- cross-posted to:
- politics@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- politics@lemmy.world
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NO.
Just order a special election to replace him, and then let them try and take it to court, with zero evidence that McConnell is alive.
Have some guts, Beshear.
Read this and tell me what you think. It’s Section 152 of the Kentucky Constitution.
Vacancies in all offices for the State at large, or for districts larger than a county, shall be filled by appointment of the Governor; all other appointments shall be made as may be prescribed by law.
Yeah it’s pretty cut and dry - but until it’s established that there is a vacancy, Bashear can’t appoint someone. Hence the importance of a proof of life video.
Where is this from? It seems pretty damn well established to me that there’s a vacancy. If Mitch wants to come and sit in his seat, he’s more than welcome. Hell, he doesn’t even have to do that. Meeting with Beshear for ten minutes and telling him “Yeah, I want my seat and I’ll return” would be plenty. Doesn’t even have to stand up.
There’s a fucking vacancy. What do you need, Thune to tell you? Trump? Fox News?
Republicans make up cards that don’t exist. Dems won’t play the cards they have. This is some spineless, do nothing bullshit. And for some reason social media endorses all of it.
There’s a fucking vacancy. What do you need, Thune to tell you? Trump? Fox News?
Vacancy is not defined in law for a Senate seat and it’s not the first time this has come up.
Under the general practice and operations in the Senate and in the House, personal “incapacity” of a sitting member has not generated proceedings to declare the seat vacant. Several examples are often cited for this proposition, including the example of Senator Carter Glass of Virginia, who was apparently away from the Senate for four years before finally dying in 1946; the case of Senator Carl Mundt of South Dakota, who, after suffering a stroke in 1969, was reportedly absent from the Senate floor for almost three years prior to his decision not to run for reelection in 1972; and Representative John Grotberg of Illinois, who slipped into a five-week coma in January of 1986 from complications of cancer treatment and did not return to Congress for the rest of the session.
The House of Representatives removed a member in a coma once, but the Senate has not removed a member like this. Spellman was incapacitated before re-election, and therefore hadn’t taken an oath of office for the new term.
I want to ask: What’s the value in insulting people like this? Something can be “common sense” but it doesn’t mean it is reflected in law. Being angry on the internet because things aren’t the way you think they should be isn’t going to make them better. And it’s certainly no reason to lash out.
Literal Nazis are taking over our government and seemingly everyone’s okay with it. Some people online seem to believe they can be stopped with strongly worded letters.
In a week the “consensus” will shift to “why didn’t Beshear do anything?” But it’s too early to agree on that while he still can do something.
Respectfully, did you read and understand my reply? The seat is not vacant. You were snapping at the other reply saying it was and that it is obvious. But it is not. What can Beshear do then? He could of course say a certain individual is McConnell’s replacement but so could you or I. It has no legal bearing.
All he can do, which he indicates in his letter, is ask the Senate to replace him.
Being angry at the wrong people also does nothing to better your situation.
I guess it’s just a difference of opinion.
You think the Republicans should fully get away with playing Weekend at McConnell’s. You’re satisfied with them effectively stealing another seat in government just like they did for the Supreme Court. Or with the Ohio redistricting map. Because you don’t believe a seat is empty until the Republicans tell you it’s empty.
I’m sure if situations were reversed, the Republicans would also be okay with standing silently by and doing nothing. They certainly wouldn’t play the cards given to them out of an overabundance of decorum.
After all, the Republicans put out two proof of life images! Totally a normal and believable way to handle this. I’m sure everything’s on the up and up.
There isn’t a vacancy, as McConnell has not vacated his seat. That’s what still needs to be established (the “meeting with Bashear” part you talk about and that Bashear is calling for), and what the right has been so carefully avoiding establishing. Right now, McConnell has been burning sick leave - he’s still employed & sitting his term.
If I’m dead and my work is paying normal sick leave, that’s plain wage theft. If you’re dead, the accrued benefits should divest normally*.
Asterisk because I don’t know local laws, just what should be considered normal.
Nitpick: wage theft is the term used to describe the employer not compensating the employee for work done. Usually through shenanigans like forcing certain tasks be done off the clock
What’s the other way around, time theft? That didn’t sound right either. Maybe benefits fraud? I don’t see why I need to know, if I did I’d ask a lawyer anyway.
“wage theft” is really a very minor thread in the vast tapestry of “McConnell has died and they’re covering it up to further cement their control of the US government” but like yes, if it’s true then they 100% are also doing that.
It’s so. It’s very much his version of the “…and JAYWALKING!” rap sheet bit
I’m looking at his seat and it’s pretty empty. What’s another word for empty?
McConnell is very obviously dead or dead adjacent. He’ll never fill that seat again.
It isnt empty, the only evidence anyone (well, anyone not-a-fash) has is that he’s still serving his term. That’s the problem.
If you had any proof of his death, this wouldn’t be an issue (but I’d worry for your safety) - but the lack of proof being the result of a conspiracy is the whole of the topic here, so I’m a little confused why you’re trying to assert vibes as truth.
So anyone who doesn’t go along with the GOP’s stalling plan for a Senate seat is a “fash” now. Got it.
And during some years we shouldn’t appoint a Supreme Court seat either. Makes sense to me.
The fact that our elected officials don’t really have to prove that they can walk, talk, and think coherently—while we still pay them—is disgraceful.
This ain’t it, fam.
I understand people are speculating there will be no update before a certain date because of election rules but they should say that instead of attacking the concept of sick leave. Because next time it’s going to be the local unions that have “unreasonable” sick time, etc.
I mean its literally fraud if he’s dead. it is serious, and it literally has nothing to do with sick leave.
The simple fact is there is enough evidence for the dunce governor to replace him and let the courts sort it out.
That’s a good point. If he had made the appointment today and it got into the courts immediately, the judge could make a court order or a warrant to have someone trusted go check on him.
HIPAA generally blocks sharing medical data, but explicitly allows disclosure “to comply with a court order or court-ordered warrant, a subpoena or summons issued by a judicial officer”.
Yes, if he is dead that is a different matter. But that’s not what the quote is about. Here is the full paragraph for clarity:
While the language in Beshear’s letter is strong, it likely won’t do anything. McConnell, like every member of Congress, can essentially go on paid medical leave for as long as he wants. The fact that our elected officials don’t really have to prove that they can walk, talk, and think coherently—while we still pay them—is disgraceful. Maybe Beshear should just pay McConnell a visit himself, and bring a camera crew with him.
the quote is a pointless detail in the overall situation.
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Fair enough, but if you were as sick as mcconnell clearly is that you cant/wont have a 5 minute meeting with your boss (aka someone who isnt going to cover for you) after a month then you should be let go from the workforce and moved to disability coverage from the state.
disability coverage isnt the same as employment paychecks. blah blah blah. yeah yeah. that is also a problem but out of scope for this conversation.
I deleted my comment because it was needlessly snarky and I regretted the behavior.
But I didn’t agree with your opinion on how to handle long term absence.
The distinction of who pays a worker that is off for illness isn’t my hang up. It’s the idea that the protections people gave at work are “too much”. I get 17 weeks sick leave because of my collective agreement. It’s not all 100% and it needs medical certification, but it’s a lot. When collective bargaining comes around you bet we get told that’s “too much” and out of line with everyone else. Press releases get made about how we are greedy. I oppose the race to the bottom and pitting workers against each other rather than fighting to ensure those without protection are covered.
It’s not all 100% and it needs medical certification, but it’s a lot.
this is the distinction I’m making with mcconnell. its equivalent to you ending up in the hospital and not communicating any verifiable information with your workplace on when you’ll be back. any company would replace a worker in that situation, and it’d be justified due to the lack of verifiable information. McConnel has released 0 medical records verifying his condition.
There are a lot of weird narratives around this, even from the left. Like this whole “special election” bit.
I sense an AI video would be the response from whoever is pulling the strings.
