2y ago

McConnell seeks to reassure allies after health scares prompt new questions over his leadership position

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McConnell seeks to reassure allies after health scares prompt new questions over his leadership position | CNN Politics

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell moved behind the scenes to reassure his allies and donors he can do his job after he froze for the second time in as many months in public – even as questions persist over how long the 81-year-old Kentuckian will stay as Republican leader.

McConnell, who has served for 16 years as the GOP leader, the longest of any Senate leader in history, has repeatedly made clear he’s staying in his job until the end of next year when the 118th Congress ends – something his confidantes say hasn’t changed even after his recent health scares.

But McConnell has consistently sidestepped questions about whether he would run for leader in the next Congress, which begins in 2025.

Following a recent concussion after falling and hitting his head in March, coupled with his two public frozen moments, Republican senators and aides told CNN they are doubtful he will try to run for the job again – potentially opening up the GOP leadership role for the first time since McConnell took the reins in 2007.

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Every time a liberal gets a head cold the republicans start screaming that they're not physically capable to hold office anymore, but Mitch McConnell can have a stroke on live tv in the middle of a debate and they're ready to give him another year... Sound pretty typical
- Just wait for the arguments they shell out when he permanently freezes on life TV.
  "He is just temporarily inconvenienced, he will keep doing his job. Just disregard the libreal lies of that doctor who said he did the autopsy!"
- Speaking of which, I don't think I've heard Republicans calling for Feinstein to retire, even though that's a very obvious and easy target.
- hE hAs a HeArInG PRoBleM
- I’m pretty sure they’ll just have someone jam their hand up his ass so they can control him like some kind of addled, desiccated muppet and prevent any more of these visible strokes
- No no, he was just up too late watching a baseball game!
- As much as people make fun of when people say this, this really is a "both sides" problem. Celebrating Biden tripping is wrong, celebrating Trump tripping is wrong- same with mental health issues. But, Trump was attacked for mental health in 2020 with the whole cognitive test incident, so I don't think it's fair to act like it's entirely one sided. Ultimately it should be up to voters to decide whether their representative is fit, not an impeachment committee. Also, personally I prefer someone with memory issues but is representing what I vote for than someone who is perfectly neurotypical but contradicts my beliefs.
  
  Trump was made fun of because he went on national television to brag about how he aced a test that proved he could identify shapes and colors and pictures of cartoon animals.
  
  You claim that you believe that there is a problem with elected officials being incompetent, and yet you then contradict yourself by stating that you are part of the problem:
  personally I prefer someone with memory issues but is representing what I vote for than someone who is perfectly neurotypical but contradicts my beliefs.
  You are correct that the voters have the power to change their representatives if they are found to be incompetent, so use it. Don't fall victim to the ostrich effect.
  
  Bro, Trump doesn’t have to trip over shit. I don’t care how that dude does or does not walk. Have you ever heard words come out of his mouth?
  This word vomit was choked out in 2016 and mother fucker never decided to prove afterwards that he was just not feeling it that day. He never redeemed himself. He’s had 7 fucking years to show us otherwise. He hasn’t. Dude is legit missing something in his body that is very crucial in forming a coherent sentence.
  "Look, having nuclear — my uncle was a great professor and scientist and engineer, Dr. John Trump at MIT; good genes, very good genes, OK, very smart, the Wharton School of Finance, very good, very smart — you know, if you’re a conservative Republican, if I were a liberal, if, like, OK, if I ran as a liberal Democrat, they would say I'm one of the smartest people anywhere in the world — it’s true! — but when you're a conservative Republican they try — oh, do they do a number — that’s why I always start off: Went to Wharton, was a good student, went there, went there, did this, built a fortune — you know I have to give my like credentials all the time, because we’re a little disadvantaged — but you look at the nuclear deal, the thing that really bothers me — it would have been so easy, and it’s not as important as these lives are — nuclear is so powerful; my uncle explained that to me many, many years ago, the power and that was 35 years ago; he would explain the power of what's going to happen and he was right, who would have thought? — but when you look at what's going on with the four prisoners — now it used to be three, now it’s four — but when it was three and even now, I would have said it's all in the messenger; fellas, and it is fellas because, you know, they don't, they haven’t figured that the women are smarter right now than the men, so, you know, it’s gonna take them about another 150 years — but the Persians are great negotiators, the Iranians are great negotiators, so, and they, they just killed, they just killed us, this is horrible."
  The problem here is that is not a one off. It’s not a fluke. He just is like that 100% of the time and love the guy, hate the guy, whatever, but that should never be allowed anywhere near nuclear weapons. It is just unsafe to 9 billion other people. It’s not okay. It’s fucking terrifying.
Remember when the GOP wanted Fetterman to resign because he checked himself into a hospital?
- Remember when Republicans acted in good faith? jk
  
  Remember when conservatives pretended they cared for the constitution and was the party of law and order? Small government? Pepperidge farms, remembers....
I hope he has to spend every day scared and confused, occasionally broken up by feelings of humiliation and despair.
- Don't forget wet with piss.
  
  Nah, he's probably into that.
- It is my hope that every time he freezes he has flashbacks to every shitty thing he has done in his life, and that is the reason he has such a look of fear on his face when he does it.
  But who am I kidding, he is such a psychopath that he wouldn't be moved one bit by the shittiness of his own deeds, the look of fear is only caused by confusion and possibly (hopefully) fear of his imminent demise.
I don't know why Republicans would really care, it's not like they're there to solve problems, pass legislation or make people's lives better.
- I think it's because he's a pretty good hate sponge, so when he dies one of them is gonna have to do it instead.
McConnell's public statement on the matter:
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Remember when republicans were foaming at their mouth and calling Biden a robot, an android, and senile (mainly because of his speech impediment)?
Every accusation is a projection
- Disney stopped taking care of the Republicans' animatronics thanks to DeSantis's antics. What were seeing is one badly in need of maintenance. Servos keep seizing up and the system needs to reboot.
  
  The most horrifying fnaf spinoff yet.
McConnell's handlers seek to reassure allies after health scares prompt new questions over his leadership position
McConnell, who has served for 16 years as the GOP leader, the longest of any Senate leader in history, has repeatedly made clear he’s staying in his job until the end of next year when the 118th Congress ends
Hold up there, he's not up for reelection until 2026. Does this mean he intends to retire early? (or, at least, give up the Senate Leadership post?)
- means the next lot of souls due to be consumed is scheduled for delivery for the 119th congress.
  
  It takes time to gather enough suitable orphan souls after all.
- Does this mean he intends to retire early?
  Absolutely not. Senators believe they are entitled to die in office no matter what happens to them physically or mentally and don't care at all about anything that might impair their ability to represent the interests of their constituents. He might go as far as not seeking to be leader again, but he's not giving up his seat until he's dead.
- I believe that's just the leadership post. He's going to die in office.
  
  How soon? There’s a lot that needs doing, and he keeps getting in the way.
All to grasp on to money and power for as long as he can. Mitch, no one lives forever. Take the L, buy a yacht and island with your ill gotten gains and leave the US alone.
The right wing media will turn it into attack fodder against the POTUS while ignoring McConnell's rapidly accelerating decrepitude. Just like RBG, they won't wait for the body to be put in the ground.
McConnell moved behind the scenes to reassure his allies and donors he can do his job
Now that he's (probably indefinitely) 'behind the scenes', his puppet masters don't have to worry about hiding the puppet strings any more.
They planning a “Weekend at Bernie’s” type shit.
- Hell shit blood and die soon. But not soon enough.
How about doing a nice long interview on live TV to reasure us?
This is the best summary I could come up with:
McConnell, who has served for 16 years as the GOP leader, the longest of any Senate leader in history, has repeatedly made clear he’s staying in his job until the end of next year when the 118th Congress ends – something his confidantes say hasn’t changed even after his recent health scares.
Following a recent concussion after falling and hitting his head in March, coupled with his two public frozen moments, Republican senators and aides told CNN they are doubtful he will try to run for the job again – potentially opening up the GOP leadership role for the first time since McConnell took the reins in 2007.
McConnell, who disdains the focus on his health, has so far refused to publicly disclose the reason why he froze up for roughly 30 seconds two separate times this summer – the latest on Wednesday in Covington, Kentucky – other than his aides saying he felt “lightheaded” and that he would consult a physician.
And the topic did not come up when the GOP leader later attended a Wednesday fundraiser for Rep. Jim Banks, who is running for a Senate seat in Indiana.
Some at the time wanted more information about McConnell’s health – questions that are bound to intensify next week when they return to session.
“Obviously his first responsibility is to the voters of Kentucky,” GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota told CNN in July.
The original article contains 610 words, the summary contains 236 words. Saved 61%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell moved behind the scenes to reassure his allies and donors he can do his job
Is he doing this or is the Shadow Senate GOP Leader doing this? And by that, I mean his unelected aide who is acting and speaking on behalf of McConnell.
His grip on power is almost as strong as his grip on the podium.
Thoughts and prayers.
He needs to retire.
Like ok, the Republicans can't find anyone equally shitty to take over for this guy? The Governor can't appoint someone?
This just feels super wrong at this point.
McConnell is that girl lizard (Beans) in Rango.
He looks like a snapping turtle
- A wax mannequin that was out in the sun for a bit too long
Goodness me, US politics is cancer. It's so depressing. I'm unsubbing.

68 comments