Hillary Clinton Says Dianne Feinstein Should Not Resign

[Polybius]

Source: NY Times

Hillary Clinton weighed in this week on a question that has occupied Senate Democrats and much of the party at large for months: whether Senator Dianne Feinstein of California should resign in light of mounting health problems that have made it difficult for her to do her job.

Mrs. Clinton’s answer was no — but largely based on anticipation that Republicans would exploit the vacancy, not on an evaluation of Ms. Feinstein’s health or performance.

“Here’s the dilemma: The Republicans will not agree to add someone else to the Judiciary Committee if she retires,” she told Time magazine on Monday, in an interview published Tuesday night. “I want you to think about how crummy that is. So I don’t know what’s in her heart about whether she really would or wouldn’t, but right now, she can’t. Because if we’re going to get judges confirmed, which is one of the most important continuing obligations that we have, then we cannot afford to have her seat vacant.”

Ms. Feinstein is recovering from shingles, encephalitis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome, all of which kept her out of the Senate for more than two months until early May. She has also been experiencing memory loss and faced some calls to step down even before her latest health problems. But it was her recent absence, which prevented Democrats from advancing some judicial nominations, that caused those calls to spread from mostly left-leaning voters to even a few Democratic colleagues in Congress.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/us/politics/hillary-clinton-dianne-feinstein-resign.html

[MrsCoffee]

1. K&R

[littlemissmartypants]

2. Exactly! They may quite possibly not be able to get the votes for her committee replacement.

Which would bring a complete screeching hault to any committee business which is what everyone is complaining about.

[Cha]

3. This is what some of us have

Last edited Thu May 25, 2023, 03:21 AM - Edit history (1)

been saying for awhile.

TY & HIllary.

[pazzyanne]

12. Exactly! nt

[we can do it]

54. +1

[dlk]

4. Something is seriously wrong with Senate rules

If the majority party can’t fill committee vacancies when one of their members steps down.

[TeamProg]

5. +1

[Lasher]

6. She's right.

Moscow Mitch would filibuster to block her replacement, and I think he's even said so.

[Gore1FL]

9. What power does McConnell have over the California Governor's appoinment of a replacement? nt

[Lasher]

10. Republicans will not agree to add any other Senator to the Judiciary Committee if she retires.

Neither Feinstein's replacement, nor anybody else.

[TeamProg]

7. RGB and DiFi. Both could have made a world of difference

if they retired before their time was up.

Egos get in the way.

I am / was thoroughly disappointed in both for not making sure that the table is set for the next progressive.

Selfishness is not pride, it’s more akin to greed.

[Karma13612]

17. Yup, I agree. The sign of leadership

And progressive thinking is making sure you have a good team in place so the fight continues in your absence.

They didn’t/don’t realize that people will ALWAYS remember how important they were for this country. They didn’t need to continue the fight themselves.

Instead we are in constant peril with one, and have lost valuable rights already, with the other.

Didn’t have to be this way.

[onenote]

21. What "world of difference" would Feinstein retiring in 2018 be making now?

Specifics?

[TeamProg]

24. The holding up if judicial appointments probably would not have

happened.

These hold ups affect the future of court’s’ decisions which affects the laws we all abide by.

Do you disagree that we need some younger Senators to establish themselves into progressive leadership positions?

DiFi was moderate. About a year ago she voted NO to legalize marijuana saying “needs more research”!! What? Countless non- violent people in jail for pot would be free and not costing the rest of us to incarcerate them.

She also supported GWB’s War On Iraq.

Don’t you remember that?

If not, then please be more informed.

I’ve lived in California most of my life. And voted for DiFi every time, but yes, she should have retired by now.

[onenote]

29. What judicial appointments have not gone through because she was absent for 30 days

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when the Senate was in session.

Names?

Twenty-one nominations were approved by the Senate during her absence. There are another 20 awaiting confirmation and her absence hasn't held up any of them.

There are nine nominees pending in Committee -- four were nominated this month and none of them have had a committee hearing yet even though Feinstein's presence. Indeed, hearing were held on some nominees during her absence.

As recently as 2022 she was one of the most effective Senators: She sponsored the sixth most bills of any Democrat, was seventh in getting her bills out of committee, and tied for sixth in getting bills on which she was the lead sponsor enacted.

[onenote]

31. Seniority matters in the Senate.

Until her recent illness, which unless you have some special ESP, was not predictable, she was one of the most effective Senators. As recently as last year, she sponsored the sixth most bills of any Democrat, was seventh in getting her bills out of committee, and tied for sixth in getting bills on which she was the lead sponsor enacted.

Remember who ran against her in 2018? Wish he had been elected?

[TeamProg]

34. Yes! Ranked choice put two Dems at the top of the winnings.

DiFi and another Dem.

You can Google his name.

[onenote]

35. And what would've happened if he had won?

[onenote]

22. Should we celebrate Thurgood Marshall's lack of "selfishness"?

Marshall announced his retirement June 27, 1991, allowing Bush to name Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. Had he stayed on the Court until his death on January 24, 1993, his replacement would have been named by Bill Clinton.

And how different the world might be today.

Sometimes being selfish isn't a bad thing.

As recently as last year, Feinstein was one of the most effective Senators. She sponsored the sixth most bills of any Democrat, was seventh in getting her bills out of committee, and time for sixth in getting bills on which she was the lead sponsor enacted.

[TeamProg]

25. Apples and oranges. Don't ask me to explain this one to you as well. nt

[onenote]

28. Apples and oranges is a cop out answer

from someone unwilling to defend their claim that officials should retire when they get to a certain point where their abilities are becoming compromised.

My point is that there are situations where hanging is to be applauded, not criticized.

[TeamProg]

33. It didn't work out well for SCOTUS when RGB hung in

there.

Yours is a cop out answer.

[onenote]

36. And it didn't work out when Marshall didn't hang on.

So there is no universal truth about whether one hangs on or not.

In Feinstein's case, there hasn't been any significant downside to her hanging on and given her record and who ran against her, there's been significant upside.

[TeamProg]

38. There is if you lost a family member or suffered missing limbs from the War On Iraq, and there is

a downside if you have a family member rotting in prison for a pot violation.

Troll much?

[onenote]

41. I have no idea what you're trying to say.

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Apparently because she voted for the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, a position she has publicly regretted, that is relevant to her service today.

If that's the case, then I think you must have a problem with these other Democrats who voted for the Iraq War resolution having continued to serve after that vote: Sen. Biden, Sen. Clinton, Sen. Kerry, Sen. Schumer, Rep. Schiff, Rep. Hoyer, Rep. Markey.


And you say she voted against legalization of marijuana "about a year ago". I know she voted for a bill she sponsored that called for funding for marijuana research last March -- a bill that was co-sponsored by Senators Durbin, Schatz, and Kaine and that was passed by unanimous consent. I'd be interested in seeing a link to where she cast a vote against legalization of marijuana last year.


And as far as trolling, I suggest you look in the mirror.

[TheFarseer]

44. It should be self evident why that is different

And does not support your argument. If you want to argue that she had no idea she had dementia in 2018 and half the Senate is old enough to develop dementia in the next 6 years, I can listen to that argument.

[Gore1FL]

8. But she's groovy of people voting against Biden because of age...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3078827

If anyone else said these thngs on DU, they would be rightfully crucified.

[Novara]

19. She didn't say anything about voting against him because of his age

Not a thing.

Age is a factor with Biden. It was in 2020, and he won handily. Ignoring his age doesn't make it go away. Biden is excellent at his job despite his age. She did mention that.

And she is not wrong about DiFi. Again, she didn't say anything about her abilities. She did mention the political ratfuckery the republicans would do.

I keep telling people: Hillary is right about everything.

[LisaM]

43. Yeah, I noticed.that once again, her words are being twisted.

She never said not to vote for Biden, and she's also saying the Senate rules are a problem. But I knew, I KNEW, someone would act as if these are two completely equivalent statements for the same situation.

[Novara]

49. Yep

Straw man building.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

11. Yeah, right. Stay in the Senate no matter how senile or

unable to do the job.

Don't you wish everyone had that tenacity? Imagine, how great it would be if doctors and surgeons stayed on the job, even if they couldn't really do it.

Or auto mechanics who no longer recall what is what.

Yep. Don't ever resign. No matter what.

Do I need the sarcasm thingy?

[onenote]

23. So how do you feel about Thurgood Marshall retiring and allowing Bush to name Thomas

Marshall lived long enough for Clinton to become president.

Are you happy he didn't have the "tenacity" to stick around in the job?

[TeamProg]

26. Like the RBG scenario? Please explain.

[onenote]

27. Did I say it was the same? It's an example of why retiring early can be bad.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

37. Marshall had the good sense to notice his

health was failing. Yeah, he lived until Clinton became President, but when he resigned in 1991 everyone, and I mean everyone, knew that Bush would absolutely win a second term.

It's not tenacity, but sheer stupidity to stick to a job when you are too old, ill, or mentally incompetent to do the job.

[onenote]

40. So are you saying Feinstein was incompetent in 2022?

A year in which she sponsored the sixth most bills of any Democrat, was seventh in getting her bills out of committee, and tied for sixth in getting bills on which she was the lead sponsor enacted.


Did she appear mentally incompetent at this hearing in late 2022?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

45. I certainly saw many reports that she often had no clue

what was going around her. Her cognizance of things seemed to have come and gone.

Reading a prepared statement doesn't prove a lot.

[Polybius]

47. How do you feel about David Souter retiring under Obama when Bush 1 picked him?

It works both ways.

Also, when Martial retired it looked like Bush was a shoe-in for re-election.

[onenote]

48. And when Ginsburg decided not to retire it seemed likely Clinton would win.

It works both ways.

[Polybius]

51. Different analysis though

We're talking about two Supreme Court members that were picked by a President of one Party who volintarily retired under a President of the other Party.

Can't get mad at Marshall for retiring under Bush and then root for Souter retiring under Obama. They retire when they are ready.

[onenote]

52. "They retire when they are ready"

Doesn't that apply to Ginsberg? She obviously wasn't ready to retire in late 2016 and I'm pretty sure that, had she decided she was ready to retire during Trump's term (rather than hope to outlast Trump), she would have been eviscerated here.

[Polybius]

53. I apply it to her

Others have criticized her for not retiring under Obama, but not I. When she was in and out of the hospital in 2019 I even said that I'd understand if she retired.

[Hekate]

13. Hillary is absolutely right. The GOPers have shown themselves to be entirely untrustworthy liars

Every Democrat should remember why it is that Merrick Garland is not on the Supreme Court, how we were lied to and how he was disrespected and stalled until time ran out.

Why on Earth would any intelligent Democrat believe the current crop of Republicans would behave any differently regarding Dianne Feinstein?

Senator Feinstein may be old and ill, but she has a good staff, and with their help and the support of Dems in the Senate, here presence will do us a great deal of good.

[Bayard]

14. I'm just afraid she's going to die in office

Then, we'll still be in the same boat.

[Novara]

20. even if she does, we get more done in the meantime

[Hortensis]

32. As Novara says. We'll have advanced and achieved to that point.

McConnell would give anything to be able to switch boats, btw.

[Jean Genie]

15. Absolutely not!

I'm with Hillary on this one. No! Diane Feinstein should NOT resign!

[Blue_playwright]

16. I agree with her

I think the GOP would use it to shut down any judicial appointments. Full Stop. While I hate that old woman who is still so obviously suffering from shingles pain is being forced into this - whether she really understands or not - the party has no choice with these fascists on the other side of the aisle.

[Karma13612]

18. We need to change this stupid rule about not

Being able to replace a committee member. This is flipping stupid.

Every time I hear about another insane procedure or rule in our government, I want to ask: who agreed to this? And was it like a century ago when things were different?

The rule saying the majority party can’t replace a committee member is just plain insane!

[Hortensis]

30. She's pointing out basic reality of course. I just hope Senator Feinstein is

feeling better every day.

[mackdaddy]

42. As long as she can show up to vote, I am great with her staying.

Not being able to come in for months was a big deal and McConnell not allowing her replacement on the judiciary to block ALL new judges from being appointed was awful.

I hope she makes it to the end of her term, and they vote as many sane judges into place as possible.

[ripcord]

46. I hope DiFi continues to flip the bird to her detractors

I'm not hearing a big cry here in California for her to step down and those are the only opinions that matter.

[we can do it]

55. Same here.

[iemanja]

50. She could resign as of a date in the future

Say the November election, which would offer a chance for someone else to be reelected, providing CA law allows such a thing.