Feinstein returing gives Dems 11-10 edge on Judiciary Comm--they meet tomorrow........

[riversedge]

I am keeping fingers--and toes crossed that all goes well and DF stays well.


...With Feinstein's return to the Senate, Democrats will have an 11-10 edge on the Judiciary Committee, enabling Biden's nominations to progress to the full Senate without needing a GOP vote. The committee is due to meet Thursday to consider nominations to the federal bench.


https://www.yahoo.com/news/sen-dianne-feinstein-en-route-193846750.html

[FoxNewsSucks]

1. Time to get some subpoenas over to the SCROTUS too.

[riversedge]

2. I just saw this picture of her--as she returns. omg--she does not look well

My jaw dropped. I hope she is better than she looks

Link to tweet

?s=20

[FoxNewsSucks]

3. Damn, I hope she's OK and up to the job we need her to do.

If she's hanging on because republicons are making it difficult or impossible to replace her, then fuck them all so much for putting her through that.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

10. Your "support" of Dianne Feinstein has been duly noted.

[Nevilledog]

4. This is even worse...

[RussBLib]

8. almost looks like a bit of palsy

Not many people look too good at 89.

[Sneederbunk]

15. Or a stroke.

[MrsCoffee]

66. It is possible that when shingles occurs, a person may develop Bell's palsy.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

11. And now Dianne Feinstein is being attacked on DU for the way she looks.

Good grief!

[Nevilledog]

13. Are you totally incapable of seeing that she has physical effects of her illness?

Did I say she shouldn't be there?

[SunImp]

14. +1 Some people really need to get a grip

[Just A Box Of Rain]

19. She ought to be praised for showing up and doing her duty, as she has in her long and storied career

Instead we get comments about how she "looks."

More double standards IMO.

[Tetrachloride]

21. She showed up. +++++

[ShazzieB]

36. I don't know where you're seeing attacks on her appearance.

All I'm seeing in here are expressions of concern about how unwell she looks, which I happen to share.

I would rather have seen her retire a little earlier than she planned than drag herself back to Washington when she's not well, but I guess she's made her choice. 🙁

[Just A Box Of Rain]

37. I support my Senator's right to make her own choices.

Fancy that.

[Celerity]

34. +1

[demmiblue]

40. It's an act. n/t

[RussBLib]

16. give it a rest

do you just go around DU looking for things to get outraged about?

[Just A Box Of Rain]

17. LOL. I will not give the ongoing attacks on a fine Democratic Senator "a rest."

It stinks to high heaven.

This is "supposed to be" a "pro-Democratic" website.

[yorkster]

24. It may be that it's distressing to see Sen. Feinstein

looking like she's been through a very rough patch. And of course her condition is a justifiable cause for worry - for her and for all of us. The country's on the hairy edge to say the least.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

25. I'm not seeing much "sympathy" for Sen. Feinstein here on DU, that's both today and in recent weeks.

She showed up today, just like she said she would.

Meanwhile, she's been thoroughly rubbished on this website.

That doesn't sit well with this Democratic loyalist from California who respects Sen. Feinstein deeply.

Stinks!

[ShazzieB]

38. Being concerned about someone's health does not equal rubbishing them!

I was glad to hear she'd decided to come back, but seeing how frail and unwell she looks has me very concerned.

I hope you understand that it's possible to respect someone and at the same time be concerned that they may be overextending themselves. Because it is.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

39. "Concerned?" LOL

Come on man.

[ShazzieB]

48. I'm VERY concerned.

She seems to be intent on finishing out this term before retiring, no matter what it takes. Seeing how unwell she looks here, I question the wisdom of that decision. If she's really not up to it, I'd rather see her go ahead and retire now than watch her struggle to stay in the saddle. The choice is hers, of course. I just hope it's the right one.

I respect and admire Ms. Feinstein greatly. I also don't see any disgrace in stepping down when it's time. Declining to step down from a job one can no longer do without risking one's health is not necessarily praiseworthy.

[ShazzieB]

50. Whatever.

It's clear your position is that retiring earlier than the end of the 118th Congress is an unthinkable choice. Feinstein seems to be of the same mind. Best of luck to her.

[GuppyGal]

47. Yes everybody was so 'concerned' they were running her out of town. nt

[SunImp]

52. +1

[demmiblue]

32. Yes. n/t

[GuppyGal]

29. Well yes..just as she was attacked for having the audacity of getting ill. nt

[Just A Box Of Rain]

30. I saw that Sen. Feinstein was blamed for not getting the shingles vaccine, a charge that was made

w/o evidence.

WTF is wrong with this place???

[GuppyGal]

31. I can't say....

I'm sure I'd get an alert and a ban....but attacking Feinstein for weeks on end Is OK

[ShazzieB]

51. I didn't see that myself.

But anyone who suggested such a thing was way out of line.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

60. Multiple posters have blamed Feinstein for her illness and have suggested (without evidence)

that the did not get a shingles vaccine.

One of many attacks on Dianne Feinstein that are way out of line.

[maxsolomon]

59. I'm certainly curious whether she got the vaccine.

It would be irresponsible not to have done so when it is widely available. But I have no illusions that we'll ever learn if Feinstein did.

Is that "blame"? Not exactly.

WTF is "wrong" with this place is that Republicans are trying to turn America into an oligarchical, theocratic Autocracy and it's got a few of us on edge.

[OneCrazyDiamond]

64. Thank you.

Feinstein has has already said what she is going to do. I wonder how many people who want her to resign early live in CA.

She doesn't need buzzards over her head. She has earned that from us at least.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

65. ...

[RandiFan1290]

68. buh bye!!

[Scrivener7]

69. Yaaaaaayyyyyyy!!!!!!!!

[Carlitos Brigante]

70. Whoa! Hadn't seen the troll tombstone in a while!!! nt

[FoxNewsSucks]

71. HAHAHAHAHA!

[budkin]

72. Knew this dude was nothing but a troll

Good riddance!

[FBaggins]

6. Good luck with that

Almost zero chance that someone would try it absent a public crime.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. This makes me smile

Link to tweet

[riversedge]

7. Thanks for video. I needed to see that.

[FoxNewsSucks]

12. I just saw the video on TV of her

getting out of the car and into the wheelchair a few moments before that other picture. She looked as though the recovery was difficult, but seemed to be doing OK.

Both of the pics on this thread don't look good, but the videos are reassuring.

[gab13by13]

9. Time to subpoena Harlan Crow.

[maxsolomon]

18. It looks like she got it in her eyes.

That's got to be painful.

[Jerry2144]

20. It was

I had it there too. Glad she’s able to come back.

[ShazzieB]

49. Ugh, I've heard that's the worst!

I had shingles once, but luckily for me, it was very mild and nowhere near my face. My sympathy goes out to anyone dealing with a really severe case.

[Rebl2]

22. Very possible

Never knew it could until earlier this year.

[japple]

23. My mother had it in one of her eyes and lost most of her vision. She was always very

stoic, but I'm sure it was much more painful than we ever knew. I think she was "only" around 82 when she had it. Also had a friend who lost her vision to ocular herpes. If you ever start feeling sharp pains, stabbing pains in/around your eyes or along the path of a nerve, please get checked ASAP for shingles/herpes. It is very important to start treatment quickly.

[maxsolomon]

26. I won't.

I got my Shingrix series years ago.

[japple]

57. Good for you!!!

[Ms. Toad]

74. Good for you - but it's not 100% effective -

so still keep an eye out for sharp pains (especially one-sided and especially on the face).

[maxsolomon]

75. Over 90%.

Even in +80 year olds.

I've had it, twice, but thanks for the tips.

[Ms. Toad]

76. My spouse has had shingles 4 or 5 times.

She was vaccinated after her first bout, so 3 or 4 were post-vaccination.

I just want to make sure that people who have had the vaccine don't ignore signs of shingles because they believe it is impossible for them to get shingles post-vaccination. Any delay in treatment means a longer (and potentially more dangerous) period of agony.

We've caught my spouse's early enough each time that she got on an antiviral medication early enough that it didn't even blister - and it's been in a relatively safe location on her body (trunk). And after her most recent bout triggered by COVID she was allowed to get re-vaccinated with Shingrix, since she had the earlier (less effective) vaccine. But we'll still be on the lookout for another bout.

[ColinC]

27. SWEET

[LoisB]

28. I think the pressure to return must have been horrendous for her, especially since the

retRumplicans would not allow a replacement for her on the Judiciary Committee. I have much respect for our beloved DiFi.

[Fla Dem]

33. Yippee, yippee, Yea! Yea!

Although I feel for Sen Feinstein. I'm sure she did not want to return in the current condition, but knew it was either return or resign. She has served her country well. I hope after this session she does resign with dignity and grace.

[Celerity]

35. +1

I'm sure she did not want to return in the current condition, but knew it was either return or resign

[Just A Box Of Rain]

42. How are you so "sure" of what Sen. Feinstein wants when she's expressed the opposite?

She's said all along she wanted to return as soon as possible, now she has.

But the goalposts have once again moved.

Nothing changes.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

56. This is a public forum.

I can respond to whomever I wish to respond to. That doesn't make you a
"target" on a discussion board.

Suggesting I "follow you around the board" is falsely impugning that I have ulterior motives. You really ought to self-delete.

[Tarc]

41. It never should have been 10-10 for as long as it was

A disservice was done to the American public. If this happens again, a fresh Democratic face should be ready to step up.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

43. Few people have done a greater service for this country that Dianne Feinstein.

This is so wrong on so many levels.

[Tarc]

44. The past is the past

We're living in the now, and cannot afford to have judicial nominations held up like this again.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

46. What baloney.

Are you are the Democrats could not seat another member under the Senate rules if Feinstein resigned?

What you are arguing for would damage our agenda in very profound ways.

[inthewind21]

61. Correction

We could not afford to let judicial nominations go to the republicans in 2016. But I digress. Oh but now, it's an emergency. Enough of one to call for the ouster of a a sitting D senator because the people failed to stop the problem before it started. Got it.

[onenote]

63. Please explain the disservice that was done?

Her absence didn't slow down the confirmation of judges. Indeed, during her absence, the full Senate confirmed 21 nominees -- more than had been confirmed in any comparable period of time during the Biden presidency.

And the Committee advanced eight nominees in her absence.

The major contributing factor to judges not being confirmed isn't that they've been held up in Committee. It's that Schumer allowed a backlog to develop of nominees that already were approved by the Committee even though the Democrats have a majority without Feinstein's vote. A further contributing factor is that there are 40 vacancies for which President Biden hasn't nominated anyone. Going into today's Judiciary Committee meeting, there were 16 nominees that hadn't been acted on by the Committee. Four of them were nominated last week and haven't had a hearing yet, a few others were nominated in March or April and are waiting for a hearing. There are a few that have been held up by blue slip objections from Republicans. And there are a couple that have been held up because there are objections from Democrats (for example, Michael Delaney ).

And another fact that you seem to be unaware of -- during the time Feinstein was absent, the Senate was only in session for 30 days.

So tell me, with specifics, what disservice was done?

[Zeitghost]

73. There were some temporary delays

that are now being cleared. Many already cleared through committee are still awaiting confirmation from the Senate.

Nothing negative happened while she was out, other than Ro Khanna showing themselves for the vultures they are.

These temporary illnesses have happened as long as we have had Senators. Nobody on the left thought Sen Biden should resign when he was gone for 7 months, nobody on the left called for Fetterman to resign when he was dealing with his illness.

[Torchlight]

45. Heartening to see the good Senator return to duty.

I wish her all the best (which is about as bad as 'thoughts & prayers', but it's all I got).

[ShazzieB]

53. An observation

There seem to be some very widely differing opinions here about what constitutes an "attack." I personally have not seen any "attacks" on Dianne Feinstein, as I understand the word. I can't swear there haven't been any, since there's no way to be sure I've read every single post in every single thread. But I certainly don't recall seeing any.

Those who are seeing attacks everywhere will likely continue to do so. That is unfortunate, but there's nothing I can do about it.

I wish Ms. Feinstein nothing but the best and hope that her decision to return to the Senate rather than take an early retirement turns out to be for the best, for her and for the country. Can I get an amen up in here?

[inthewind21]

62. No

Attack means attack no matter what ones "understanding" of the word is. If you didn't see them, you weren't paying attention.

[JI7]

55. Can she vote for someone else to replace her on the committee ?

[Wednesdays]

58. No, IIRC the only thing she could do is resign

and allow the governor to appoint her replacement. (on edit): And it would be up to Schumer who would replace her on the committee.

I don't see that happening in the foreseeable future.

[MrsCoffee]

67. It would require approval by the full chamber.

Any changes in committee assignments must be approved by the full chamber and could be subject to a filibuster.

We would need 60 votes and we only have 51.