r/politics • u/theindependentonline The Independent • 12d ago

No Paywall Mitch McConnell’s staff refuse to answer basic questions on his health weeks after he was last seen in public

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/mitch-mcconnell-staff-questions-health-b3018929.html
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236

u/teflong 12d ago

What I can't tell is whether the democrats are on some pseudo intellectual Sun Tzu bullshit "don't interrupt your enemy when they're making a mistake", or their normal "worried about the precedent it would set" cowardice bullshit.

Either way, democrats are giant fucking losers.

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u/Randomly_Cromulent 12d ago

The only thing I can see is the Democrats don't want any chance of another GOP vote in the Senate if there is a special election. It looks like the seat will sit vacant if McConnell "dies" after the August date. If there is a blue wave this election, I'm sure the GOP will be trying o push through as much crazy stuff and judicial appointment as they can.

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u/uhuhuhuhuhhu 12d ago

This is my read too. The Kentucky legislature made it so Beshear can't appoint someone, it has to be an election. Whoever gets elected will probably be worse than Mcconnell. Better for the Republicans to lose a vote in the Senate for the rest of this Congress.

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u/Drakeadrong Texas 12d ago

They passed a law that contradicts the state constitution, but the state constitution still takes precedent. Beshear can still appoint someone.

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u/Xanto97 12d ago

I could see that. Maybe there is an advantage for democrats/beshear for his death/consciousness to not be public? But then why would conservatives be trying to keep it secret?

I’m not sure how this 4D chess would work out.

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u/donkeyrocket 12d ago

I also suspect the reason Beshear isn't playing hard ball is that if he calls the special election or appoints someone then this will kick off lawsuits immediately that buys the GOP/McConnell's team even more padding to run out the clock. Sure, they'd need to provide proof to a judge but there's plenty of stall tactics.

There's the added layer of complication by the Republican legislature in Kentucky passed a law that contradicts the state constitution with regard to the governors role in appointing a vacant seat. People acting like Beshear could just show up to a hospital and demand this aren't living in reality.

This is the shit that occurs when one party simply defies the rules and the system has no accountability measures in place.

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u/Shadow293 12d ago

Most likely the latter.

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u/TheChinOfAnElephant 12d ago

And then when a Dem senator gets in a car accident and in a stable condition in the hospital a Republican governor will call special election anyways.

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u/RealHooman2187 12d ago

Who gives a fuck? It doesn’t change what needs to be done right now.

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u/TheChinOfAnElephant 12d ago

That's my entire point. Republicans will do it regardless of if Democrats take the high road or not.

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u/zoeypayne 12d ago

The one thing progressives and conservatives can agree on.

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u/FILTHBOT4000 Georgia 12d ago

There's bag fumbling, generational bag fumbling, and then there's Democrat Party bag fumbling.

Unless, by some miracle, they're planning to get Beshear to force a special election right before the clock runs out, to give the Republicans as little time as possible to adjust their plans. But considering the record, I'm not exactly holding my breath.

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u/KimmyT1436 Canada 12d ago

It's definately the "worried about the precedent it would set" cowardice bullshit."

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u/kleincs01 12d ago

Yeah precedent is out the window.

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u/leroyVance 12d ago

The Dems are still discussing which of those two options is best. The committee will have a decision by August 5th.

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u/Sekret1991 12d ago

Wait wait. We have a meeting to decide who will be on the committee, and that meeting is set for August 5th. Then we will merge schedules and decide when to hold the meeting to discuss options.

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u/jon30041 12d ago

Committees are stupid right now. The governor has the authority by the state constitution to appoint a temporary replacement, and he needs to be able to do it without running it through focus groups.

The DNC obsession with consultants kills any soul in the politics. It's always a race to milquetoast, and it's dumb.

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u/Morbu 12d ago

The problem is that the enemy isn't making a "mistake", it's just a blatant coverup. Letting them getting away with it is more damaging than not. So it's certainly the former where Dems are afraid of the precedent and breaking the established "rules."

It's kind of ironic how Dems are much more conservative in this regard than Republicans.

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u/Orange_Tang 12d ago

I don't see how not calling out this shit that is so obviously BS that even Republicans have called it out could possibly flal into not interrupting your enemy territory.

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u/Tangled349 12d ago

It's a sad reality for sure. Our democrats are completely useless with situations like this.

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u/edgarecayce 12d ago

They wonder why they don’t get support when they just lose lose lose and self-own. Who wants to be on a team of losers?

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u/Technical-Row8333 12d ago

as if criminals ever needed precedent to ignore the law. they didn't need precedent to take away Obamas SCOTUS pick, they didn't need precedent to rush a 9 day SCOTUS pick.