I think TroutMan got this in one.
I do think the statements about conversations with McConnell were, indeed, carefully worded. These statements all seem to have been equally true whether two people were conducting mutual dialog or one person was doing all the speaking.
Further, I haven’t seen any cases where these sources (Thune, Barasso, etc.) underwent questioning from a skeptical press. They made their equivocal statements, and those were meant to be taken as the last word on the matter.
Again, I can easily believe that the “proof-of-life” interviewers are all lying, but it’s just not correct to say that none have been questioned by the media …
Thanks — I’ll check it out. Though it’s an edge case because Jennings IS media — I expect even his interviews to be curated beforehand. But I will check out your video and see.
EDIT: it’s a 42-second video, so I just went through it real quick. Not a particularly hostile interviewer, and not anything there to convince someone in the tank for the opposition, like me.
No one else signing into my “he got worse” bet?
I mean, he certainly got worse at some point, and it likely was as a result of the sort of elderly cascading systems failure that you describe. The question is just when that cascade occurred. And I think that it was entirely before all of those “lengthy conversations”.
It certainly fits all of the information and seems like the simplest explanation. His rehab center may very well be hospice.
Not an unlikely case.
Now I guess we’ll have to tell 'em
that Mitch still got his cerebellum
I think that was a solid thought. Wanted to touch on it this morning, but got sidetracked.
Something is up – could well have been going like you say.
EDIT: Your theory also accounts for the lack of “20-minute conversations” over the last three weeks.
Is there a “both” option?
Having been dealing with elderly parents’ issues over recent years, I know how easily one issue can cascade into others. Sometimes they get better. Sometimes they don’t. And sometimes it’s a roller coaster of ups and downs.
But either way, "lying constantly " is also the default mode for Republican politicians these days.
And no one has claimed that recently.
I’m inclined to believe those claims of 20 minute calls are mostly true, and he was at least somewhat responsive, and they did no more than sugar-coating the situation. And also, i don’t think he can do that now, because if he could, i think we’d be getting a trickle of those reports, not weird creepy “proof of life” photos.
And fwiw, i completely believe he’s alive. I don’t think “dead” is a condition protected by HIPAA, and I’m sure someone would have told the press. Probably the family would have, but if they refused, the coroner or someone would confirm the death.
My money is on August 3rd (or 4th), there will be breaking news “Mitch McConnel has significant setback is now incompacitated. Insiders say he was doing amazing and was getting ready to return to work, but in the early hours of August 3rd he suffered a massive stroke and is on a breathing machine. Please send your thoughts and prayers.”
Mark. My. Words.
MtM
Just saying that wouldn’t make any difference. It only makes a difference if he resigns, or if he dies. If he does either of those things, then his seat is officially vacated, and there can be a special election. If not, then there’s no means of removing him (other than the entire Senate voting to remove him, but that’s not going to happen, because the Democrats wouldn’t like the outcome of that, and the Republicans wouldn’t like the optics).
Then, what matters is when he dies or resigns. Before August 4, there would be an extra special election. Republicans want to avoid this, because special elections have unpredictable results. Between August 4 and some other cutoff date, there would be a special election on the same date as the regular election: This is the best case scenario for Republicans, because the same person would probably win both, and it would let them have the seat during the lame duck period. After that cutoff date, I think there would be no special election at all, and whoever won the regular election would just take office in January, with the seat vacant until then. That’d be the best case for Democrats, because it’d mean an empty seat for those months.
But I haven’t been able to find information on when that second cutoff date would be. It would have to be some amount of time before the November election, because the state needs some time to get the ballots printed and distributed.
I don’t deny the possibility of “both”, but i honestly don’t see who it helps to lie that way. If you think he might be back, you probably don’t want to say anything really unpleasant. But if he’s lying there unresponsive, i don’t see how it benefits Republicans to say that “he’s really sick, but we think he’ll get better”.
I guess it reduces the pressure on him to resign. But if he actually can’t speak, is he even capable of resigning? Maybe whoever holds his power of attorney can?
I don’t think McConnell would resign in any case since it doesn’t benefit him, his family, or his staff. It probably doesn’t benefit his fundraisers either.
Seems likely he and his wife are dealing with his demise and could give two figs what anyone else thinks.
I also think this is a case of personal interests trumps party interests. From McConnell’s perspective, he’s given his life to serving his country, the least they can do is let him finish his term.
My CT is that the Pub-controlled Senate would never seat an interim replacement that they didn’t want. They would trot out the “McConnell Rule” and insist the voters decide in November. That’s assuming the replacement would survive all of the legal challenges.
I assume you mean the demise of his political career, and not his demise. A person doesn’t generally deal with their own demise much at all, apart from decomposing I guess.
No, I meant his death. Even if his condition is not fatal, I doubt they give two figs what people want or think.
Then your statement makes no sense. How is he dealing with his demise?!
Perhaps it’s “dealing with his impending demise” – i.e., he isn’t dead, but he has been told that it’s just a matter of time.
That would make sense, but that’s not what was stated when I requested clarification.
But yes, someone facing imminent death is going to have different priorities for sure.