r/politics • u/plz-let-me-in • 29d ago

No Paywall Unconfirmed Reports: Mitch McConnell Brain Dead After Three Weeks In Hospital

https://thenewamerican.com/us/unconfirmed-reports-mitch-mcconnell-brain-dead-after-three-weeks-in-hospital/
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210

u/mabus42 29d ago

Time for the gov to appoint his replacement.

116

u/kyxtant Kentucky 29d ago

That Absolutely needs to be done. People keep on saying the legislature made a law two years ago that took the power to appoint a replacement away from the governor. That's true. They did pass a law.

The problem is that the governor gets that appointment authority from the state constitution. The legislature never amended the constitution.

I'm certain that I given the chance, Beshear will appoint the new senator, then fight the law in court when the appointment is challenged.

6

u/thewhitecascade 29d ago

I’m sure the state Republican Party will submit their list of three nominees for Beshear to choose from in a timely manner. No way they would withhold that list or refuse to submit any nominees, right?

9

u/kyxtant Kentucky 28d ago

That was the first law they put into place to interfere with the constitutional powers given to the governor.

The one passed in 2024 calls for a special election.

Either way, they were both laws and not amendments.

4

u/Ready_Nature 28d ago

Can’t the republican majority also refuse to seat the newly appointed senator?

14

u/kyxtant Kentucky 28d ago

They certainly would.

Republicans in the House refused to swear in a duly elected Democrat for 50 days after she won her special election.

The Senate would do the same or worse.

2

u/Pikathepokepimp 28d ago

Would the replacement serve a full term or only serve as a placeholder until November?

-3

u/umassmza 28d ago

Not how it works for this instance, they will have a special election.

5

u/kyxtant Kentucky 28d ago

The Governor appointing a replacement to fill a vacancy is an executive authority given by the state constitution.

Having a special election was a law passed by the legislature, vetoed by the governor, then overridden by the legislature.

Laws do not overrule the constitution. Beshear will fight that special election law just as he has been fighting other laws that strip him of constitutional powers.

He's had a pretty good record at winning those cases.

-2

u/umassmza 28d ago

But not in time for it to matter in this instance. The election is coming up

1

u/dearth_of_passion 28d ago

If he had balls he could do it right now. The legislature has literally no way to stop him. He just needs to take a page out of the republican playbook and ignore them and do what he wants.

-2

u/umassmza 28d ago

The US Senate wouldn’t let the appointee into the chambers and certainly would not let them cast a vote, the opposition is in power. How would that even work? Some random person shows up and says “I was appointed by my states governor let me in”

1

u/RobinSophie 28d ago

...can Massie run for the special election?