after the 89-year-old lawmaker voted on the Senate floor on Tuesday. When he and another journalist asked Feinstein how she has been received by her colleagues since returning to Washington, Feinstein appeared to insist that she had never left.

“I haven’t been gone. I’ve been working,” Feinstein told Newell and another reporter, according to a Slate article published Tuesday. She was asked if she meant she had been working remotely, to which Feinstein responded: “No, I’ve been here. I’ve been voting. Please. You either know or don’t know.”

The exchange comes as Feinstein faces pressure to resign amid questions about her health.
"

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/16/dianne-feinstein-says-hasnt-been-gone-from-senate

[lapfog_1]

1. I wish she was Barbara Boxer...

but as long as she votes the way her staff directs her...

[WarGamer]

2. I hope she lives to be 100 and serves in the Senate each and every day...

As a big middle finger to all those who want to get rid of her.

If there was a Politics Hall of Fame...

She'd have her own display there.

[chowder66]

3. lol. That's one way to go about it!

[iemanja]

5. Why do you want her to continue to serve?

What purpose does it serve other than fulfilling your antipathy toward part of the American population?

[Sky Jewels]

14. There is a lot of over-the-top denial of reality on DU

when it comes to Dianne Feinstein. It’s truly bizarre to me. We’re all supposed to pretend an obviously in-decline (almost) 90-year-old is in perfect health and as energetic as a 25-year-old. And if we don’t we’re bad Democrats and sexist and ageist.

[ForgedCrank]

24. Yea, be

careful with that.
Whenever I try to address reality, I get hides for "right wing talking points". Nearly lost my login over it once.
I understand the need to keep her votes rolling, but I also see an emergency situation that needs addressed as soon as possible. We can't afford for that seat to be vacant for any length of time right now.

[iemanja]

34. Agreed

I believe in a government that functions. Some seem to think if there is a D near someone's name, they are ENTITLED to RULE for life. Note the comment in question. He doesn't want her to serve out her term. He wants her to be in office long past her term, long past her decline. It's not a vision that values the well-being of the populace or the confidence the people have in government. I truly don't understand it.

[BlackSkimmer]

38. Spot on.

It’s disappointing.

[Autumn]

7. That is pure contempt towards your fellow Democrats. She won't "serve" each and every day.

She been back what.. a week? Now it's becoming more obvious.

[Nixie]

11. +1. It was so obvious this was going to be their next attack

when she came back. So predictable.

By their own standards, Bernie will be retiring next year since he’ll be about the same age as Feinstein was when she ran for re-election and we can’t have that.

California voters did the math on Feinstein’s age and she was better than the creep running against her.

[Beautiful Disaster]

15. I have no problem with Feinstein's age.

But she's clearly not there mentally. Bernie is. His age, like Biden's doesn't concern me.

[Nixie]

19. This is also so predictable. Your concern is noted.

[Beautiful Disaster]

37. Blah, blah, blah. It's ghoulish what they're doing to her.

It's elder abuse at this point and your apparent supporting it is disgusting.

[Nixie]

46. Heart attacks and strokes are also serious. Supporting patients

through all manner of illnesses is pretty standard procedure. You certainly don’t know more than her doctors. What’s ghoulish is you thinking she should hand over her senate seat.

Edit:it is interesting to see what the Medicare for All crowd really thinks of sick people.

[PufPuf23]

13. That is neither a funny nor useful suggestion. nt

[edisdead]

4. I wpuld love to hear the exchange and all of it.

[Irish_Dem]

6. Maybe there should be some concern and compassion for an ill woman.

It can't always be about politics.

Everyone inside the beltway knows what is going on.

I am glad I am not involved in this case with a mandate to report.

[NotVeryImportant]

17. I'm curious...

What's your assessment of what's going on?

[Irish_Dem]

20. Seems quite obvious.

I would think to even those people not trained and experienced in psych evaluation.

The rumor in Wash DC is that everyone knows the diagnosis and prognosis for DF.

And we can see it for ourselves now.

[BlackSkimmer]

39. This.

Amazing people are trying to twist any concern we might have for one of our best who is obviously unwell.

[Takket]

8. If she is coherent and voting she should stay as long as she wants

I think she was just referring to being present and voting since she got back so she hasn’t had time to worry about how she is being “received”.

[live love laugh]

9. Maybe she was working as she said.

[Celerity]

12. She was asked if she meant she had been working remotely, to which Feinstein responded: 'No,

I’ve been here. I’ve been voting.'

[W_HAMILTON]

22. She has been there. Voting. Since at least last week.

[Celerity]

27. That's not what the question was about. It was not addressing the period since she came back.

It was clearly about the months she was absent.

[W_HAMILTON]

28. It wasn't clear to me and I certainly do not have dementia.

I said how it would have come off to me: as an agenda-driven reporter from an outlet that has regularly criticized my absence due to illness showing up around a week after I had already returned and casting votes like any other senators and questioning me on where I had been.

[Celerity]

29. It was clear.

[W_HAMILTON]

30. I said what I said.

[W_HAMILTON]

10. She has been there and she has been casting votes:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein returns to Capitol Hill, casts her first votes since February

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., cast her first two votes on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon after a nearly three-month absence due to health issues.

Upon her arrival on Capitol Hill, she was assisted into a wheelchair and greeted by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Feinstein told reporters that she feels "much better."

Taken from: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/dianne-feinstein-back-dc-still-missed-another-vote-rcna83794

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. That clearly says she returned, and that is what she denied

It was a bizarre conversation, thanks to her. She was either trolling or confused.

[W_HAMILTON]

21. She's returned and been answering these questions for over a week now.

For some no-name reporter to come in and ask them at this point comes off as them accusing her of not being around and casting votes *now*, when she has been back and been casting votes for at least a week at this point.

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. Well, if you hate reporters, I can see how you'd be able to interpret it like that

If you think they are beneath a privileged senator, and don't have the right to ask "what the response from her colleagues had been like since her return", then you might incorrectly leap to the conclusion that saying "since her return" meant "you haven't been around until *now*, so there has no time for your colleagues to respond to you, but I am just a no-name reporter who wants to disrespect you, so ignore that I'm asking you about the time between your return and now, because my supporters will take that to mean that you returned right *now*".

Am I getting your reasoning correct? That you don't think "since your return" really meant "since your return", but something else?

[W_HAMILTON]

26. If """reporters""" had been making insinuations about my health and criticizing me for my absence...

...due to illness -- all the while many of those same ""'reporters""" had not done the same for another senator who was in a similar situation, having missed quite a bit of time recently due to an illness -- I would also be defensive and had no problem in telling them that I've been back and voting for a week, "where have you been Mr. Journalist? Maybe it's you that are confused?" Which is pretty much what she did say.

These are questions that were asked when she did return. She's been back for at least around a week. If some no-name reporter who obviously has an agenda -- just see how he described her actions in the article -- comes afterwards and asks questions like I haven't been back and doing my job just like any other senator, you can damn well be sure I'd correctly set them straight and I see no problem with her doing so given all the shameful criticism she has received from many of these so-called journalists.

This isn't even delving into the fact that she could have misheard the question or misinterpreted it to mean an accusation that she hasn't been there when she has been back.

Jumping straight to the "it's dementia!" attack is shameful and, as someone that has dealt with dementia up close and personal as I was the primary caregiver for my mom who had dementia, right up until her death, it ESPECIALLY pisses me off. It's the same shit they did with Biden and it's fucking DISGUSTING.

IF SOMEONE HAS DEMENTIA TO THE POINT IT PREVENTS THEM FROM FUNCTIONING IN DAILY LIFE, YOU WILL KNOW IT.

YOU WON'T HAVE TO READ INTO THEIR ACTIONS.

IT WILL BE FUCKING OBVIOUS.

[muriel_volestrangler]

31. Oooh - double scare quotes. I think you know these are genuine reporters

They're working in the Capitol, after all.

OK, you're going with the "she's a rude troll" theory.

No, asking about the response of her fellow senators since her return was not asked about when she did return. You can tell, because back then, it would have been in the future. It's a perfectly reasonable question to ask after a week, and "she's a rude troll who thinks reporters are beneath her" is a pretty weak defence.

Plenty of people with experience of dementia sufferers say this is characteristic of it. I had a relative with mild dementia towards the end of her life, and yes, this would fit. Not apparently being able to talk coherently about something that has just prevented her doing her job is indeed preventing her from functioning in her daily life.

[W_HAMILTON]

32. There are """reporters""" from Fox News at the Capitol too.

Would you consider them genuine reporters? Or people more interested in pushing an agenda and making the news rather than simply reporting it?

Yeah, as I thought.

And responding CORRECTLY to a question is not indicative of dementia.

You sound lucky to have little experience with the type of advanced stages of dementia that would impact a person's ability to function in their daily life. How fortunate. Maybe volunteer with a hospice company to get a firsthand view of what people with advanced dementia act like so you can differentiate that from this.

[muriel_volestrangler]

33. Well, if you despise Slate reflexively, you pretty much hate all reporters

She responded incorrectly. That's the problem. Either out of spite, or confusion.

People aren't saying she has advanced dementia. But she has a complicated and responsible job, and it's a problem for the country if she's no longer up to it. Her daily life is being a senator.

[Nixie]

36. She responded like someone who knew she was being trolled

and she backed out of the “questioning, “ which is her right.

Lots of senators do that, all kinds of politicians do it. One in particular is very repetitive about his favored mantras and he refuses to answer direct questions about current events unless it fits his wheelhouse. He’s in his 80’s, too, but I don’t see demands he hand over his senate seat.

[BlackSkimmer]

40. Asking questions as a reporter is "trolling" now?

Oh my goodness gracious me.

[DickKessler]

43. Seriously! I dislike the sense of entitlement a lot of politicians have.

[Nixie]

45. "Reporters" --- Fox News has "reporters" too

Lots of laughable “reporters”.

[W_HAMILTON]

44. I don't hate them, but I do realize they present a very slanted view on subjects.

Particularly this one, as they have demonstrated time and time again over recent months.

Case in point, compare their coverage of Fetterman's illness(es) to Feinstein's.

They defended Fetterman repeatedly through several articles all the while they are attacking and criticizing Feinstein.

Their agenda is obvious.

[liberal_mama]

41. I have an in-law with advanced dementia who doesn't even recognize her own children anymore

She's only 61, but had Covid like 4x already because she lives in Louisiana where people think Covid is a hoax. I'm sure that didn't help matters, but what can you do? Her kids don't believe Covid exists so they keep infecting her.

My grandmother was an expert at hiding her memory issues for years. Her ability to pretend she was completely with it always impressed and amazed me. In the end, she lived to be 95, and she thought Eisenhower was still the president, but when a nurse or doctor would point to me, and say, "Who is this?" She would always say, "That's my granddaughter." I'm not sure if she knew what my name was anymore, but she knew I was her granddaughter.

I don't know if Sen Feinstein has dementia or memory issues and it would be hidden from us anyway. I'm not a doctor. I suppose as long as her staff and fellow democrats direct her to vote properly and look out for her, I don't have a problem with it.

[Trenzalore]

18. Part of getting older is your mental faculties decline in most people

What age it happens depends on a lot of factors, but for most people it happens.

Now call me ageist or anything else because I stated a simple fact.

[Chakaconcarne]

25. I don't think this exchange with her is enough to discount her abilities...

It can be interpreted in different ways..

Give it some time, let's see some more examples. Seems we owe her that after all she's done for us.

That is my opinion.

[Justice]

35. People on the left and the right want Feinstein to resign

It's really not cool.

[DickKessler]

42. Here's the original Slate article.

I encountered Feinstein coming off an elevator, sitting in a wheelchair and flanked by staff. It’s been hard to find the senator since her return; she’s kept her movements mostly to the least-populated passageways and skipped luncheons and non-urgent committee hearings.

I asked her how she was feeling.

“Oh, I’m feeling fine. I have a problem with the leg.” A fellow reporter staking out the elevator asked what was wrong with the leg.

“Well, nothing that’s anyone concern but mine,” she said.

When the fellow reporter asked her what the response from her colleagues had been like since her return, though, the conversation took an odd turn.

“No, I haven’t been gone,” she said.

OK.

“You should follow the—I haven’t been gone. I’ve been working.”

When asked whether she meant that she’d been working from home, she turned feisty.

“No, I’ve been here. I’ve been voting,” she said. “Please. You either know or don’t know.”

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/05/dianne-feinstein-health-return-to-senate.html

[W_HAMILTON]

47. Compare and contrast their articles on Fetterman vs. Feinstein:

When, Exactly, Is It OK to Make Fun of a Political Opponent for Having a Stroke?
The Real Significance of John Fetterman Using Closed Captioning
Actually, John Fetterman’s Debate Performance Was Fine
John Fetterman Isn’t the First Politician to Face a Mental Health Crisis
What Fetterman’s Hospitalization Underscores About the Biology of Depression

vs.

Is It Time for Dianne Feinstein to Step Down?
Democrats Deferred to Dianne Feinstein in 2018. They Couldn’t Afford to Do So Again.
The California Feeding Frenzy for Dianne Feinstein’s Senate Seat Is Off With a Bang
Dianne Feinstein and the Democrats' dilemma
Dianne Feinstein is stalling Biden's judicial appointments.

[Nixie]

48. Isn't Bernie applauded for being a loner type in the senate??

Now it’s not acceptable that Feinstein wants to stick to herself more.

The article just sounds like she didn’t want to be bothered with gotcha “reporters.” Some senators are applauded for being dismissive to questions.