Feinstein’s primary caregiver: Pelosi’s daughter

[ThatRobGuy]

Feinstein's primary caregiver: Pelosi's daughter

A quiet caretaking arrangement has raised questions about whether Nancy Pelosi has the ailing senator's personal interests at heart.

www.politico.com

I had first heard of this on the TYT podcast a few days ago (I consume some media from both sides, so this was a progressive take on the situation)

Not only did Prowda escort Feinstein around Capitol Hill last week, she was again at her side yesterday, helping aides surround the senator in a Capitol hallway as a reporter tried to speak to her. Multiple people familiar with the arrangement say it’s only the most visible part of a quiet but critical role the Pelosi family has played in helping to take care of the ailing senator, both in Washington and San Francisco.


By all accounts, the arrangement is rooted in a long and friendly relationship between Feinstein and the Pelosis — twin pillars of San Francisco politics. But among some of those who are aware, it has also raised uncomfortable questions about whether Nancy Pelosi’s political interests are in conflict with Feinstein’s personal interests.

The intrigue surrounds the future of Feinstein’s seat. Pelosi has endorsed Rep. Adam Schiff, her longtime protégé and former hand-picked House Intelligence Committee chair, to succeed Feinstein after her sixth and final term ends next year. Schiff (D-Calif.) is a household name in California and already has a $15 million campaign cash advantage over his nearest competitor.

But if Feinstein were to bow to pressure and retire early, Schiff’s advantage could disappear. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) has pledged to appoint a Black woman to serve out her term, and one of Schiff’s declared opponents, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), would fit the bill.

“If DiFi resigns right now, there is an enormous probability that Barbara Lee gets appointed — thus, it makes it harder for Schiff,” one Pelosi family confidant told Playbook, adding that the relationship between Pelosi, her daughter and the senator is “being kept under wraps and very, very closely held.”

Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told CNN yesterday he’s “monitoring her medical condition almost on a daily basis” due to her pivotal vote on judicial confirmations. Added Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), “As a friend, you can see she’s hurting.”

 

[durangodawood]

Thank you for your service Ms Feinstein! Now pleeeease retire.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Thank you for your service Ms Feinstein! Now pleeeease retire.

I've heard that same sentiment from several progressive people actually.

Sticking around too long isn't without consequences. One of the critiques I heard (although it may not be a perfect parallel due to the fact that it's California politics and not the supreme court) was that RBG was a textbook case of why it's important to retire once you reach a certain age. I forgot who said it (it was probably on a podcast), but the interviewer was basically asking the question "How did that work out for you guys with RBG? She could've retired when Obama was still president, thereby allowing him to appoint a judge to replace her...instead, she stuck around into Trump's presidency thereby allowing the other side to pick who fills the seat.)


As I said, the dynamic is a little different, this is California so it's not as if she retires or rides it out, that it'll end with a partisan conservative winning that seat.

But, in terms of the factions of the "corporate democrats vs. progressives", the stance I've gleaned from some of my progressive friends is that the preference would be that she steps down now so that Newsom can appoint a more progressive person to take that seat instead of allowing Adam Schiff (and his massive campaign money) to steamroll any progressive democrats in a primary.

And the link that was pointed out pertaining to Pelosi (and the fact that she's pretty much on team Schiff, and hand picked him to take Diane's spot) was rather interesting. And Pelosi seems to be pushing her to try to ride out the rest of her term and has her own daughter playing caregiver to her... seems like some conflicts of interest at play.

 

[wing2000]

Sticking around too long isn't without consequences.

..reported yesterday:

Ms. Feinstein’s frail appearance was a result of several complications after she was hospitalized for shingles in February, some of which she has not publicly disclosed. The shingles spread to her face and neck, causing vision and balance impairments and facial paralysis known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome. The virus also brought on a previously unreported case of encephalitis, a rare but potentially debilitating complication of shingles that a spokesman confirmed on Thursday after The New York Times first revealed it, saying that the condition had “resolved itself” in March.
Characterized by swelling of the brain, post-shingles encephalitis can leave patients with lasting memory or language problems, sleep disorders, bouts of confusion, mood disorders, headaches and difficulties walking. Older patients tend to have the most trouble recovering. And even before this latest illness, Ms. Feinstein had already suffered substantial memory issues that had raised questions about her mental capacity.

The grim tableau of her re-emergence on Capitol Hill laid bare a bleak reality known to virtually everyone who has come into contact with her in recent days: She was far from ready to return to work when she did, and she is now struggling to function in a job that demands long days, near-constant engagement on an array of crucial policy issues and high-stakes decision-making.

She needs to resign. For her own health and her inability to carry out the duties of her office. However, it seems no one in her orbit is able to convince her to do so.

Feinstein Suffered More Complications From Illness Than Were Publicly Disclosed

Senator Dianne Feinstein, 89, whose recent bout with shingles included contracting encephalitis, is frailer than ever. But she remains unwilling to entertain discussions about leaving the Senate.

www.nytimes.com

 

[rambot]

This lady...man....that's just not cool.

I'm shocked that governments don't have clear and simple mechanisms to remove elected officials who are no where near cognitively competent to lead.


Frankly, I think there quite a FEW tests that should be taken to become an elected representative.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

This lady...man....that's just not cool.

I'm shocked that governments don't have clear and simple mechanisms to remove elected officials who are no where near cognitively competent to lead.


Frankly, I think there quite a FEW tests that should be taken to become an elected representative.

Yeah, I've wondered the same thing...

Although, with the tests...
the devil's in the details. Who gets to decide where the line gets drawn? Is it a flat out binary choice between "gets to be an elected leader vs. not", or does it end up getting more granular based on things like certain committee assignments. I could see both sides trying to leverage various tests and various aptitude assessments in order to stay in power and box out their opponents for key policymaking decisions.

I'd like to think that there'd be a basic list of criteria that everyone on both sides could agree on...

But on the other hand, I could totally see that devolving into something much more convoluted and complicated.

For instance, I could see Democrats saying "if you don't believe in climate change, you don't get to be on any committees that involve setting energy policy", and I could just as easily see Republicans saying "if you haven't been in the military, you don't get to be on committees pertaining to foreign policy and military policy"

I'd like to think both sides could agree on something as simple as a test that mirrors what a Neurologist may do to gauge the situation when trying to test for Alzheimer's and dementia. But as it goes with American policies, I don't trust either party to operate within the boundaries of a sincere, good-faith endeavor.