McConnell seeks to reassure allies after health scares prompt new questions over his leadership position
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell moved behind the scenes to reassure his allies and donors he can do his job after he froze for the second time in as many months in public – even as questions persist over how long the 81-year-old Kentuckian will stay as Republican leader.
McConnell, who has served for 16 years as the GOP leader, the longest of any Senate leader in history, has repeatedly made clear he’s staying in his job until the end of next year when the 118th Congress ends – something his confidantes say hasn’t changed even after his recent health scares.
But McConnell has consistently sidestepped questions about whether he would run for leader in the next Congress, which begins in 2025.
Following a recent concussion after falling and hitting his head in March, coupled with his two public frozen moments, Republican senators and aides told CNN they are doubtful he will try to run for the job again – potentially opening up the GOP leadership role for the first time since McConnell took the reins in 2007.
Every time a liberal gets a head cold the republicans start screaming that they're not physically capable to hold office anymore, but Mitch McConnell can have a stroke on live tv in the middle of a debate and they're ready to give him another year... Sound pretty typical
Just wait for the arguments they shell out when he permanently freezes on life TV.
"He is just temporarily inconvenienced, he will keep doing his job. Just disregard the libreal lies of that doctor who said he did the autopsy!"
hE hAs a HeArInG PRoBleM
Speaking of which, I don't think I've heard Republicans calling for Feinstein to retire, even though that's a very obvious and easy target.
I’m pretty sure they’ll just have someone jam their hand up his ass so they can control him like some kind of addled, desiccated muppet and prevent any more of these visible strokes
No no, he was just up too late watching a baseball game!
As much as people make fun of when people say this, this really is a "both sides" problem. Celebrating Biden tripping is wrong, celebrating Trump tripping is wrong- same with mental health issues. But, Trump was attacked for mental health in 2020 with the whole cognitive test incident, so I don't think it's fair to act like it's entirely one sided. Ultimately it should be up to voters to decide whether their representative is fit, not an impeachment committee. Also, personally I prefer someone with memory issues but is representing what I vote for than someone who is perfectly neurotypical but contradicts my beliefs.
Trump was made fun of because he went on national television to brag about how he aced a test that proved he could identify shapes and colors and pictures of cartoon animals.
It was a memory test, IIRC he was talking about the results because of accusations of dementia before he took the test.
Yes, I believe the issue was that he seemed to be saying "look, I don't have full on dementia and that proves definitively that I'm fit to lead an entire country"
He was really setting the bar pretty high there
I mean yeah ideally the bar would be pretty high to depose an elected office undemocratically.
Bro, Trump doesn’t have to trip over shit. I don’t care how that dude does or does not walk. Have you ever heard words come out of his mouth?
This word vomit was choked out in 2016 and mother fucker never decided to prove afterwards that he was just not feeling it that day. He never redeemed himself. He’s had 7 fucking years to show us otherwise. He hasn’t. Dude is legit missing something in his body that is very crucial in forming a coherent sentence.
The problem here is that is not a one off. It’s not a fluke. He just is like that 100% of the time and love the guy, hate the guy, whatever, but that should never be allowed anywhere near nuclear weapons. It is just unsafe to 9 billion other people. It’s not okay. It’s fucking terrifying.
That word salad is so bad that apparently foreign news organizations had a hard time translating it into other languages.
Nevermind other languages, they have problems just translating it into English. There was the infamous A.P. interview back in 2017 where they had to write "unintelligible" several times throughout the interview when quoting what he said.
You claim that you believe that there is a problem with elected officials being incompetent, and yet you then contradict yourself by stating that you are part of the problem:
You are correct that the voters have the power to change their representatives if they are found to be incompetent, so use it. Don't fall victim to the ostrich effect.
I don't know where I said that to be honest. but I don't know that I would agree that its always clear based on someones behavior in publicly speaking that they are incompetent as a president.
You quite evidently agreed that there is a problem with incompetence, as the previous user pointed out.
No the both sides problem is reveling in political opponents bad health
Hm, I would be very hesitant to say that the voters are enjoying the fact that their representatives are in poor health. Unless you are inferring that jests directed at one side for voting in an individual who is in poor health is "reveling in politicial opponents bad health".
What do you mean? I'm saying saying most voters enjoy their own representatives poor health.
That's not how I would interpret it- but that may be how you do.
Yeah, that's what I just said that you said.
Haha I mistyped, I meant to say "I'm not saying"
Then what did you mean by "the both sides problem is reveling in political opponents bad health"? Taken litterally, that statement is saying that people are enjoying the fact that their political opponents are in poor health.
Kentucky voters might revel in Biden's health
Californian voters might revel in McConnell's health
What do you mean you don’t know where you said that? It was the comment the other person directly replied to… the last sentence…
I said the opposite on that sentence?
Remember when the GOP wanted Fetterman to resign because he checked himself into a hospital?
I hope he has to spend every day scared and confused, occasionally broken up by feelings of humiliation and despair.
Don't forget wet with piss.
Nah, he's probably into that.
It is my hope that every time he freezes he has flashbacks to every shitty thing he has done in his life, and that is the reason he has such a look of fear on his face when he does it.
But who am I kidding, he is such a psychopath that he wouldn't be moved one bit by the shittiness of his own deeds, the look of fear is only caused by confusion and possibly (hopefully) fear of his imminent demise.
I don't know why Republicans would really care, it's not like they're there to solve problems, pass legislation or make people's lives better.
I think it's because he's a pretty good hate sponge, so when he dies one of them is gonna have to do it instead.
McConnell's public statement on the matter:
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Remember when republicans were foaming at their mouth and calling Biden a robot, an android, and senile (mainly because of his speech impediment)?
Every accusation is a projection
Disney stopped taking care of the Republicans' animatronics thanks to DeSantis's antics. What were seeing is one badly in need of maintenance. Servos keep seizing up and the system needs to reboot.
The most horrifying fnaf spinoff yet.
Hold up there, he's not up for reelection until 2026. Does this mean he intends to retire early? (or, at least, give up the Senate Leadership post?)
means the next lot of souls due to be consumed is scheduled for delivery for the 119th congress.
It takes time to gather enough suitable orphan souls after all.
I mean its just loosh, it grows by the dozen in modern day. They probably want to impress the Greys with an extra big harvest before the flood reset.
Absolutely not. Senators believe they are entitled to die in office no matter what happens to them physically or mentally and don't care at all about anything that might impair their ability to represent the interests of their constituents. He might go as far as not seeking to be leader again, but he's not giving up his seat until he's dead.
I believe that's just the leadership post. He's going to die in office.
How soon? There’s a lot that needs doing, and he keeps getting in the way.
Read the comment I replied to.
All to grasp on to money and power for as long as he can. Mitch, no one lives forever. Take the L, buy a yacht and island with your ill gotten gains and leave the US alone.
They planning a “Weekend at Bernie’s” type shit.
Hell shit blood and die soon. But not soon enough.
How about doing a nice long interview on live TV to reasure us?
The right wing media will turn it into attack fodder against the POTUS while ignoring McConnell's rapidly accelerating decrepitude. Just like RBG, they won't wait for the body to be put in the ground.
Now that he's (probably indefinitely) 'behind the scenes', his puppet masters don't have to worry about hiding the puppet strings any more.
Is he doing this or is the Shadow Senate GOP Leader doing this? And by that, I mean his unelected aide who is acting and speaking on behalf of McConnell.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
McConnell, who has served for 16 years as the GOP leader, the longest of any Senate leader in history, has repeatedly made clear he’s staying in his job until the end of next year when the 118th Congress ends – something his confidantes say hasn’t changed even after his recent health scares.
Following a recent concussion after falling and hitting his head in March, coupled with his two public frozen moments, Republican senators and aides told CNN they are doubtful he will try to run for the job again – potentially opening up the GOP leadership role for the first time since McConnell took the reins in 2007.
McConnell, who disdains the focus on his health, has so far refused to publicly disclose the reason why he froze up for roughly 30 seconds two separate times this summer – the latest on Wednesday in Covington, Kentucky – other than his aides saying he felt “lightheaded” and that he would consult a physician.
And the topic did not come up when the GOP leader later attended a Wednesday fundraiser for Rep. Jim Banks, who is running for a Senate seat in Indiana.
Some at the time wanted more information about McConnell’s health – questions that are bound to intensify next week when they return to session.
“Obviously his first responsibility is to the voters of Kentucky,” GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota told CNN in July.
The original article contains 610 words, the summary contains 236 words. Saved 61%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
He needs to retire.
Like ok, the Republicans can't find anyone equally shitty to take over for this guy? The Governor can't appoint someone?
This just feels super wrong at this point.
We need term limits. I don't care what age your are when you start should not be there for as long as these assholes have been.
His grip on power is almost as strong as his grip on the podium.
Thoughts and prayers.
McConnell is that girl lizard (Beans) in Rango.
He looks like a snapping turtle
A wax mannequin that was out in the sun for a bit too long
Goodness me, US politics is cancer. It's so depressing. I'm unsubbing.