Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has handed over power of attorney to her daughter, even as she remains in the U.S. Senate.
Feinstein has prompted concern if not outright alarm in recent years amid numerous mental lapses in the public eye. Earlier this year, she missed more than two months due to shingles. When she returned, a reporter asked Feinstein about her absence, but the senator’s response suggested she was unaware she had been away from Washington, D.C.
On Thursday, the New York Times reported that Feinstein, 90, gave power of attorney to her daughter Katherine Feinstein, 66. The Times said Katherine is currently engaged in a nasty legal dispute with the three daughters of her mother’s late husband Richard Blum, who died in 2022:
In one legal dispute, the family is fighting over what’s described as Senator Feinstein’s desire to sell a beach house in an exclusive neighborhood in Stinson Beach, north of San Francisco. In another disagreement, the two factions are at odds over access to the proceeds of Mr. Blum’s life insurance, which Senator Feinstein says she needs to pay for her growing medical expenses.
[…]
Katherine Feinstein, 66, Senator Feinstein’s only child, who has power of attorney over her mother’s legal affairs, filed two lawsuits against Senator Feinstein’s co-trustees. The first lawsuit, over the beach house, says the property is in disrepair, that Senator Feinstein no longer wishes to use it, and that she wants to sell it this summer or fall.
Feinstein is not running for reelection in 2024, but she has rebuffed calls to resign from the Senate, which Democrats control 51 to 49. During her absence earlier this year, several of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees stalled in the Judiciary Committee, as Feinstein was not present to cast tie-breaking votes.
In an Appropriations Committee hearing last week, Feinstein began speaking about a defense spending bill at a time when she was simply supposed to cast a vote for or against the legislation. “Just say aye,” a fellow senator instructed her.
In May, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said Feinstein’s struggles are “painful to watch” and called on her to resign.
I'm talking at the official party level. Apply maximal leverage and make it happen.
I see no value in taking a shot at the Right here. Removing a senile politician needs to be normalized, and quite independent of party lines.
I agree on all accounts except you originally brought up the right and are giving a “both sides” argument. While you’re very specific call out that you clarified in your second post makes sense, I still won’t stand for a more generalized “both sides are the same” argument which I read your initial comment as because both sides are just not the same. Even with your clairification, which I agree with, the “shot” i took still applies.
To clarify, this is most definitely not a Both Sides are the Same arguement, as there are Stark differences between the two parties.
This is an issue that should be non partisan, and should be called out irrespective of party.
Absolutely
Unfortunately, in this particular instance the Democratic party has painted themselves into a corner. Getting rid of her, or her retiring, or dying, would mean no more judges at all. Due to the way senators are appointed to the committees, Republicans can easily block her replacement on the judicial committee. Her senate seat would be replaced, sure, but not what is arguably the most important committee seat she has.
Now, this is still their fault for supporting her last run in the first place. But that's done and can't be changed. They need her gently alive corpse to vote for judges because the alternative as it stands right now is to have no judges due to committee lock up.
One can hope, though, that they learn a lesson from this and don't support the geezers next election cycle. I doubt that will happen, though.