Seems to me that when Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ) took a "leave of absence"

[no_hypocrisy]

for months, that set up lending itself to Mitch McConnell's absence.

Kean was gone for months, not days or weeks.

And the entreaties to leave them alone for the sake of privacy . . . . .

[lame54]

1. No one knew who he was before he left

[sop]

2. Fetterman's office publicly disclosed his diagnosis of depression and hospitalization for treatment on the same day

he was admitted to Walter Reed.

[Biophilic]

3. They are public figures. They don't get that kind of privacy.

If they want or need that kind of privacy they can resign. You wouldn’t be able to just disappear from any other kind of job. If we are paying your salary we deserve to know why you aren’t doing your job.

[SheltieLover]

4. Too bad he's not a pregnant female, rethugs would be crawling up his innards with NO regard for HIPPA