A worrying phone call adds to concerns about Sen. Dianne Feinstein's cognitive health

[Jilly_in_VA]

Journalist Rebecca Traister set out to write a profile of the oldest sitting U.S. senator, Dianne Feinstein of California, who turns 89 on June 22. And while Traister's feature piece does center on Feinstein's long and storied career, it also evokes questions about the senator's cognitive health.

NPR's All Things Considered spoke with Traister, a writer for The Cut, about a worrying call she had with Feinstein two days after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

"It felt to me to be deeply disconnected from the very urgent and chilling realities that we are very much in the midst of," Traister said on All Things Considered.

Traister had that 30-minute phone conversation with Feinstein in the course of her reporting for her feature piece, titled "Dianne Feinstein, the Institutionalist." She wrote:

Nothing she said suggested a deterioration beyond what would be normal for a person her age, but neither did it demonstrate any urgent engagement with the various crises facing the nation. ... Every question I asked — about the radicalization of the GOP, the end of Roe, the failures of Congress — was met with a similar sunny imperviousness, evincing an undiminished belief in institutional power that may in fact explain a lot about where Feinstein and other Democratic leaders have gone wrong.

With the U.S. grappling with various crises and at a tense political moment with the expected overturning of Roe v. Wade, the optimism felt out of place.

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/13/1104843151/senator-dianne-feinstein-cognitive-health-continues-to-raise-concerns-traister

I'm quite concerned about both her and Chuck Grassley's connection to reality. OTOH, Pat Leahy and Bernie Sanders seem very grounded.

[emulatorloo]

1. She is absolutely NOTHING like Grassley, who is a Trump tool

[Jilly_in_VA]

2. But he's not all there now.

He once was. He's quite out of it now.

[SharonClark]

13. There is no evidence Grassley "isn't all there".

He’s an asshole, always has been, but he no longer tries to hide it.

I don’t think anyone should hold these high offices after their 75th birthday. We have a minimum age requirement and need a maximum age - for POTUS, Supreme Court, and Congress.

I’m tired if these old farts who have been in office for years and still campaign that they are the ones who will solve all our problems.

[Jilly_in_VA]

43. I can remember him

many years ago when he was actually a sort of decent guy. Oh, down the road GOP, but still could be reasoned with. He's changed a lot, and not just politically. How old are you, and how long have you been observing politics?

[Haggard Celine]

3. I'm not really in favor of setting a number and saying that

no one can serve after this age. People age differently, and mental state is what's important. But I think Feinstein should probably have quit two terms ago. She's deteriorated a lot over the last several years, and it's time for her to make her exit.

[Funtatlaguy]

7. My vote would be that you must retire before your 80th birthday.

I know many 80 year olds may still be 100 percent cognitively, but I’ll stick to this even if I’m called ageist.

[Jilly_in_VA]

44. Nope.

That would mean losing Bernie and Leahy, and I'm not in favor.

[PTWB]

17. We have a minimum age in the constitution.

We would get used to a maximum age.

[WestMichRad]

4. So what would happen if Feinstein (or any other Dem Senator)

… was to be unable to serve any longer in the Senate? The number of sitting senators would at least temporarily be 50 R, 49 D… so Moscow Mitch would retake the majority leader’s gavel?

Ugh!

[SoonerPride]

8. Wouldn't the governor of the state appointment a replacement?

[iemanja]

10. Why?

Newsome would appoint a replacement, as he did for Harris.

[shanti]

14. Quick in a hurry, too! n/t

[lpbk2713]

5. I often multitask during a lengthy phone conversation.

And when my attention wanders away I don't suspect mental deterioration.

The journalist might be a little quick at drawing a conclusion.

[Jilly_in_VA]

6. Dianne has not seemed to me

to be "right" at all in recent months. She just seems.....disconnected....every time I have seen her on TV. And I do have some familiarity with people deteriorating mentally, having experienced it not only with parents but many patients of long term over the years.

[emulatorloo]

28. Her husband died in February. I wouldn't be 'right' either. She still shows up to vote and does

her job. Unlike some Senators.

[Fiendish Thingy]

9. She really needs to retire and let Newsom appoint someone to finish her term. Nt

[alittlelark]

12. +1000

[Just A Box Of Rain]

16. Nonsense.

[Sympthsical]

25. Her husband died back in March

And oftentimes the death of a long time spouse can accelerate decline.

I voted for the other Democrat in the Senate race precisely for this reason. There is an impulse in politicians to just grasp and hold onto power for as long as humanly possible that I find undemocratic.

"Only they have the institutional knowledge!!!!"

Yeah. How's that been going for us.

[alittlelark]

27. RIP war profiteer.

Given the post I am replying to, WHY r u supporting Feinstein ( OK, she's a Dem, but not a good one)?

It is OBVIOUS that she should step down for the good of the country.

[SoonerPride]

11. It is not "ageist" to say you see evidence of cognitive decline.

Especially when it is from multiple sources and multiple events.

This is not to be conflated with idiotic right wing attacks on Biden, who under any circumstance can speak, walk, function, all at a very high level and that is evident to anyone watching.

Feinstein on the other hand is apparently in steep cognitive decline and if those closest to her are saying it then it is most likely true.

She should be urged to retire and let Newsom get her replacement appointed.

[Jilly_in_VA]

42. +100

[Just A Box Of Rain]

15. A total hit-job from a polemicist

Rebecca Traister is an avowed socialist whose politals bias (and antipathy for Feinstein) was not acknowledged in this biased NPR story.

Really disgusting.

Support Democrats.

[PTWB]

18. It is possible to ...

both support Democrats and be concerned about potential cognitive issues in a person who represents tens of millions of people directly, and hundreds of millions indirectly.

[Sympthsical]

26. A Democrat would replace her

It is supporting Democrats to say we would like a more capable Democrat to serve our interests now.

There is no danger to the party here.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

31. Not one with her seniority.

Feinstein has been a beacon of wisdom in the Senate and she's represented California with distinction.

She is also known to have one of the most capable staffs in the Senate. Hers would be big shoes to fill.

NPR should have at least cued listeners to Rebecca Traister's very deep bias against mainstream Democrats like Dianne Feinstein.

This was a total hit job on a great Democrat.

[Nixie]

29. Exactly. I saw the "institutional" references and the predictable

misinformation campaign started, which is just a waste of time to read at this point. Feinstein sounds like she was just placating the obvious agenda with detached interest herself. Smart move.

And “the other Democrat” who ran against her in the Senate race failed miserably in the Los Angeles mayor race, so that message is sent. Even locals who know him best rejected him. He didn’t even get 10%.

Edit; thanks for the info about the biased author.

[question everything]

19. Something in the water of Vermont?

[Raven123]

20. Feinstein's level of concern not equalling interviewer's does not indicate cognitive decline

[Buckeyeblue]

21. With older incumbents it gets complicated

They have a loyal staff that will always defend them and make them look good, as they should. They are typically leaders in their state's political party. Many of them probably have more influence the states' governors.

The only way to remove them would be to have a primary challenger beat them. Most aren't willing to risk their political future by doing so. And it's a crazy uphill battle.

Some people are quick to acknowledge when they're not as sharp on their feet. Others refuse to acknowledge it.

Families deal with this type of thing all the time.

[IcyPeas]

23. 89

89

you know what? I think that's old. Does that make me ageist?

I cannot think of many other jobs where you can work until this age.

[jalan48]

30. As a Senator from the biggest state in the country I haven't seen her in front of the camera

leading the charge on any issue. Why is she there?

[Just A Box Of Rain]

32. She is a workhorse, not a show horse.

Dianne Feinstein has been a very effective Senator for those of us in California.

I hold her in the highest esteem.

[jalan48]

34. Out of curiosity what big issues is she working on? Is anything of importance being passed in the

Senate? Has she been holding town halls to discuss the current problem with the lack of action in the Senate on getting bills passed? Given her longevity, I'm sure she must be frustrated with the current Republican Party.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

35. Here is a link To Dianne Feinstein's top agenda items:

https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/

He's always working hard for the people of California and the nation.

Thanks for asking.

[jalan48]

36. This is a website. I'm talking about Feinstein standing up before constituents discussing

the issues and taking questions. It would seem she would want to appear in public forums to show voters that concerns about her mental abilities are baseless. She's a politician, politician's appear in public and interact with citizens.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

38. What leads you to believe that Dianne Feinstein doesn't appear in public?

I'm a CA voter and I'm more concerned about baseless attacks on her that come from those with an ideological axe to grind than I am in her mental capacity--which is fine.

[jalan48]

39. Baseless attacks that could be easily put to rest? Good question.

[tishaLA]

33. I read the article last week and thought it was very fair

It hails her history and legacy while also recognizing that many of the fights she's been involved in--abortion rights (although that was FAR more complicated than I knew), gun control, LGBTQ issues--are either up for grabs or regressing now. And part of Traister's thesis is that being an institutionalist inherently permits that kind of backsliding.

One of my favorite anecdotes:

In 1993, Idaho Republican Larry Craig challenged her by saying, “The gentlelady from California needs to become a little bit more familiar with firearms and their deadly characteristics.” In response, Feinstein said, “I am quite familiar with firearms. I became mayor as a product of assassination. I found my assassinated colleague and put a finger through a bullet hole trying to get a pulse. I was trained in the shooting of a firearm when I had terrorist attacks, with a bomb in my house, when my husband was dying, when I had windows shot out. Senator, I know something about what firearms can do.”

All in all, it's a long, largely sympathetic portrait.

[Mr.Bill]

37. I always heard that when she was mayor of San Francisco

she held a concealed carry permit and had training for it.

[tishaLA]

40. If I remember the article correctly, she got it after

someone placed a bomb outside her daughter's window. It didn't detonate because of something weather-related, but then-Mayor Feinstein faced constant threats on her life.

[Mr.Bill]

41. I had never heard that but

it's certainly believable.

I lived near SF when she was mayor and watched local news from that city. Someone there wrote an article about her calling her a "cop groupie", which I think was not a fair statement. It did seem that whenever there was an event requiring a lot of police to show up she would quickly arrive. I think she just took a strong interest in the actions of the city police, which any mayor should do. Of course, no one would call a male mayor a cop groupie.