It says in the NYT that later, McConnell "returned to take a number of questions from the news media — more than usual — and answered them clearly. Asked what had occurred, Mr. McConnell said only, 'I’m fine,' and said he was able to continue with his leadership duties."BREAKING: Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell freezes and appears unwell at a press conferencepic.twitter.com/k98r8X7xzW
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) July 26, 2023
Aides said his problem was "lightheadedness."
McConnell suffered a "serious fall" earlier this year. He's 81.
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Looks like a stroke. He recently had a head injury. Time to get a new Senator from Kentucky.
He looks terrible all of the time. Just another day in the senate-until-drops-dead club.
McConnell said only, 'I’m fine,' and said he was able to continue with his leadership duties."
It'll be interesting to see how Democrats reconcile this incident with Brandon's "deer in the headlight" moments.
My diagnosis is transient ischemic attack
Sen. Brasso is an MD. He should have stepped in sooner.
I would guess dehydration.
I hope his recovery is swift, but honestly, if you're 80 and in DC you should just retire and go home.
This might be a duplicate.
My guess is dehydration.
I'm glad he appears to have recovered, but honestly, all people over 80 in DC should retire and go home and enjoy their twilight.
Ischemic stroke.
Petit mal seizure.
Kentucky passed a law, over gubernatorial veto, in 2021 that stripped the Dem gov of unrestrained appointment discretion in the event of a Senate vacancy. The Repubs would give the gov a list with three names, and the gov would have to pick one of those three.
Lots of concern over the health of the top Republican in the Senate and his fitness for office, by the NYTimes, who won a Pulitzer Prize they continue to revere on their mantel for the made-up Russia Collusion stories they wrote.
Yes, we simply must read Pravda to discern what the regime is doing by carefully examining what they write about and what they do NOT write about. So easy to discern.
Perhaps he and Biden can agree to retire together, in a touching show of bipartisanship. Alas, just as Nixon couldn't resign until Agnew was replaced as vice-president, Biden can't resign until Kamala is replaced by someone who can win the next election.
He's also a grifter and should be gone.
He had a stroke, or probably just a TIA. Hope for the latter.
(As if we needed more supporting evidence for age limits in politicians.)
Notice the last word he says right before going silent. It is "string" and he pronounces it "shtring." That is dysarthria and it is one of the most common stroke/TIA symptoms.
The sooner old hacks like him exeunt the stage, the better.
I was in the car and heard a snippet on NPR that told me "the eighty-year old was led off the platform by colleagues" but I missed which octogenarian it was and forgot about the story for a few hours. Then I saw the old guy on the news, seized up and looking more like a trapped tortoise than usual.
What a bunch of relics we tolerate.
TIA, I imagine.
There was an old solon from Kentucky
Whose priorities were often quite sucky
He froze at the mic
Like a doe in headlights
Better still, just fucked by
Bride of Chucky
He's auditioning for President. Hey, it worked for Joe.
Eighty one. Eighty one happened to Mitch McConnell…but we’re the ones suffering.
The good thing about this is that no Republican cares about Mitch. He can fo and d. His replacement has a 95% chance of being better. Get rid of the ancient, weak, weary, corrupt, and stupid.
The Canadian senate is stupid, the US senate is at least elected, but none will be credible until all income must be openly declared. Also make expenditures public regarding real estate purchased or foreign accounts. If you are/were a congressperson, your accounts must be open, too bad. If you are a great businessperson you can explain your wealth.
We can hold government officers to a higher standard of reporting. That is constitutional.
Just what are Mitch McConnell's "duties", other than keeping the powerful powerful, I mean?
There is no way that was due to lightheadedness. Clearly, the man is not well and I would guess it is related to his age and falling! Why oh why do we not force age limits?
My Mom’s 91 &her brain is sharp, although her body is starting(ok, continuing) to slow and shrink and fail.
I’d rather her brain than an eager over-achiever, absolutely.
I hope Mitch heals from whatever it was.
The House of Representatives this week passed a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration that includes a provision raising the commercial airline pilot retirement age to 67.
Fox News
If a commercial airline pilot passes out or screws up, he/she/they have a copilot backup ... and it's unlikely that he/she/they could kill more than a few hundred people if he/she/they have a brain freeze. The president of the United States has a "button" that can kill millions.
I heard that the Dem governor of KY would be required to replace McConnell with a Republican. Can anyone confirm this?
(Personally, I favor resignation of all three Senators who seem incapacitated, and whose votes now seem to be dictated by unelected aides.)
I think that dehydration is the most reasonable guess. He should get checked out for a UTI, these really can have a devastating impact on the cognitive functions for older folks like Mitch.
Time for him to step down, really.
Still better than Fetterman.
TIA, petit mal/temporal lobe seizure, near-syncope from vasodepression/dehydration/excessive antihypertensives (OMG "Cocaine Mitch" might be on DRUGS!), and paroxysmal supraventricular arrhythmia are all up there in the differential diagnosis.
As I used to tell my med students, interns, and residents, it's a waste of time to keep speculating; far better to test, rule out and rule in, and then nail down the exact diagnosis.
But at first glance TIA seems high in the differential. Time for a little ultrasound exam of the carotids along with everything else. MRI of the brain and a Holter monitor wouldn't hurt either.
Linda said...Why oh why do we not force age limits?
Gee, we retire airline pilots at 65. As a doc in CA, I can tell you that they give us cognitive testing every year once we hit the age of 70 if we want to keep practicing.
But advocating for testing or limiting our 80+ year old politicians currently running the country? That proposal is outrageous, ageist, and deeply offensive, comrade!
Where would the USSR be today if the wise septuagenarians and octogenarians who were in charge in the 70s and 80s had been removed from their posts? It was their long experience and wisdom that led us into the glorious, welathy soviet 21st century supremacy we all enjoy today in Mother Russia!
Channeling the old Steve Martin Theodoric of York SNL character: "Perhaps there is a recent history lesson there----perhaps a future where allowing old, cognitively challenged, feeble politicians to rule us is no longer allowed! Perhaps we could enter a world with a more efficient, competent, responsive governing class--- Naaaah!
>Dave Begley said...
Sen. Brasso is an MD. He should have stepped in sooner.<
That's a joke, right? It was 20 *seconds* from Mitch's last word to Barrasso's stepping in to suggest to Mitch that he "go back" and helping him to walk away. What on earth difference do you think 10 seconds would have made? He could have done that after one minute...or two, and it would have made no medical difference whatsoever.
Light-headedness like that leads to a fall- mini-stroke, maybe. He should resign and let the Kentucky legislature replace him. He clearly is no longer fit for the job.
Moondawggie writes, "As a doc in CA, I can tell you that they give us cognitive testing every year once we hit the age of 70 if we want to keep practicing."
Cognitive testing for Members of Congress? An interesting idea...
Would Maxine Waters vote for that?
Per what others said above, the extreme heat and humidity in DC (98F highs -- it's July!) likely caused dehydration and a transitory neurological issue. However, all politicians should go home and retire at age 70.
Notes for all elderly politicians: You are not essential to the future of the world, and you won't be here in a few years. Enjoy the time you have, unless tormenting your subjects is what gives you joy. If so, just go away.
Past time to ditch Mitch.
Term limits people. Who votes on that issue?
I rest my case
"McConnell suffered a "serious fall" earlier this year. He's 81."
If he hit his head, maybe it's related to a hematoma. Happened to my Dad, went undetected for months until one day on a call he went a little loopy. Fortunately my sister was there and arranged for him to see a neurologist. Surgeons found two; it was around that time that he began to show symptoms of senior dementia. Not sure that the hematomas caused it or if they were related to it.
Just a flashback from some windowpane he took at a Dead concert in '68. He and Feinstein were trippin for a couple of days off that shit.
Power... everyone loves power. No matter how old you are.
Biden, McConnell, Hillary... and they will not step down willingly.
I don't understand the animosity about old politicians ???
whether young or old somebodys else find them useful to manipulate.
why don't we judge them by the content of their character and not dermal elasticity?
What on earth difference do you think 10 seconds would have made? He could have done that after one minute...or two, and it would have made no medical difference whatsoever.
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why intervene at all ? leave him standing and show cruel neutrality
>Narayanan said...
What on earth difference do you think 10 seconds would have made? He could have done that after one minute...or two, and it would have made no medical difference whatsoever.
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why intervene at all ? <
Because you can intervene in a full stroke (as this might have been - but wasn't) with thrombolytics up to 4hrs post-stroke, is why. Which makes fussing about a few seconds farcical.
Look at the number of Senators and House members (not to mention the President) who are over the age of 75 and in failing health. McConnell, Pelosi, Feinstein, etc all should have stepped down at least two election cycles ago. None want to give up their seat on the throne and lose the protections and power provided to them. All have made millions off the tax-payers and all I suspect are corrupt as hell. They care not for the damage they cause to our nation because none of that damage effects them. On the contrary, they benefit from the chaos they cause.
He shit his pants.
Which makes fussing about a few seconds farcical
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my 'point' is fussing about saving such a life farcical - since Mitch need to be out of Senate etc.
Need to remember that Journalism position is if enemy is lurking do not warn Americans.
[I was saved because I was having dinner with friends when heart attack etc.
my dad was alone when heart attack etc.]
@ Dave Begley — I agree. Dr. Biden would not have hesitated.
On Threads today, I saw* a thing about cheering on while Mitch had an obvious health emergency. So. Threads is no all about eschewing politics and being kind.
*this was not by someone I follow or care about on Threads It was fed to me, and it was from a DNC strategist. Who I don't follow and don't know. So buh-bye-, super sweet website.
Agreed CFS. It would seem that alot of these people need to stay in power till they die for the same reason third world dictators do. If they handed over the reins of power they would be possibly be made to answer for the crime & corruption.
Quaestor said...
Cognitive testing for Members of Congress? An interesting idea...
Septuagenarian Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) served as one of six managers presenting impeachment charges against Trump in 2020 and served on the House Special Committee last year investigating Jan 6. The Jan 6 committee occupied all her spare time so she was unable to campaign but she won 66% of California's 18th District votes.
A super smart lady who keeps up with congressional issues. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I am stuck with MAGAt Jim Bankshot.
If you're 80 why are you still in office? My conclusion is that the graft is just too good to pass up.
Let's do a quick reality check, Gadfly. How much was she worth when she entered office? All assets. How much is shae worth today? All assets.
Now ask yourself this question. How did she get that rich on a congresspersons salary? Without looking I'm going to guess over 10 million.
It’s interesting that the people standing around him had no reaction to his silence, which suggests that they’ve seen McConnell do this before.
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