"But there’s no question I’m still serving and delivering for the people of California, and I’ll put my record up against anyone’s."
Said a written statement from Dianne Feinstein dated, March 28, quoted in "Colleagues worry Dianne Feinstein is now mentally unfit to serve, citing recent interactions" (San Francisco Chronicle).
I'm creating a new tag, "gerontocracy" to keep track of the news about the many aging politicians and judges and other leaders who seem to be gaining in power as time wears on. There's an instinct to be kind and forgiving or at least polite to these older folks, an instinct that may be about our own self-preservation. We may fear our own aging, and the loss of power and influence that threatens to accompany it. But we also fear that will be accused of discrimination or bigotry if we impugn the old, even if they crowd out the younger people who should be rising into the most challenging positions.
Anyway, this obviously isn't just about Dianne Feinstein. It's about President Biden and Donald Trump and many other individuals who don't know when it's time to scale back. Obama had his "bitter clingers," who were just ordinary people who didn't have much and were "clinging" to things that everyone can have — guns and religion. But the clingers of the gerontocracy are depriving others of something — power. They may have lost the ability to use that power competently. And we ordinary people can barely bring ourselves to criticize them for clinging (other than in the stupidly partisan manner that has infected and thoroughly debased American political speech).
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There's a instinct to be kind and forgiving or at least polite to these older folks,
There's an old (~70) lady.. works at my local grocery. I'm kind and forgiving or at least polite to her, always
I'm kind and forgiving or at least polite MOST older folks..
BUT!
MOST older folks; aren't F*CKING Running the Country!
You want me to be kind and forgiving or at least polite? Retire, and Quit running my life!!
ps
I'm kind and forgiving or at least polite to my mom (who turns 90 next week); but, you know what?
She's NOT in charge of me. If she tells me to buy an electric car; i smile and say "no, i don't think so"
If she told me to go to war over the Ukraine, i'd think about putting her in a home
The Fact IS: Old People Are OLD. Their brains don't work that good. That's WHY we have them retire, and let them spend their time doing something harmless and fun: Like taking pictures of a lake, and blogging about it (or, flyfishing; and trying to explain HOW they managed to be skunked EVERY time they fished this Entire Month)
Pedjt may be old but is there any sign his mental powers are declining?
He seems to be as sharp as ever. If he were not, if there were anything to hang their figurative hats on, we would be hearing from the msm daily.
Otoh, kamala us 57 and no better than Biden. In her case I think it is more stupidity than dementia, though.
John LGKTQ Henry
This story does merit some skepticism. Not just the far left, but probably at least a dozen members of the California congressional delegation (not to mention any number of other potential successors) would obviously love to see Feinstein go. Perhaps there's some level of genuine concern for her mental state, but I suspect this is mostly about politics.
I am on the cusp between boomer and Gen-X. I spent my career just the wrong place. When people 3-4 years older than me were becoming supervisors and managers I wasn't in the right place. Now that they are beginning to leave the company wants younger people.
We are seeing that play out in our politics. The problem I have is that the younger generations are unprepared and have been raised in our increasingly insane culture.
Have you looked at the younger Democrat party "leaders"? AOC? Who wants to turn the country over to a person like that?
It's not just politics. A gen-X acquaintance was discussing this the other day and mentioned the legal profession. Gen-X lawyers in larger firms were hitting 30 and discovering that the "partnership track" they had thought that they were on was a dead end because upper-end Boomers weren't retiring.
Wasnt she a friend of Jim Jones? She did tour the "Peoples Temple". Didnt she have a Chinese spy driving her around for years?
I find it quite easy to criticize her.
The hard left is striking at both Biden and Feinstein. These were "moderates" when their minds were sharp(er) than today. Feinstein was always a pro-defense and pro-big-finance moderate. Her only actually left wing positions were against guns.
The hard left tired of the Clintons and the older generation of Democrats in 2015 when they latched onto the also geriatric Bernie Sanders. He was very old but definitely hard left.
Cultures are blessed/cursed with who they allow to be leaders. The younger generation of the left hasn't demonstrated the will or skill to topple them, and it may well require a party split between the moderates and hard left (coupled with a major loss of power) for this to occur.
Let the old generation remain in power or spend 40 years in the political wilderness? The next election may send them to the wilderness despite the 2020 deal between natural enemies that brought Biden to power.
Remember when her driver got outed as a Chinese spy and they let him go because he said he never heard anything important? Now we are questioning her? Something else is afoot.
Yikes. You are actually comparing Trump to Biden? Based on what age? I have listened and watched both. Trump is sharp as a tack and Biden has obvious dementia. It is true that dementia is an age related however, not all old folk get it.
IMHO anyone over 70 should have to release a cognitive test and list medications. Just judging ability based on the calendar is wrong.
We may fear our own aging...
Better writing with "I" throughout, otherwise it's psychocrap. There's a lot more care with "I."
The voters elected Feinstein and Biden and Trump.
So the blame or credit goes to them.
Just because I try to be polite to those youngsters-in their 60s-doesn't mean I expect the same from them. They still have to mature a little bit, which is why I try to be polite to them, to set an example. I have a kid in her 60s, and one approaching, and a mere babe in his early 50s.
Regards — Cliff
But what about her legacy? Is the stink of the rotting Consitution yet pungent enough for the Californians who have kept her in office long enough to become a certified gerontocrat? Probably not.
However, The Extremely Senior Senator from California turns 89 on the 22nd of June. Perhaps her supporters should chip in and buy her something nice. Given the soaring crime rate in San Francisco* and the logical preference of criminals for wealthy victims, I suggest a nice AR-15 with a dozen high-capacity magazines and a thousand rounds of 5.56 NATO FMJ, but without the shoulder thing that goes up. Thus equipped the Senator can have a delightful time training with her security detail who already have theirs.
*I know, except for her Loudoun County mansion, Ms. Feinstein is rarely anywhere long enough to be robbed, raped, and beaten to a pulp, but Democratic politics is 99% appearance, so it never hurts to look like you're in synch with your constituents who are buying guns and ammo faster than ever before.
Boards of directors of public corporations have wrestled with this issue for many years. Although a growing number have imposed a mandatory age of retirement from the board, in practice the board has the authority to waive the requirement for an individual director in the interests of the company. Other companies are using term limits for different reasons centered on the tendency to become too aligned with management over time and the general decline in new ideas over time. Again, the term limits can be extended for an individual director.
What does this tell us about elected representatives and judges? I think the same issues are at play: the age-related decline in capacity, alignment withe the establishment/bureaucracy/past policies, decline in fresh ideas to improve things, and reduction in enthusiasm for the work/closeness to the electorate. These are balanced against the knowledge that comes from experience (among the best people), the effectiveness that improves over time (including seniority), and the wisdom of age.
Just looking at Biden and Trump from the perspective of these criteria, it’s an easy call to make Biden retire due to all of the reasons cited above. But it’s the opposite for Trump who as president brought fresh and successful policies to government and worked tirelessly in performance of his duties. I’m suspicious about whispering campaigns against Feinstein - I’d look at her legislative leadership to make a decision. I’ve never been impressed by her but the sharp knives are held by radical actors who would push grannies off the cliff to advance their woke/progressive/globalist/Marxist agenda.
Feinstein is so old even the Chinese no longer look to her for information. They've got Eric Swalwell now. He's younger and can give the CCP what they need for years to come.
But the overall topic is just another reason for term limits. No one was ever supposed to have gone to Washington for decades, enriching themselves in the process, and doing so far more than they ever could have in civilian life.
Nancy Pelosi is a prime example. But there is also Sen. Chuck Grassley who is doing no one any favors by staying in place. We need fresh blood on both sides. Patrick Leahy. Richard Shelby. Jim Inhofe (I didn't even realize he was still there!). Not to mention Bernie Sanders, Mitch McConnell, Dick Durban, and many others.
Some are still functioning, but that doesn't mean we don't need a turn of the bodies every few years. We do. As a nation we need fresh minds, fresh energies, new ideas, new personalties. It does not work in it's current format.
PS- While I worry about Trump's age going forward, he is far better currently than Joe Biden. All that is acknowledged about Joe Biden today, everyone could see pre-election. But very few would talk about it. There are those who knew they were putting an enfeebled person into the White House and pairing him with an unintelligent incompetent Veep. People were so deep in their Trump hatred (mean Tweets!, high employment, cheap energy, etc) they voted for demented President and his team who are giving us a recession.
Term Limits people. None of this would have happened.
She 'visited' her dying husband. That must have been very comforting to him; knowing that she was willing to take time out from her busy schedule to drop in once in a while to see how he's doing. To know that he ranks in her heart as No.2, somewhere behind being a sitting Senator.
Iowa's own Chuck Grassely has to be at the top of the qualifiers.
Republicans have good people to replace the Senator, but the Senator has to retire, or die.
"But there’s no question I’m still serving and delivering for the people of California, and I’ll put my record up against anyone’s."
..... including my record of having the longest serving Chi-Com spy on my payroll. A record that will remain unchallenged unless Eric Swalwell wins a senate seat.
Our founders didn't want people to serve until death.
We need term limits.
The fact that there are so many advanced geriatrics serving in Congress tells me that the job is not very demanding and they get an awful lot of help from their (taxpayer funded) staff.
Thinking of DiFi, Grassley and Biden, I'm reminded of a line from the 1985 movie "Prizzi's Honor."
"The Sicilians love money more than they love their kids and they love their kids very much."
These politicians love power more than they love their families. They were in power long enough.
"There's an instinct to be kind and forgiving or at least polite to these older folks"
Sorry, I never feel "forgiving" to older folks who are lording it over me and ruining the country.
"Anyway, this obviously isn't just about Dianne Feinstein. It's about President Biden and Donald Trump and many other individuals who don't know when it's time to scale back"
Of course, I have plenty of issues with the Donald, but has he lost a step? In a way, I wish his decline were obvious enough to deter the GOP from throwing away victory by supporting the guy who lost to FJB, but don't think it is.
"There's an instinct to be kind and forgiving or at least polite to these older folks"
Sorry, I never feel "forgiving" to older folks who are lording it over me and ruining the country.
"Anyway, this obviously isn't just about Dianne Feinstein. It's about President Biden and Donald Trump and many other individuals who don't know when it's time to scale back"
Of course, I have plenty of issues with the Donald, but has he lost a step? In a way, I wish his decline were obvious enough to deter the GOP from throwing away victory by supporting the guy who lost to FJB, but don't think it is.
Does she still have a Chinese spy carting her back and forth?? I don't care about her...she should have been out of office years ago, when they found out about her spy. Why doesn't anybody care that Senate Democrats have relationships with Chinese spies??
Trump's age doesn't worry me much, mainly because he's only eligible for one more term. Also, he doesn't drink and he's always on the go. I think a lot of what addles the minds of old people is that they give in to lethargy (sometimes because of a physical ailment that starts to hold them back) and just go through the same, unchallenging daily routines over and over. Prescription drugs and alcohol can also take their toll on the brain cells.
I went to the symphony last Saturday. There were no dress requirements, even so, I was considering at a jacket and tie. Then I thought, "I'm an old fart, who is going to complain?" Ended up going as I was, baseball cap, cargo pants, and all. It was very relaxing.
Whenever I think of Chuck Grassley, I think about this fact- he was one of the Senators that swept into D.C. on the coattails of Ronald Reagan's first election to President.
I appreciate the new tag and think it's appropriate. But age and infirmity is just another of the parameters that we use when we evaluate the performance of workers or politicians. Looks like Diane F is facing her next re-election challenge, that's the cause of broadcasting her latest old-person tidbit. But it's just a tidbit. If you ask me to choose between Grassley and AOC, I'll pick Grassley every time, even if he's in Memory Care. As David Mamet said, "Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance". But I salute the #new tag; people need to take ownership of their decisions, including voting someone out of office because you think they're too old to measure up. Sports teams don't seem to have any problem with the concept.
So why does the USA, uniquely among democracies, have this cadre of octogenarian politicians? Answer: it's the corruption. The Senate is the worst, but it's also present in the House and in the bureaucracies (notable example, Anthony Fauci). Best current book on the subject: Secret Empires by Peter Schweizer.
BTW, most of these aren't Boomers. They're too old. They're people born during the 1930s and the Second World War.
She 'visited' her dying husband.
They probably had to finalize a few China deals before he went away for a dirt nap. After all, those millions don't just appear in her mailbox.
Politicians and entertainers don't really know when to retire. They think as long as the money is rolling in it is OK. Few plan a retirement until they are pushed. Same in academia for that matter. Tenured old-goats.
Reminds me of The Office episode where Michael invites one of the founders of the company to speak, and he starts rambling on telling stories until Michael kicks him out.
"The Fact IS: Old People Are OLD. Their brains don't work that good. That's WHY we have them retire, and let them spend their time doing something harmless and fun..."
Well done Gilbar. Very well done!
Martin said..
Have you looked at the younger Democrat party "leaders"? AOC? Who wants to turn the country over to a person like that?
The Obvious younger Democrat party leader is Tulsi Gabbard. Who wants to turn the country over to a person like that?
Most EVERYONE in The Whole Country! Well.. Most EVERYONE, except the Democrats; who are Too Stupid to see.
She's in favor of just about ALL Things Democrat; BUT! she's willing to be able to recognize the fact that most people in the country Don't Want those things; so she's willing to go slower to get them
As I said; Democrats are Too Stupid to see.
The San Francisco Chronicle went after Feinstein this week. She's probably toast.
Unfortunately, politicians act like royalty, in part because idiot voters keep putting them in office decade after decade.
As for flying, I guaran-damn-tee you she hasn't flown coach since Nixon was in office.
'Feinstein is so old even the Chinese no longer look to her for information.'
Feinstein is so old...
How old is she?
She's so old, she was there at the ribbon-cutting for the Great Wall.
She's so old, she visited the Forbidden City when it was just the 'Frowned Upon to Visit' City.
She's so old, she played the first game of 'Marco Polo' with Marco Polo.
I'll be here all week...
In the early 90s George Will wrote a book making the case for term limits.
I read it. It convinced me.
The voters are mostly responsible here. We do they -we – insist on reelecting these people? I’d guess hyper partisanship is the main reason. Anyone who is a loyal member of the tribe is viewed favorably, without regard to their other qualities. With Senators, in particular, not many voters really seem to expect their Senator to craft legislation or exercise independent judgment; they are expected to follow, not lead. If you are electing a cypher anyway, why not vote for the familiar face?
Then there is bad political judgement. An example is Senator Grassley, who is running again this year. He is, I forget exactly, in his late eighties anyway. When he announced he was running, many Republicans expressed pleasure, and apparently their Senate leadership had been pushing him to run, thinking that would make taking control of the Senate this year more likely. This is almost insanely short sighted. Trump carried Iowa by 6 or 7 points in 2020. 2022 is going to be a much better year for Republicans. They don’t need Grassley to win there. On the other hand, they are going to be contesting this seat in the near future without Grassley anyway, because, again, he is in his late eighties. When that happens, they may find the environment not nearly as good as it will be in 2022. If they had any sense they would be running the new person this year, so he or she will have the protection of incumbency when the bad years come around again.
The Boomers are afraid to leave the stage, lest people start reviewing their performance.
As long as the game continues, they think, it's premature to declare victory or defeat.
The donor class doesn't seem to have any great objection to old people in power.
Don’t forget RBG — talk about a bitter clinger.
Feinstein, Biden, Pelosi, Clyburn, McConnell, et al. Just a reminder that the Baby Boomers are not in charge...they're all older than the Boomers.
"My record" instead of "my ability" is a telling choice.
'Don’t forget RBG — talk about a bitter clinger.'
I'm convinced she was either dead or in a coma six months before they announced her 'demise.'
I knew I voted abf in 18 but could not remember my pick. Turns out it was then State Senator now LA councilman Kevin de Leon (D). Looks like he lost because Republicans sat out the race.
Happens that I was introduced to de Leon the other day at an event on LA homelessness problem. No memory of him. He spoke. An empty suit. I guess that's how people like Feinstein stay in office.
Oh, and he's near the top if the pack in LA mayor's race.
From the post:
"There's an instinct to be kind and forgiving or at least polite to these older (D) folks, an instinct that may be about our own self-preservation."
Saying the quiet part out loud.
Well, she's probably more "there" than Biden, although that's a low threshold.
Peter Spieker said...
Iowa.. They don’t need Grassley to win there
Peter? Are you From here (here being Iowa)? I am; and i'm not sure At All that we (republicans) don't need Grassley to win here. I'm at a loss, to think WHO we could put up instead.
I guess Ashley Hinson, who has only been a representative for about a year. She beat Abby Finkenhauser by about 2.5%, but that was just in District 1. I'm all for Ashley continuing on, but having a one term Congresslady from District 1 run for statewide office is the sort of stupid that Democrats do (i mean Are DOING).
gilbar said...
The Fact IS: Old People Are OLD. Their brains don't work that good. That's WHY we have them retire, and let them spend their time doing something harmless and fun: Like taking pictures of a lake, and blogging about it (or, flyfishing; and trying to explain HOW they managed to be skunked EVERY time they fished this Entire Month)
Well, gil, there are some octogenarians out here who decided that your brain is far more scrambled than ours. First of all, you don't decide when others retire. I retired from full-time work at age 72, but I have had a part-time job ever since - because I get satisfaction from working. I don't spend my time at any lake taking pictures and flyfishing. I don't even know one flyfish from another - that's a joke! And I don't know any old people who blog unless we are counting Althouse.
As for Diane Feinstein, she probably was unfit to serve in Congress from the first day she was elected. Perhaps we should start a list of the really bad representatives and senators now serving - of any age.
Some of this may be Feinstein clinging to her job and some of it may be her senior staffers clinging to theirs.
If her chief-of-staff (David Grannis) really is the Acting Senator from CA, his next job will almost surely be a demotion. Although I expect he'll land on his feet at a pertty high level.
Gilbar really likes Tulsi Gabbard, a very lovely lady, indeed. But there are reasons to worry about her loyalty.
The largest individual donor to former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s (D-Hawaii) PAC in 2021 is an apologist for Vladimir Putin, Sharon Tennison, who runs a nonprofit that aims to foster cooperation between the U.S. and Russia. Gabbard has long taken pro-Russian positions, most recently last month when she gave credence to a baseless Russian-supported conspiracy about U.S. involvement in biological-weapons laboratories in Ukraine.
Tennison founded the Center for Citizen Initiatives. Its mission is to “begin a series of citizen-to-citizen initiatives and exchanges, buttressed by official media PR and social-media networks across America and across Russia,” according to its website.
It's nice she took time to visit him.
Skeptical Voter: "The San Francisco Chronicle went after Feinstein this week."
True, but that dismal rag lost its bowels over her in 2020 when she touched Lindsey Graham after the Barrett hearing.
'Gilbar really likes Tulsi Gabbard, a very lovely lady, indeed. But there are reasons to worry about her loyalty.'
'Between 2009 and 2013, including when Mrs. Clinton was secretary of state, the Clinton Foundation received at least $8.6 million from the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, according to that foundation, which is based in Kiev, Ukraine.'
--Wall Street Journal
You sir, are a leftist tool, and not a very bright one at that...
“Peter? Are you From here (here being Iowa)?
Hi gilbar,
I’m from Washington State and frankly don’t know beans about Iowa politics, bit it’s the internet so I get to talk about things I don’t understand like I understand them.
There is a story about Senator Ben Wade and Lincoln. Wade goes to Lincoln and demands he fire General McClellan. Lincoln asks “Who should I replace him with?” Wade says “Anyone!” and Lincoln replies “Ah Wade, you can replace him with anyone but I have to replace him with someone.” I don’t like being on the Wade side of a Wade/Lincoln argument, but surely there is someone? Some ambitions State Senator? Some executive from a big county? Someone holding one of the minor state wide offices? A rich man looking for the next challenge? Grassley will be about 95 when the next term ends. You are absolutely going to need to find someone soon, most likely before that term ends. If you have to push a weak candidate through , this looks like it is the year for that. And if you get someone new, maybe that person will actually have the energy to really accomplish something.
'It's nice she took time to visit him.'
She was just trying to make sure she had all the account passwords written down correctly : )
“The voters elected Feinstein and Biden and Trump”
Ixnay onway Idenbay. FJB was installed through industrial level election fraud in six states. In AZ here, there were very likely over a half million fraudulent votes for him, to give him a mere10k margin. Very similar situation in GA. They even have video from election night there of election crimes, far in excess of his winning margin there. He barely campaigned - because he couldn’t. And, of course, has gotten progressively worse, since he was installed through that election fraud. At least Crooked Hillary would probably have been able to perform many of the duties of the Presidency if she had won, though not nearly as extensively as Trump. Which, btw, why throwing Trump in there was misleading - he entertained, traveled, and spoke with foreign leaders far more than his much younger predecessor, who seemed much more interested in figuring his basketball brackets and hanging out with celebrities, than in the rest of the job.
As an aside - I suspect that the fraudulent votes in these six states are giving the Dems, in a particular, a rosier (though still very dire) view of the 2022 and 2024 elections, since they are using, for example, his supposed 1.5% victory in AZ and .8% or so victory in GA, as baselines for these elections. They very likely won’t be able to follow up with the election fraud at least in those states, due to tightening up of their election laws.
I don't think Trump, Biden, or DiFi are "bitter". Like Pelosi they seem to be happy as clams to be weilding power when most people their age are in the old folks home - or dead. If you're going to bring up "bitter clingers" why not talk about Ruth Ginzberg? She hung on for years despite being over 80 and constantly ill. And thank God she did, because we got ACB out of it.
Personally, I think we need a mandatory retirement age for Judges and Pols. If that requires an admendment so be it. "Justice For Life" used to mean till about 70. Now these characters are haning on to 90, which is insane. If we have minimum ages for congress and POTUS, why not maximums?
Nobody at 80 or 85 is equal to what they were at 65, let alone 55. As Claudette Colbert said in some movie: "Men don't get smarter as they get older, they just lose their hair".
BTw, impossible to care about DiFi. If she retires, she'll be replaced by someone even dumber and more left wing. Its California.
Before anybody knocks Chuck Grassley purely on age, subscribe to his Instagram feed for a few months.
Since his first election he makes a point to visit every county in Iowa (99 of 'em) once a year. That's an average of one county every 3-4 days, plus doing all the other usual Senate business.
Grassley at his age is more awake and more on the ball than 80% of the Senate. He gets the institutional rot that has taken over the executive branch. His last years in the Senate should be devoted to trying to eliminate it.
PM: "True, but that dismal rag lost its bowels over her in 2020 when she touched Lindsey Graham after the Barrett hearing."
That, of all things, was what opened the floodgates. Articles appeared saying that there had been concerns about Feinstein's cognitive ability for some time.
Good to know that a member of the U.S. Senate can be widely considered, by her own party, to be seriously impaired, but no one will speak about it on the record until the member has the gall to show affection for (gasp!) a Republican.
FJB was installed through industrial level election fraud in six states
I figured trouble was coming anyway. Trump may have handled it better, but there was no escaping it. So I felt a certain satisfaction at seeing the Democrats put so much effort into making themselves the fall guy.
gadfly said...
gilbar really likes Tulsi Gabbard, a very lovely lady, indeed. But there are reasons to worry about her loyalty.
not sure if your reasons are
SHE'D COOPERATE WITH REPUBLICANS
or what, but yeah. I am under NO Illusions that she'd do much that i'd like..
BUT, she'd look good doing it; which is more than could be said about any other Democrat
Would she cooperate with the russians, to bring down the sitting President? No more than any other Dem
Would she cooperate with the russians, to nuclearly arm Iran? No more than any other Dem
Would she cooperate with the russians, to start a Full Fledged Nuclear Exchange? LESS than any other Dem
PLUS, she'd look good doing it
On the Otherhand..
i doubt that she even owns a longboard; but at least she don't use a bogus boogie board
may I suggest gerontocra'z'y
How many politicians are brain dead zombies who just do whatever their staffers tell them to do? Robots, puppets, wet-ware meat suits. That seems to be the trend.
Not being able to hold onto staffers may be a plus for Kamala. She may be an idiot but her idiocy is all her own. Nobody is around long enough to program her.
They wheeled in Ted Kennedy to vote for ObamaCare.
Yet, some of you still call them "public servants".
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