• Wertheimer [any]
    ·
    3 years ago

    House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a statement to The Chronicle, said she had not noticed a decline in Feinstein’s memory . . .

    But then, she wouldn't. :good-morning:

    • Wertheimer [any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      “Senator Feinstein is a workhorse for the people of California and a respected leader among her colleagues in the Senate,” Pelosi said. “She is constantly traveling between California and the Capitol, working relentlessly to ensure Californians’ needs are met and voices are heard.” (Emphasis mine.)

      but

      Feinstein has not had a town hall since 2017, according to the congressional tracker LegiStorm, and has not held any local events this year.

      • nohaybanda [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Unlike actual workhorses, this one actually does deserve to be sent behind the shed, in minecraft.

    • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
      ·
      3 years ago

      "Representative Pelosi - do you have any comment on Senator Feinstein?"

      "Who?"

      "Senator Diane Feinstein."

      "I... Um..."

      "She's the senior senator from California..."

      "Oh, no. I don't like egg salad."

      • corgiwithalaptop [any, love/loves]
        ·
        3 years ago

        “Oh, no. I don’t like egg salad.”

        This is now going to be my response to every question I don't want to answer.

        Boss - "Hey Corgi, can you reach out to this client please?"

        Me - "Oh, no. I don't like egg salad."

    • pumpchilienthusiast [comrade/them, any]
      ·
      edit-2
      3 years ago

      Feinstein: Good morning!

      Pelosi: Sunday morning!

      [brief pause as they smile that blank dementia smile at each other]

      Feinstein: Good morning!

      Pelosi: Sunday morning!

      [repeat ad infinitum until their aides come to the rescue]

    • zifnab25 [he/him, any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      She's a sock puppet for her donors and for state party bosses. Like, the ideal Senator would just be a life sized mechanical turk that people can operate from under a big table in the Senate. But she's the next best alternative.

      • Wertheimer [any]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Working as planned:

        During that Jan. 20 hearing, and during a Feb. 3 hearing for a similar bill to loosen phone makers’ control over app purchases, a staff member hovered at Feinstein’s right hand during every roll call, sitting down once she had cast her vote.

      • footfaults [none/use name]
        ·
        3 years ago

        There is also nasty rumors about how her staff actually love that her brain is pudding, because that allows them to make policy on her behalf and reap the rewards.

        Wormtongue never had it so good

        • zifnab25 [he/him, any]
          ·
          3 years ago

          I imagine she's not the only Senator with that kind of staff relationship. Chuck Grassley's practically a marionette, these days.

    • regul [any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      I mean, de Leon had the endorsement of the CA Democratic Part. The national Dems did, I guess.

  • JealousCactus [comrade/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Remember when she shat on a bunch of kids concerned about climate change a few years ago? Lich Queen.

      • Vncredleader
        ·
        3 years ago

        Was that before or after AOC sat in at Pelosi's office for a photo-op with some students?

          • Aryuproudomenowdaddy [comrade/them]
            ·
            3 years ago

            Reminds me when Pelosi basically laughed in the face of someone that asked about bringing back New Deal style safety nets to keep people from dying in a gutter "We're capitalists dear."

            • panopticon [comrade/them]
              ·
              3 years ago

              She's definitely a capitalist, as in safety nets would be incompatible with her portfolio.

              • Aryuproudomenowdaddy [comrade/them]
                ·
                3 years ago

                Yes rent forgiveness would of saved thousands of people from being evicted, but did you ever think about the health of Nancy's real estate portfolio? No, you only think about yourself.

          • Vncredleader
            ·
            3 years ago

            Then we gotta bring out the big guns........ :vote:

  • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
    ·
    3 years ago

    I hate articles like this. Put the good stuff first. I want my dessert first - damn it. This is how the article ends...

    Though the Senate runs on a lot of staff work, the former staffers for Feinstein described an environment in which it was challenging to get things done due to her frequent inability to recall previous conversations or follow complicated discussions.

    One former staffer said they would have conversations about sending a letter out, and the next day Feinstein would not remember the conversation.

    In one instance, the former staffer recalled, they wanted Feinstein to sign off on something that would have advanced an important investigation. But Feinstein repeatedly said she could not understand why the investigative step was necessary, an explanation the staffer said they felt was a result of Feinstein not being able to follow the thread of the investigation.

    "It's really hard to have a micromanager who is not fully remembering everything that we've talked about," the staffer said. "My biggest concern is that it's a real disservice to the people of California."

    The lawmaker who had the hours-long interaction with Feinstein referenced a classic fable in which people are afraid to speak the truth to a powerful leader: "We've got an 'Emperor's New Clothes' problem here."

    • Wertheimer [any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      My favorite part was earlier:

      Several people were alarmed by Feinstein’s performance at the memorial service last June for former Port of San Francisco Commissioner Anne Halsted, the first woman to serve on the city’s Port Commission, whom the senator had known for decades.

      Feinstein didn’t mention Halsted in her initial remarks, but offered generic comments about San Francisco and gave shout-outs to people in the audience, including Pelosi, whom Feinstein described as “the Democratic leader in the United States Senate.” Moments later, Feinstein backtracked, joking to Pelosi, “Nancy, I promoted you to the Senate,” in a moment captured on video footage obtained by The Chronicle. The audience laughed.

      Some were uncomfortable with what they saw. After Feinstein sat down, “and it was clear that she hadn’t said anything about Anne, there was a ripple through the crowd,” said one person in the audience who has known Feinstein for decades and was granted anonymity to be able to speak freely about the incident because they continue to work with Bay Area officials.

      Feinstein later returned to the podium and spoke about Halsted, and said she was told by her staff that she needed to speak again. She spoke about Halsted in present tense, according to another video provided to The Chronicle.

      “It was quite disconcerting,” said the person who attended the event. “It’s clear that she’s really over the line.”

      • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
        ·
        edit-2
        3 years ago

        That's a good one too. Also - she hasn't given a town hall meeting since 2017 and the damning New Yorker article came out in December, 2020. The dems have surely known for many years that her brain was turning into crab bisque.

        I guess the dems are leaking to the media in hopes she'll announce her early retirement. But what happens if she's at the point of her dementia where she'll only do what she wants? Here we are right before an election. Great job democrats!

      • marxisthayaca [he/him,they/them]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Honestly, having their brains turn to goo and overseeing the crumbling American empire is exactly what the boomers deserve.

    • Deadend [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      This never stopped Regan’s administration. Just fucking forge her signature or weekend at Bernie’s her corpse you cowards.

      • Beaver [he/him]
        ·
        edit-2
        3 years ago

        Do her staffers not realize that they are the Senator from California now?

          • ElChapoDeChapo [he/him, comrade/them]
            ·
            3 years ago

            Maybe this is the most effective path to communism in :amerikkka: we just need to become staffers to senile ghouls and wait for their brains to completely turn into pudding, then make sure the libs who believe in that shit can't stop us from doing some good

        • TerminalEncounter [she/her]
          ·
          3 years ago

          If she complains that someone forged her signature just gaslight and say she signed it yesterday, doesn't she remember?

  • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
    ·
    3 years ago

    r/politics thread

    I thought there would be some copium. I was certain there would be some top comments saying "I hope she can stay in office until after the elections..." But even the libs have had enough. All the top comments I glanced at are similar to this very top comment...

    There have BEEN concerns for a while. This was a story last year and it got swept under the rug. Just go. Go hang with your grandkids and quit clinging to power. You are hurting us.

    • Lundi [none/use name]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Yeah but Californians keep voting for her for some dumbass reason lmao she sucks so hard lol

      • star_wraith [he/him]
        ·
        edit-2
        3 years ago

        Jungle primary assures only centrist Dems will ever be elected in CA (top 2 vote getters in the primaries go on to the general, regardless of party. So the matchup is a centrist Dem against a somewhat further left Dem, and all the Republican voters just vote for the centrist).

        Edit: If I was advising a leftish dem in CA, I'd suggest finding issues that call pull in right wing voters that don't compromise principles i.e. guns.

        • lascaux [he/him]
          ·
          edit-2
          3 years ago

          i knew a few r's who voted for de leon last time to own the libs. they figured that even if he won he would be ineffective and not be able to get anything done because "he is so far left", which you know, probably not wrong. plus a lot of republicans fucking hate feinstein so much they would vote for stalin if he was running against her

          • pikman1 [he/him]
            ·
            edit-2
            3 years ago

            I want to live in the universe where Stalin moved to California, ran against Feinstein for Senate, and then won and is a now a member of U.S. Congress.

        • zifnab25 [he/him, any]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Jungle primary assures only centrist Dems will ever be elected in CA

          Prior to the jungle primary, Feinstein was still cleaning up. She'd just clobber whomever was in the primary and curb stomp the Republican in the general.

      • lascaux [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        ca dems even endorsed her opponent last time but she still won lol. name recognition is ridiculously powerful in politics

        • Frank [he/him, he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          That's why I'm running for county dog catcher after I change my named to Aafrank

          • TerminalEncounter [she/her]
            ·
            3 years ago

            You gotta go with the people that legally change their name to "Cut Taxes" or "Medicare For All"

  • abc [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    If Democrats retain control of the Senate next year, Feinstein will succeed retiring Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy as the Senate’s president pro tem — putting her third in line for the presidency.

    I would like to see this personally

    • NephewAlphaBravo [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      First in line is Kamala, second is :good-morning:, fourth is a literal disintegrating skeleton in a broom closet at the pentagon

      • TerminalEncounter [she/her]
        ·
        3 years ago

        At least Kamala is under 60, but that is one hell of a line of sucession. One bad covid streak could wipe 'em out in a week. You'd start reaching into the 5th stringers in the cabinet, fucking Treasury Secretary would be in line for it lol.

        • bigboopballs [he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          One bad covid streak could wipe 'em out in a week

          It has a very poor track record on politicians, so far. Not even Trump died (or got long covid?) from it.

  • JoesFrackinJack [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    This shit is why politicians are so unrelatable, if I was 88 and had more money than God I'd be as far away from those freaks in DC as humanly possible. Put me on an island with 300 people across the world and I'd still think it wasn't remote enough

      • JoesFrackinJack [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        It's like those warhammer 40k undead machine things that have an undying, unmutable will to continue sacrificing shit to the machine gods

    • regul [any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      she has a bigass gorgeous house in SF

      why you'd spend any time in DC if you have a mansion in SF is a mystery to me

  • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Hey, Tim - ask her to draw a clock...

    Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine volunteered that after a recent snowstorm caused a traffic backup that resulted in him being stuck in his car for 27 hours commuting to D.C., Feinstein handwrote him a letter expressing how sorry she was for what he had experienced.

  • Che [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 years ago

    :hex-moon: :astronaut-2: :astronaut-1:

  • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 years ago

    Bit idea

    Feinstein gets really mad at everybody for saying she's lost a step. She says she's not only going to stay in office - she's going to run for reelection in 2024. "Nobody can stop me," she says.

    Dianne Feinstein

    In January 2021, Feinstein filed the initial Federal Election Commission paperwork needed to seek reelection in 2024, when she will be 91. Feinstein's staff later clarified that this was due to election law technicalities, and did not indicate her intentions in 2024.