A handful of GOP senators is weighing whether to force a fraught internal debate about their leadership’s future after Mitch McConnell’s second public freeze-up in a month.

Some rank-and-file Republicans have discussed the possibility of a broader conversation once senators return to Washington next week, according to a person directly involved in the conversations who confirmed them on condition of anonymity. Party leadership is not currently involved in those discussions, and nothing has been decided yet, this person added.

It takes just five Republican senators to force a special conference meeting, which is the most direct way to have a specific discussion about the minority leader after his public pause on Wednesday revived questions about his condition. But the Senate GOP also holds private lunches two or three times a week, giving members another forum for hashing out the direction of the party’s leadership — one that could forestall the need for a special confab.

  • @ohlaph
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    5710 months ago

    There should be both term limits and age restrictions sumilar to air traffic controllers.

    No reason someone over 65 should be deciding the future of our country.

    • @LordOfTheChia
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      2310 months ago

      At the very minimum, there should be cognitive tests to ensure they have their mental faculties and agency.

      There’s some folks who are still sharp well into their 80s.

      Others can suffer dementia and other severe cognitive issues in their 30s and 40s.

      Putting an arbitrary age limit (like say 65) would also keep out any folks who want to run after they retire (and who can’t afford to run for office before then).

      • @[email protected]
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        1410 months ago

        Putting an arbitrary age limit (like say 65) would also keep out any folks who want to run after they retire (and who can’t afford to run for office before then).

        That sounds like a separate problem that shouldn’t be used to argue against mandatory retirements for the absolute highest political positions.

    • @thessnake03
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      1410 months ago

      I unironically heard a Republican coworker say there needs to be an age limit, specifically referring to Biden. I wanted to logic them out further for the rest, but didn’t have it in me. I try to talk politics as little as possible in the office.

      • @[email protected]
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        210 months ago

        There are plenty of ways to serve that don’t involve directly holding power. They could, for example, become advisors for new legislators.

  • @nnullzz
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    3810 months ago

    Don’t really align with either Democrats or Republicans, but it’s sad and angering to see a politician seemingly unfit for office holding on to the last bit of power possible. Decent people would recognize their time is up and let someone else take the limelight. This goes for both sides.

    • @[email protected]
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      10 months ago

      Tell me about it:

      George HW Bush born 1924

      Bill Clinton born 1946

      George W Bush born 1946

      Barack Obama born 1961

      Donald Trump born 1946

      Joe Biden born 1942

      Time keeps progressing and politicians keep just getting fucking older.

      • @[email protected]
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        3910 months ago

        It’s not just politicians. That entire generation clings to power and jobs, refusing, either due to ego or that they have trickle down economics’d themselves out of a social safety net and pension.

        A huge majority of the leadership positions in major companies are old people. They need to learn to retire and step aside.

        • Uranium3006
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          710 months ago

          we’re gonna see some changes soon because the people making all of the decisions will all die of old age within a 15 year period

          • @[email protected]
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            810 months ago

            They’re most likely to be replaced by the hangers-on who have been dutifully agreeing with those people for years and now finally get the job they were hoping to get ages ago. It’s not like Nancy Pelosi passing power to her hand-chosen successor yielded a shakeup in the House Democrats.

            And Jeffries is still pretty young. In a lot of other cases the young whipper-snapper waiting for their chance once the dinosaur dies is already above retirement age. They’ll need to milk that until they die to feel like they got their rightful chance.

            • Uranium3006
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              210 months ago

              indeed, but at least there will be some new faces and certain issues like the war on drugs will finally see change that was delayed only because old farts with outdated attitudes are clogging up the government.

          • Dojan
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            310 months ago

            That’s honestly not soon enough.

            • thelastknowngod
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              410 months ago

              The money hoarded by the boomers likely won’t be released back into the economy though… It will move upstream to the rich vultures who bled them dry through end of life care (retirement homes, home aide agencies, funeral industry, etc).

      • @[email protected]
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        110 months ago

        It’s pretty simple really. First you must want to work in public service. Next, you run for office after getting backing from your fellow citizens. Campaign where your voters are. Win an election. Remember not to go farther than your experience can take you. Ŕveryone you listed won a (sometimes two) nation wide race.

        You are young, but no younger than 35, and you think you can do that? Bon chance.

        • @[email protected]
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          110 months ago

          Trump did not. W only did once, and only because people idiotically vote for the incumbent whenever they feel threatened. The fact that we have a braindead system that lets you become president after losing a nationwide election doesn’t change the fact that they lost.

          • @[email protected]
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            110 months ago

            People vote for a candidate for many different reasons. Sometimes it’s party affiliations, sometimes its a single issue,

            Everyone on that list except for HW Bush, Trump and Biden (as of right now) served two terms

      • @[email protected]
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        -110 months ago

        Not sure why Obama is on here. He was only 47 at the start of his presidency and hasn’t held any office for a while.

    • @Foggyfroggy
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      1210 months ago

      Seriously. The whole lot of them should be out enjoying their time, playing with their great grand kids. Why they would even want to stay is beyond me (unless they’ve been enjoying themselves this whole time which is probably the way it is).

      The worst part is it shows a failure to pass on the right skills because they don’t trust the next generation to lead.

      • Evie
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        910 months ago

        Because power and control are a hellova drug and they can’t control their grandkids like they can yours and my grandkids to suffer for exchanged obedience from the parents… its messed up

  • @[email protected]
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    610 months ago

    I’m all for replacing McConnell as long as all Committee members are frozen in place. If the new minority leader wants to name new ones, then Schumer gets to replace Feinstein

  • @[email protected]
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    510 months ago

    If I was a Republican I’d be fucking embarrassed to have someone who is obviously looking this weak and sick as a prominent party leader.

  • @reddig33
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    310 months ago

    Good lord that accompanying photo. Dude looks like he doesn’t know where he is.

  • @BustinJiber
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    310 months ago

    McConnell Freeze - new freeware standing simulator now on Steam.

  • GreenBottles
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    210 months ago

    I’m a little torn about how I feel about Mitch McConnell lately. if you would have asked me 8 years ago how I felt about Mitch McConnell I couldn’t have cared less if he lived or died. but with the current state of the Republican party he’s one of the last standing members of the Old guard even though he enabled a lot of what’s happened I kind of feel like his recent health issues or direct result of him having internal conflict to some extent with how things have gone in the party and in the country. I won’t shed a tear for him if he does end up passing away or retiring or whatever but I really worry about what replaces him.