Sen. Dianne Feinstein, an 'icon for women in politics,' dies at 90, source confirms
abc7news.com
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.
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.
The party wanted it controlled, prop her up till a moderate could be appointed, because a progressive can win Cali.
Yeah, because Gavin Newsome is such a conservative
This is the DNC we're talking about. They don't want folk too progressive. They want neoliberal moderates.
🙄 ok whatever
For Cali?
Yeah...
But regardless, the best thing for Cali that she's gone, is they get a fucking choice in who replaces her. The party "picking" someone to hold that seat for the next couple decades and be more Conservative than Cali voters should be an obvious problem.
But for some reason I doubt anyone will be able to explain that to you in a way you understand...
Gavin Newsome has gone on record stating he's going to pick a placeholder to keep the seat warm instead of one of the major contenders for the seat, like Schiff.
And I don't see why you're being a rude asshole. If you want, you can speak like an adult and we can have a decent conversation. But if you insist on being a prick, then I can just start insulting you right back if you prefer.
Because in all likelihood he's going to run for it...
It's not altruism, it's selfishness.
And I'm not even getting into the rest of what he said that made his statement problematic.
But calling someone rude for being sarcastic and then going on a rant with personal insults...
Yeah, you said like a neoliberal bud. Which explains why you don't see any issues with what Newsome is doing
Dude, you heavily implied I was an idiot. All because I came into this not having assumed the conclusion that Gavin Newsome is some evil, power mad puppet master.
You fucking people in the Always Online Lefty Left can be just so goddamn insufferable. It's like you're absolutely committed to ensuring that no one can reasonably talk to someone who has a mildly divergent opinion. God, imagine being such a tool that you can't be comfortable in a political coalition with someone as progressive as Newsome. How the fuck do you clowns propose to win an election when you're running around pretending he and anyone he agrees with is a "neoliberal"
We get the point, you're a neoliberal...
There's nothing else you can do to make it more obvious, and there's no way I'm going to read all those insults you keep typing.
You know what? If you're this mad at neoliberals, maybe we need more of them. At least they know how to say three words without being a prick.
It would be funny how much you all are like trumpets if it wasn't so sad...
Right back at you, fuckface
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)
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.
That's a fucking joke.
They didn't want to lose her seat on the judiciary committee. Even if they had to tell her how to vote.
Senators don't work that much. She had plenty of time with her family. She didn't retire because she made lots of money being a centrist senator in a safe seat with enough seniority to do whatever she wanted.
This won't impact the shutdown at all, since the House republicans want a shutdown.
Now Newsom will appoint a moderate black woman who will provide the optics without causing chaos. You might think that sounds cynical, but that's exactly what Newsom already promised to do.
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.
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:
https://www.loudersound.com/features/clown-suits-and-chaos-what-happened-when-jello-biafra-ran-for-mayor-of-san-francisco
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 cunt. 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.
We need a complete overhaul of our political party system.
Both parties decided that seniority = power, and if you'll always have more next year, it's never a good time to step aside.
With a "bonus" that younger generations never get the experience till they're also old as shit. The parties have no reason to change, because they're ran by the most senior people.
Parties have far too much influence considering they're not officially part of the government. And the current state of shit is why a lot of founding fathers were against them. I think Jefferson or Franklin wanted to explicitly forbade them
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
Can we get some of the clipart Style with the glossy glass rounded rectangle
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.
Bruh.....
The same shit that happens today, happened back then too.
When Rs have a majority, they go nuts and pass all types of shit.
When Ds have a majority, there's always X number of Dems willing to take the publicity hit to oppose progress. Where X equals the amount of majority they have.
Like, we got 52 D senators, 3 won't vote. We have 57, 8 won't. If we had 75, 26 won't.
You never realized how big of a coincidence it is that there's always enough to stop progress? It's because there's a shit ton that are oppose it, they just won't say it because then they get replaced.
That's not what was going on here. He had no idea how to negotiate with his own party. He micromanaged to the point that he insisted on approving use of the White House tennis court for the first 6 months in office. He could never let go of petty details, and it kept him from prioritizing important decisions.
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"
the American mantra
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!
Finally retired, bitch.
What a disgusting comment.
Disgusting comment for a disgusting woman. Works for me.
Of course it does. Disgusting person.
Agreed, there's so need to make such comments.
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.
SENATOR?!?! Woman is 90 and is a Senator?! Jesus Christ can we stop voting these dinos
She was incoherent while "working" just a few weeks ago if that. The video was online.
Maybe she could have been an icon. But instead her legacy is that of a greedy asshole who made shady stock deals and held her political power far too long - to the detriment of her constituents.
I thought it would never happen. I'm excited to see the race for her seat.
I assumed it would be a little like New York’s junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand? She was someone most New Yorkers had never heard of, but when Senator Hillary Clinton vacated the seat, Gillibrand was assigned to it by then-governor and thus has never, and will never, run in a competitive election.
No, Newsom has said two things about the appointment: It's going to be a black woman and it's going to be someone intended to be a placeholder so as not to advantage one of the actual contenders (Schiff, Porter, or Lee) with incumbency.
Wow — congratulations to the people of California!
Except the “placeholder”.
I think the term of art he choose was "caretaker" come to think of it. But hell, they get to be a Senator for a year, something that they probably never would have gotten the chance to do otherwise. And it's voluntary, of course, if someone doesn't want the job temporarily they're free to turn it down.
Caretaker is way better. "I'll put a black woman in as a placeholder until a real senator can be elected" sounds horrible.
I mean, it's a very pro-democracy move to make an explicitly temporary appointment and not distort the election. It's also a very progressive move to fill the seat with a highly qualified member of an under-represented group. High marks on both counts. It's just hard to describe the coincidence of those goals in a way that doesn't sound like tokenism.
Placeholder Senate seat isn't so bad, you still get to be a Senator even if only for a little while.
Right. Whichever centrist he appoints is gonna decide they want to keep the seat, and the party protects incumbents from
progressiveschallengers.I thought you were going to talk about when Clinton wanted that seat so the party wouldn't let any serious competitor run...
The people running the parties in America don't seem overly concerned with democracy or voters getting choices
Turtle next please.
Then Kissinger
Both of them at the same time, right now.
Then we'll get conspiracy theory woman or the dude who dates minors as minority leader as his replacement.
Pretty sure neither Perjury Greene nor Gaetz are senators..
Does this mean we could finally have a representative under the age of 1000? No we’re just going to elect another dinosaur that thinks homes still cost a nickel? … okay
apparently the leading bet for a replacement is only 77.
The front runners in the primary are Katie Porter (49), Adam Schiff (63), and Barbara Lee (77). All three are currently in the house of representatives.
So long as people retire when they start to go downhill mentally, peoples positions are much more important than their age. Most progressives would much rather have President Bernie (82) than President Tulsi Gabbard (42).
Lee has been pretty consistently progressive. She was the only vote against the authorization of force after the September 11th attacks, she was a founding member of the congressional LGBTQ+ equality caucus, and volunteered with the Black Panther Party’s Community Learning Center in Oakland as a teen. She's one of the most progressive Democrats in the House.
Any of those three would be great! Adam Schiff kicked ass on the impeachment and the Jan 6th committee.
So California's death spiral will continue uninterrupted. Thank the founding fathers for the electoral college!
The senate has literally nothing to do with either the electoral college or state policies?
Thank fucking God! That's my whole point.
oh neat
Ecstatic!
That's a pretty shitty icon.
She promised to serve out her term! yet another politician breaking promises. SMDH
So has she finally retired from Congress?
Because with how adamant she was at staying in her seat despite being unable to do the job, I would not be surprised if they tried to go full Weekend at Bernie's here.
The insider trader that made Democrats look bad is finally gone. It's about time.
This one anyway.
There's Nancy Pelosi, there is a managed ETF that actively matches her investments. It's ticker is NANC
Pelosi isn't the only politician breaking the law for her own gain. Feinstein gave her husband insider tips.
Oh they are all dirty as far as i'm concerned. That's why laws preventing it never go anywhere no matter who is in charge.
Fuck her, fuck RBG, fuck McConnell, fuck Biden, fuck Trump, fuck every single one of these dinosaurs who will be dead long before they see the result of their actions.
The Lich is dead.
Forced Retirement
Let's not jump to conclusions. They could totally "Weekend at Bernie's" this for a while.
I kind of wish it was at least normative to groom your successor and bow out if you're a ground-breaking leader as you advance in age
I especially wish that was the sort of thing had been the case with (for example) RBG because let's face it, it really hurt us for her seat to go to ACB
Everyone is like, she should’ve retired… But WHY!? People kept voting her in, she has all this power, all this money/control, top of the line health care, etc., etc. Who would ever leave that!? Unless you’re not a psychopath narcissist after knowing how freaking different the “1%” live?
Same thing with RBG.
Only thing that will change are the rules. And good luck with that…
she voluntarily spent time with the likes of Ron Johnson and Ted Cruz rather than her grandchildren, for decades..... So question is, how terrible are her grandchildren?
Spolt little shits probably.
Sad for her family but it was in the best interest of the Country.
Bruh, her family was the ones who should have explained why she should retire over a decade ago...
I don't feel sorry for them at all, they're probably the only ones who could have talked sense into her
So... how is the Gop weaponizing this?
They will not approve committee assignments for her replacement leaving the judicial committee deadlocked and unable to confirm judges.
They only said they'd do that if she took a leave of absence. The next 4 oldest Senators are Grassley (90) - who's on Judiciary, Bernie (82), McConnell (81), and Risch (80 - Republican from Idaho); if they start playing the "no committee replacements for dead senators" game it's likely to come back and bite them in the ass very quickly.
Who wants to bet they'll do it anyway and see absolutely zero consequences?
Schumer and Biden will both say they can't believe it, then 10 seconds later go back to calling Republicans their best friends and bending over backwards for them
I would bet against you however I would lose.
Who put someone that age on committees anyway?
There will be a power vacuum on several committees in the Senate, and they probably have already written their editorials criticizing Newsom's choice as a replacement Senator, they are just waiting to fill in the name.
Well, just look at this thread.
Men die in office and they are fighters!
A woman dies in office and she's a bitch.
Fuck off, that shit is old as hell
No democrat hated Feinstein because she was a woman, pretending that's the only reason just makes you look like your completely ignorant of American politics.
Couldn't be any more obvious to me the double standard on female politicians.
Women can be assholes just like men can be.
Refusing to admit that is what's sexist, not mentioning a specific woman is an asshole
I don't think anyone is refusing to admit that. It's just that when you are a male and you're an asshole and you die in office you're not a bitch and a cunt, you're a fighter, died doing what you loved.
Come on. I was not born yesterday. Were you? Have you really not noticed this double standard within your own life?
It's hard for others to notice things that only exist in your head
Well you're right that they do exist in my head, but then I'm not ignorant and have seen some shit. Perhaps once you encounter it for yourself you'll be like "oh yeah that really does happen! Ha!" It's your lens, lack of empathy or experience, that has kept it from you thus far.
What bizarre white-knighting.
It could just be that an abhorrent politician has earned her reputation by her own merit rather than by gender.
Nah, McConnell is a bitch too.
🥳
Legend at gatekeeping. Good riddance loser.
Dianne Feinstein dies at age 90
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4229697-dianne-feinstein-dies-at-age-90/
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Reminds me of someone else:
BREAKING! Ruth Ginsburg R.I.P. Democrats Posturing Begins!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui2WFs_l9T0
Ginsburg was worse; Feinstein at least was doing this in a situation where if she did keel over, a Democratic governor would replace her with somebody whose politics were broadly similar to her own, but Ginsburg knew perfectly well that her replacement might undo everything she accomplished and she refused to retire despite that.
Ginsburg was also worse because her politics were actually good. Feinstein has been part of the fucking problem for a long time.
She's always been part of the problem.
I suspected as much, but wasn't sure and therefore didn't want to speak quite so definitively.
Yea, I 100% agree.
I agree, with your agreement!
Yes, you are right!