Dianne Feinstein passed away last night at her home in Washington, D.C. The California senator was 90 years old and was currently serving her fifth term in the U.S. Senate, having first been elected in 1992. RIP.
GOP leader and self-proclaimed “Grim Reaper of the Senate” Mitch McConnell paid tribute to Feinstein this morning, calling her a “trailblazer” and a “dear colleague and friend.”
“Dianne was a trailblazer, and her beloved home state of California and our entire nation are better for her dogged advocacy and diligent service,” he said on the Senate floor, adding that he and his wife, Elaine Chao, “will also remember and cherish a friendship of 30 years we were fortunate to share with Dianne.”
“So today I know the entire Senate family is gathering around Sen. Feinstein’s loyal staff. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dianne’s daughter, Katherine, her granddaughter, Eileen, the entire Feinstein family and with all who mourn our dear colleague and friend,” he added.
While it’s kind of McConnell to send his condolences to Feinstein’s family and staff, many have been reminding the 81-year-old senator about something he said in regards to his “dear colleague and friend” just a few months before her passing.
In April, he announced that under no circumstances would Republicans allow Democrats to replace her on the Senate Judiciary Committee when she was out for several months recovering from shingles.
“Let’s be clear,” he said on the Senate floor. “Senate Republicans will not take part in sidelining a temporarily absent colleague off a committee just so Democrats can force through their very worst nominees.”
At the time, people were calling on Feinstein to retire before her term ended in 2024 given her advanced age and deteriorating health, and the fact that she hadn’t been able to work in months.
But McConnell made it clear that if she were to do so, he would use it as an opportunity to stonewall the Senate Judiciary Committee from getting anything done. And so Feinstein stuck around.
Until last night.
When she died.
McConnell himself has recently faced calls to retire after suffering multiple falls, including one that led to a concussion which resulted in him needing to be hospitalized for several days, as well as two freeze-ups in front of reporters that left people concerned about his health.
In response, his office released a doctor’s note that ruled out any grave diagnoses and he gave a private presentation to members of his staff about his health.
Here’s what folx have been saying about him this morning…
Before you go, check out this video of Feinstein announcing to reporters that Harvey Milk and George Moscone had been assassinated in 1978.
At the time, Feinstein was serving as president of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors. She was one of the first to find Milk after he was shot and tried to stop the bleeding by putting her finger through his bullet wound. She later described it as one of the hardest days of her life.
Watch.
ShaverC
These crypt keepers need to be removed now, all of them.
inbama
Trump, first.
ShaverC
inbama, ALL of them.
m
Well, there’s still tomorrow. I know…40 years too late
Fahd
For years, Sen. Feinstein let the Republicans get their nominees through the Judiciary committee without much of a hassle – people even starting referring to her as half-a-Republican (not intended as a compliment). Now with McConnell, we have the typical Republican payback for bipartisanship and congeniality, that is, obstructionism. The Republicans in the Senate, especially under Dr. No, are the party of gridlock and minority obstruction. They’ve done enormous damage to democracy in the U.S., not to mention the part about not convicting the tangerine Palpatine in the impeachment votes.
RIP Sen Feinstein
dbmcvey
For years I just didn’t vote in the Senate election. I never like Dianne Feinstein, she was always very conservative. When she was first elected we compared her to Maggie Thatcher. There was no way she would lose the election, Republicans always nominated far right crazy people to run against her who stood no chance and any Democratic challengers stood no chance. I’ve said she should retire for over a decade now. I didn’t want her to die but I did want her out of the Senate.
abfab
RIP Diane, with the man you aided thru his last moments on this planet. RIP Harvey Milk. We love you both. Sincerest condolences to San Franciscans. We love you too. xoxoxoxox
Diane, you were always on our side. Thank you.
RoyM
McConnell’s condolences are meaningless and totally dishonest. McConnell is, like all conservatives, a garbage human being who has not an ounce of compassion for others, empathy, conscience or common human decency. He is a sociopath.
Rikki Roze
How do you know what is going on in the mind of Senator McConnell when he is expressing sadness over the death of someone he worked closely with for all these years? The fact that you call anyone, “a garbage human being” shows that you lack human decency yourself.
abfab
There is nothing going on in the mind of Senator McConnell. And he is kind of trashy. So calm down sister.
Fname Optional Lname
All I can picture is the smug smile he displayed when asked what the GOP would do if a vacancy occurred in the Supreme Court under Trump, knowing that they refused to allow Obama to fill the vacancy he had. Watching him smile as he said “We’d fill it” tells you exactly what kind of human being he is. He may sincerely feel for his departed friend right now but that doesn’t take away the years he contributed to obstruction and lack of bipartisanship. He knows very well that he is not in any condition to serve the public but money, money, money is GOD and his greed comes before the rights and freedoms of any American in need.
LumpyPillows
McConnell isn’t a sociopath. I’m sure his condolences are well intended. He plays hardball politics and his values are deeply flawed, but he is nothing like some of the others. I won’t won’t shed a tear when he passes, but I do worry what might replace him in the Senate.
LumpyPillows
What we do know is Mitch’s health is not good, much as we knew Diane’s was very poor. It would not surprise me if he failed to wake up one morning very soon. Everyone has an expiration date, and when there is mold on the edges, that day is sooner than they would think.
scotty
well. there goes the cage match with MM i was so hoping to see live on PPV.
still_onthemark
The governor of Kentucky is a Democrat, but no, he would NOT get to appoint a Democrat to the seat if Mitch dies. The Republicans passed a law recently where the governor needs to choose one of three Republicans suggested by the state Republican party. Sneaky and rotten!
Kangol2
Dianne Feinstein was a conservative Democrat but she did support some very good legislation over the years, was a supporter of LGBTQ causes, and was a political pioneer, as the first woman to serve as Mayor of San Francisco, the first woman to head San Francisco’s board of supervisors, California’s first woman US Senator, and the state’s first Jewish Senator. It’s a testament to her tenacity, even with her health challenges, that she was working right up to the very end, yesterday. RIP
abfab
Yes.