I know that there are some really exceptional old people like Noam Chomsky
with his photographic memory and Daniel Ellsberg, (who is beginning to sound
to me like he's slowing down a bit), and 2 or 3 more whose names escape me
right now because I'm slowing down a bit, but really, I think there should
be an age limit for public office, probably eighty, possibly seventy five.
What CA facility are you referring to?
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Andy Baracco
Sent: Friday, September 25, 2020 4:46 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Democrats Worry Feinstein Can't Handle
Supreme Court Battle
Here in CA many Dems regard Feinstein as a do nothing senator who should
have been a Republican.
I had the opportunity to meet her in 2014 when she visited our VA facility.
The one thing she was passionate about was veterans issues, and she visited
our facility because she didn't think we were doing enough to help homeless
veterans.
Andy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Miriam Vieni" <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 25, 2020 1:25 PM
Subject: [blind-democracy] Democrats Worry Feinstein Can't Handle Supreme
Court Battle
Democrats Worry Feinstein Can't Handle Supreme Court Battle By JohnSen.
Bresnahan and Marianne LeVine, POLITICO
25 September 20
s the Senate prepares for yet another brutal Supreme Court nomination
fight, one particularly sensitive issue is creating apprehension among
Democrats:
what to do with 87-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member
of the Judiciary Committee.
Feinstein, the oldest member of the Senate, is widely respected by
senators in both parties, but she has noticeably slowed in recent
years. Interviews with more than a dozen Democratic senators and aides
show widespread concern over whether the California Democrat is
capable of leading the aggressive effort Democrats need against
whoever President Donald Trump picks to replace the late Justice Ruth
Bader Ginsburg.
The Judiciary Committee is the critical battleground in the Supreme
Court confirmation process. At stake, her own Democratic colleagues
worry, is more than just whether the party can thwart Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in his rush to fill the seat. Some
Democrats privately fear that Feinstein could mishandle the situation
and hurt their chances of winning back the majority.
Feinstein sometimes gets confused by reporters' questions, or will
offer different answers to the same question depending on where or
when she's asked. Her appearance is frail. And Feinstein's genteel
demeanor, which seems like it belongs to a bygone Senate era, can lead
to trouble with an increasingly hard-line Democratic base uninterested
in collegiality or bipartisan platitudes.
Just this week, Feinstein infuriated progressives after declaring her
opposition to ending the Senate's legislative filibuster - a top goal
of party activists if Democrats win full control of the Congress and
White House in November. Some on the left called on her to resign over
the comments, although other Democratic moderates have expressed
similar views.
In a phone interview, Feinstein pushed back hard against suggestions
she could no longer effectively serve as ranking member of the
Judiciary panel or is incapable of handling the upcoming nomination fight.
"I'm really surprised and taken aback by this. Because I try to be
very careful and I'm puzzled by it," Feinstein told POLITICO. "My
attendance is good, I do the homework, I try to ask hard questions. I
stand up for what I believe in."
Feinstein relies heavily on her ever-present staff to deal with any
issues, frequently turning to them for help in responding to
inquiries. Feinstein had to be coaxed into wearing a mask around the
Senate during the early days of the pandemic, despite being part of
the most vulnerable age groups for the disease. She's only made two
floor speeches in the last nine months, her last being in early July,
although she remains active in committee hearings.
And then there's the lingering fallout over Feinstein's role in the
hugely controversial Judiciary Committee hearings for Justice Brett
Kavanaugh in 2018, an issue that factors deeply into the questions
about her suitability for this latest nomination fight.
Feinstein waited for several weeks before disclosing allegations by
Christine Blasey Ford that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when
they were teenagers. The bombshell accusations nearly sank Kavanaugh's
nomination, and senators in both parties questioned why Feinstein
didn't move more quickly to disclose Blasey Ford's statement.
A Democratic senator, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said a
group of Feinstein's colleagues want Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) or
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) to serve as the top Democrat on the
Judiciary panel for the upcoming nomination hearings, which are
expected to be extraordinarily contentious. This senator is worried
that potential missteps by Feinstein could cost Democrats seats.
"She's not sure what she's doing," the Democratic senator said of
Feinstein.
"If you take a look at Kavanaugh, we may be short two senators because
of that. And if this gets [messed] up, it may be the same result."
"I think it could impact a number of seats we can win," the senator added.
Another Democratic senator said party leaders were "in an impossible
position," pointing out that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
(D-N.Y) and other senior Democrats can't replace a female senator for
hearings on an expected female nominee to replace a deceased female
Supreme Court justice.
However, the senator said there have been discussions among some
Democrats about making changes to the seniority system next year due
to their concerns over Feinstein. The California Democrat would be
Judiciary chair if Democrats win the majority.
A third Democratic senator put it this way: "She can't pull this off."
Other Democrats privately said there have been complaints to party
leaders that Feinstein is not capable of handling the Judiciary post
in the current situation. Some of these senators said Feinstein should
have retired rather than run for reelection in 2018 at age 85.
Feinstein's age was an issue in that campaign and was raised
repeatedly in news reports, but she defeated Democrat Kevin de Leon by
almost 10 points.
Feinstein has already stumbled once in tangling with Amy Coney
Barrett, who is widely seen as the frontunner to be Trump's Supreme
Court nominee. At a
2017 hearing for an appeals court seat, Feinstein told Barrett that
"the dogma lives loudly within you" - a remark that was instantly
seized upon as anti-Catholic bias by Republicans.
Schumer declined to comment on Feinstein or her role on the Judiciary
Committee.
To Feinstein, her work on the panel is comparable to what she's seen
from other Democratic ranking members across the Senate.
"And so it's difficult for me to see, I don't know what people expect,"
Feinstein said. "I've been on the committee for a while. I've seen how
the committee works and I've seen how other chairs on our side of the
aisle work. I don't see, to be very blunt and honest, I don't see a
big difference. I'm prepared, so that's puzzling to me."
Feinstein also pointed out that as the minority, Democrats only have
limited weapons to wield in any nomination fight. McConnell eliminated
the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, so Democrats can slow the
confirmation process down, but they can't stop it as long as
Republicans stick together.
"Let me say this - I know it's going to be a fight, I understand that."
Feinstein said. "I don't have a lot of tools to use, but I'm going to
use what I have. We can try to delay and obstruct but they can run
this process through. That doesn't mean that we won't fight tooth and
nail."
Feinstein - the first woman to serve as ranking member on Judiciary -
has built a long record of legislative success since becoming a
senator. She authored the 1994 assault weapons ban, pushed to increase
automobile fuel-efficiency standards, and has been a leader on
environmental and civil rights issues. Feinstein also led a long probe
into the CIA's post-9/11 interrogation and detention programs that led
to the historic 2014 torture report.
When asked whether Feinstein is still capable of doing the job of
ranking member, Durbin said, "I believe she is." Durbin is next in
line on the panel behind Feinstein. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has
served longer on Judiciary than any other Democrat, but he serves as
ranking member on Appropriations and can't hold both positions.
Durbin said he wasn't aware of any discussion over replacing Feinstein.
And
as to suggestions from some of his colleagues that he should take over
the Judiciary post, Durbin added, "I'm not going to get into that
speculation."
Whitehouse, a former U.S. attorney, wasn't eager to discuss the
Feinstein situation either, offering only a terse comment on the matter.
"She's a very distinguished lady for whom I have great affection,"
Whitehouse said, declining to comment any further.
There is recent Senate precedent in both parties for replacing senior
senators who are seen as no longer capable of handling the job.
The late Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) was replaced as the chairman of
the Armed Services Committee during the late 1990s. And in 2008, the late
Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) voluntarily gave up his role as Appropriations
Committee chairman. Over on the House side, committee chairs have been
forced out at several key panels in recent decades, including
Appropriations and Energy and Commerce.
But Feinstein is also not alone when it comes to aging lawmakers in
powerful positions.
Feinstein is the second-oldest member of Congress behind Rep. Don
Young (R-Alaska), who is almost two weeks older. Sen. Chuck Grassley
(R-Iowa), chairman of the Finance Committee, is also 87, while
Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) is 86. Armed Services
Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who is seeking reelection this year, is
85. Among House leadership - Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Whip
Jim Clyburn are 80 and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is 81. Former Vice
President Joe Biden will turn 78 shortly after Election Day and Trump
is 74.
Some Judiciary Committee Democrats defended Feinstein and said they
see no reason to try to replace her as ranking member.
"She's an extraordinary person and I'm fully confident in her leadership,"
said Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
"Her leadership has been really steadfast and courageous," said Sen.
Richard
Blumenthal (D-Conn.). "She has extraordinary insights and instincts
based on her vast experience. I see no reason to question this
leadership."
