Senator Dianne Feinstein’s career was filled with firsts, including first woman mayor of San Francisco and one of two of the first women elected to the U.S. Senate from California.
Not to celebrate her death, but fucking finally. The woman was literally older than the Golden Gate Bridge and had no business being in government at her age. She should’ve retired with some dignity decades ago.
The woman was literally older than the Golden Gate Bridge
I was about to mock you for being hyperbolic but then looked it up. She was born a few months after construction started in 1933, and the bridge opened in 1937. So she was literally older than the bridge.
Only five years younger than sliced bread.
betty white was older than sliced bread
“Wow, this sliced bread is the best thing since Betty White!”
I don’t think she’s gonna give up her seat still
I don’t understand why not retire. She held on to that seat till the bitter end, for what?
She could have had time with her family and we could have had a seamless replacement. Instead, she got to die at work (basically) and there is a hole in representation right as the government is about to shut down.
I wonder how this will impact the gov shutdown results
I don’t think she had full control of her faculties near the end. Her handlers and power of attorney should have forced her to retire but they didn’t.
Yeah, she’s been clearly a barely functioning wreck, propped up by people who needed her power. It was quite sad.
Her handlers were enjoying making all the decisions and running her Senate office for her, wheeling her around and playing weekend at Bernie’s. I’d say it was abuse but tbh it’s what she deserved and probably what she wanted anyway.
Nancy Pelosi wants someone to replace her, Gavin Newsom wants someone else. Nancy Pelosi wanted her to stay in office until the next election.
It’s all just a game to these kinds of people.
Newsom has been clear that he’s appointing someone as a placeholder so as not to interfere in next year’s Senate race by giving one of the actual contenders (Schiff, Porter, or Lee) the advantage of incumbency. But I’m sure that Nancy Pelosi, being Nancy Pelosi, would prefer the Party put their finger on the scale for the candidate leadership wants (which is probably 77 year-old Barabra Lee)
Schiff, Porter, or Lee
Aren’t they all in the House right now? Appointing one of them is a mixed bag, because it also leaves their House seat vacant until a special election is held, and Democrats need every vote they can get there. House seats can’t be filled with temporary appointments like Senate seats can.
Pelosi wants Adam Schiff. Newsom stated he wants a black woman (bc ofc he cares about identity politics) in the interim, likely Lee. Pelosi doesn’t want Lee since she’s more progressive than Schiff.
The temporary choice will have a massive leg up as an incumbent in the next election.
He wants a black woman in the seat because despite making up 15% of the population, there are zero black women in the senate. Why wouldn’t they deserve representation in our senate?
Race and gender should be irrelevant in politics. The only thing that should matter in the end are policies, since that is what affects the constituency.
Race and gender now are used as distractions to make people think that someone is more progressive than they really are.
You can still be corrupt if you are a black woman.
This viewpoint is simplistic to the point of losing all sense. As another commenter pointed out, representation is the entire point of a republic. Countries have split and wars have been fought over this exact point. Hell, the United States only exists at all because of it.
Race and gender start to matter as soon as they become significant factors in our laws and that has been a constant from day one. I don’t care how much you think you know, you do not fully understand the perspective of someone with a radically different life than your own, because of what they have faced due to their race, gender, or any other distinguishing factor. They deserve representation so that their perspective is heard and factored into the laws that govern them.
This is the basis of what a republic is. You can’t take race and gender out. You can only over represent your own and ignore others while patting yourself on the back like you solved it. It’s intellectual, moral, and legal cowardice.
Representation is important in politics. It’s the whole point of the system.
It’s a fair point to say race/gender aren’t the most important type of representation. There’s a whole lot of white men in Congress, and as a white man I don’t feel particularly “represented” by Tuberville or Gaetz
Yes, and race and gender don’t play a factor in the policies that are voted for.
You take money from big donors? You will represent those big donors regardless of race, gender, etc.
They didn’t want to lose her seat on the judiciary committee. Even if they had to tell her how to vote.
Others have touched on the political machinations aspect.
But a bigger, arguably “real”, reason, is that replacing Feinstein is largely trivial. Democrat from a (kind of) Democratic state. But getting said replacement approved on various committees, some of which are republican controlled, becomes the big mess. Which leads to more dysfunction and power stealing and less ability to even discuss if a vote should occur on something.
It is similar to the RBG issue. She should have stepped down YEARS before she died. She didn’t. And by the time people realized “yo, your ass is old and kind of stupid” it was too late because republicans would have just stalled until they could replace her with someone they wanted… which they did.
Because of her senority, she was one of the leaders of the party. I agree these elderly politicians need to retire, but that means at best they get replaced by a freshman senator of the same party with no political power. It’s the same reason why McConnell hasn’t retired even though he can’t finish a speech without zonking out and being whisked away by his handlers.
You mention family and smoother governance, but to some people their work connections are more important to them than their families and she could have thought that resigning would have been less smooth than trying to finish out the term.
Those things are possible, but I really think that her identity was being a senator and she didn’t want to give that up.
…her identity was being a senator and she didn’t want to give that up.
Fuck her then. It’s the US Senate, not daddy’s law firm. No one should be in the Senate just because it makes them feel important. The job is too important for that.
Sorry, to be callous, but good riddance. You should hear what Jello Biafra has to say about the time Feinstein was Mayor of San Francisco:
Jello Biafra: Quentin Kopp was actually very jovial, friendly, kind of a character. He and Feinstein had been on the Board Of Supervisors, but when George Moscone and Harvey Milk were assassinated Feinstein was appointed as Acting Mayor. She ran the city with an iron fist, and the police were completely out of control, which she seemed to get off on. I have never been very fond of her, and any grief I can cause that creature, I’m happy to oblige. But that wasn’t why I ran for Mayor. It was more like: wouldn’t this be a great prank?
Jello Biafra: I had some pretty interesting proposals. Making businessmen wear clown suits was the one the media seized on, but there was a lot more to it than they realised. It was my response to Frankenfeinstein [Feinstein] saying she was going to “clean up” Market Street, by which she meant throwing the homeless out of all the vacant buildings.
In another occasion, he called her the most evil person he’d ever met.
Here’s a video of her arguing with children about climate change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu-VzZ45MwI
Governments across the world need to effectively age down. It’s ridiculous that those old clowns who aren’t even affected by the consequences of their actions can just continue to do this shit. Yeah, they get voted in, but that’s because of the aging populations of so many countries being such a majority while most of those who are going to be affected don’t even have a legal say in the matter, since they can’t vote themselves. Millennials got already fucked over repeatedly through politics in the past decades and now Gen Z has to face the same bullshit. People will just further radicalize if they don’t address this.
God what a removed. Who argues with children? Just lie to them like every other politician.
She’s arguing with children about a piece of legislation, not climate change. I’m also arguing with children.
“Sweetheart, you’re obviously sharp, so you should learn this early: you’re being used as a political tool”
Remember that time she gave away a vital clues in the Richard Ramirez case and possibly extended his serial killing career?
I literally came back to this thread to post Jello’s take!
I can’t remember which spoken word album he talks about his mayoral campaign on, but it is so much fun.
I blow minds for a living
Thank you. I’m going to have to dig up a copy. I haven’t heard any of his spoken word albums in literally decades. Still listen to DK all the time though.
I relistened a few years back. Its good though very dated as “Grow more pot” isn’t something CA needs to be told.
I’m guessing “Die for Oil, Sucker” is somewhat dated now too, but I remember it being pretty good.
Yes it was
Hey can we stop normalizing dying in office? This shouldn’t be normal.
I think the reason why US went with officials can still “serve” even dead is to avoid political killings (or to avoid a loophole in “justice system”, just like mitch mcconnell who is probably acting having a seizure on his live speeches to avoid heavy charges because he knows the fed knows he has a huge role with trump shenanigans annnnnd unfortunately, it is challenging to press charges against persons who has “mental” illness and stroke can be considered as one).
Women need better icons.
Her and RGB staying on too long, very iconic.
Proving that it’s not only old men that cling to power! Bad equality is still equality.
RGB stays on forever, or else the hardware isn’t cool anymore
Future President Elizabeth Warren
Yeah that was like 30 years overdue. She’s not an “icon for women in politics”, she’s an obstructionist sack of shit whose stubbornness left her own constituents with nothing to hope for other than her death.
GTFO before you become useless.
Good riddance.
Mitt Romney’s politics suck, but he did the right thing by announcing his retirement.
And what a timeline we live in, when Mitt Romney gets commended for not being a total piece of shit.
Truly an icon. And not only for women, but for everyone that overstays their welcome.
Somehow still running for re-election.
Feinstein dies in office, Carter enters month 9 of hospice surrounded by family. I know which way I would want.
My dad always said Jimmy Carter was too good of a man to be president
Good man, weak president.
Like so many Democratic Presidents, he was cockblocked by the GOP.
How so? He had a Democratic majority in Congress his entire term. Filibuster wasn’t as widespread as it is now.
He micromanaged his staff, and never got a good grip on the sausage making process in Washington. He was also more in bed with Evangelicals than people notice today. His sister is a pretty big reason why Evangelicals are so politically active these days.
He’s a pretty great human being all round. He sucked as President, and it has little to do with the GOP.
I feel bad that she spent her final few years Weekend At Bernie’s-ing for her staff instead of getting to retire + relax a bit.
Dementia patients rarely admit they have dementia, even when they struggle to put a full sentence together. It’s depressing to watch.
This is my grandma. She got tested a few years ago, but refused to tell anyone the results. It’s so sad. Now then though my mom wants to move she’s stuck taking care of her and grandpa.
Watching my parents age, now into their 80s, they’re only just now starting to admit that, maybe, they’re not as smart, agile, and capable as ever. Chronic kidney disease, COPD, metastatic cancers… No blatant signs of dementia, but it’s a struggle to explain new concepts or devices to them. I think it’s just hard for people who’ve been strong, independent people all their lives to accommodate a world in which they can’t carry 25 pounds or deviate from habits engrained over 20 years. It’s got to be even harder for a politician or oligarch surrounded by sycophants. Harder still when the brain loses its capacity for logic.
Aging sucks… that’s why I plan to Kurt Cobain at 50. There is nothing good about being old. Only the healthcare Oligarchs benefit.
50’s fine, as long as you haven’t really abused your body or lost the health lottery. Can’t speak from experience, but 60 looks OK for the most part, although you’ll probably learn your doctor’s name around then. 70 is my current schedule.
I know you didn’t mean it to be funny but I got a chuckle at that image.
Killed what little legacy she had for nothing.
I was trying to think, what legacy? The only policy I can ever recall is a bunch of failed gun control bills.
Oh, her being adversarial with progressives was pretty well-known. Not the legacy I’d want.
last of a dinosaur, i didn’t realize there were any non-progressives left in the DNC.
…
Wut
If democrats are your yard stick for progressives then i could see how you could think fasicists are just republicans. Both side are valid /s
Her legacy is warmongering, supporting the NSA, and anti-working-class policies
She died? How could they tell?
Diaper didn’t get wet all day.
May all the 80+ year old senators and congress members take note at how many people are celebrating Feinstein’s death today.
“idgaf, fuck you got mine”
This just in: It appears that while Laying in State, the deceased senator was seen rising from her coffin and returning to her seat. Sources in her office say this is a sign she has successfully completed her ritual to transform herself into a Lich.
Per congressional bylaws, the only one who can permanently destroy the phylactery is the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, wielding the Mace of the Republic.
Thank you for teaching me something really cool today!
Way to die on n office. Straight up Ruth Bader Ginsburg-ed that shit.
I mean, Supreme Court appointments are for life, what RBG did was not at all unusual. Age is also not nearly as much of problem on the court, because the whole point of it is to be stable, not rotating constantly like Congress.
It’s that she didn’t retire during Obama’s tenure when she could be safely replaced by someone other than a white male rapist that people generally criticized, not that she served on the court until death.
You are correct. My main concern is that this is contributing to the overall concern with voters that our aging political figures are holding onto their stations of power to the bitter end.
She’s a dem in California. Her whole legacy isn’t going to be erased because she refused to retire.
She was a slightly left of center moderate dem, and for better or worse modern-day America is highly polarized politically. So she was out-of-step politically with both right and left. Her legacy was already in the dumpster. Going out like this just ensures that this is what she’ll be remembered for.
