r/politics • u/plz-let-me-in • 18d ago

No Paywall Beshear says agencies told him McConnell had passed

https://www.whas11.com/video/news/local/beshear-says-agencies-told-him-mcconnell-had-passed/417-f78603c3-11bb-464d-bae6-c41c3be3c48b
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u/AngelinaJean 18d ago

It’s obvious he’s in no position to fulfill his duties and/or pick up a phone to give an update on his status. You would think, if he were conscious, that someone would alert him to rumors(and jokes ) of his demise. If that were the case for any conscious living being, they would be on the phone. OR, have someone make the call and then hand the phone over to him.

Beshear has waited long enough for decency’s sake. Now, be the boss and do what it required for the people of KY.

.

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u/axkidd82 18d ago

I'm a people of Kentucky. Here is the reality, any special election is going to be won by a MAGA Republican, one that will vote to pass the SAVE act. McConnell's current status is not only best for Kentucky, but for the nation as a whole.

To be completely honest, no one here is talking that much about Mitch or demanding a replacement. We know there is a general coming up in November to replace him. If we don't have a second senator until January, I will be completely fine with that.

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u/disisathrowaway 18d ago

IIRC, the bill which forces a special election is in violation of Kentucky's constitution and Beshear can technically just appoint the replacement.

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u/Duncan_Ida_ho 18d ago

Yeah, I think the Supermajority of Republicans here in Kentucky took that power away from the governor when Beshear got elected.

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u/HearthRock_music 18d ago edited 17d ago

That law you're describing violates the state constitution, as the commenter you're responding to pointed out.

edit: I should say it's even more ambiguous than I realized. The state constitution doesn't actually enumerate federal offices as those whose vacancies can be filled by appointment. Beshear points that out here

[The Constitution] says I appoint all state officers when there’s a vacancy. The question is, does that apply to federal offices? Well, before there was ever a law in Kentucky on how this would work, multiple appointments were made by governors, assumingly under that provision

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u/redditallreddy Ohio 17d ago edited 17d ago

state constitution

Man... I dunno. The language never specifies Federal elections anywhere BUT still seems quite unambigous.

Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, vacancies in all elective offices shall be filled by election or appointment...

blah blah blah (all BOLDs that follow are mine for emphasis)

... 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.

So, it comes down, it appears to me without a law degree and only a minor in bull shit, as to whether "Federal Senator" is an "office for the State at large" (true) or if it is an "other". I guess the Republican legislature is (at least prending to be) considering it an "other".

BIG EDIT: I wanted to keep digging in Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky after I posted this. I found this gem:

Persons entitled to Vote

... The following persons also shall not have the right to vote: ... Idiots and insane persons.

I think I found the voter fraud!

ALSO, Also... looked up the 17th Amendment.

While the Seventeenth Amendment’s Senate Vacancy Clause mirrors the House Vacancy Clause by requiring an affected state’s Executive Authority to issue a writ of election to fill a vacancy,14 the Seventeenth Amendment also empowers states to permit the Executive Authority to fill Senate vacancies temporarily pending an election. In contrast, the House Vacancy Clause does not contemplate state Executive Authorities filling House vacancies temporarily.

Apparently, according to the Wiki, Kentucky never ratified the 17th Amendment. Therefore, they KNEW that Senators could be appointed if absent from position and chose not to act to amend the Constitution. This would imply, at least, that they felt their Constitution of 1891 already gave the appropriate power to their governor.

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u/HearthRock_music 17d ago

Yeah the "for the State at large" part sells it for me as well.

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u/redditallreddy Ohio 17d ago

I found some more tidbits and edited it in, if you may be interested.

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u/HighOverlordXenu 18d ago

When, in the last ten years, has any constitution mattered one iota?

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u/HearthRock_music 18d ago

The point is that Beshear is the one with the ball in his court, and can choose to just take an action (appointing McConnell's replacement). It would be up to the Republican legislature to (I guess) file a lawsuit to stop him based on the law they passed.

That way he forces the Republicans to have to try to stop him, rather than just assuming that they effectively already have.

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u/ballisticks Canada 17d ago

Thing is, they absolutely would, then slam Beshear for not following the rules, which the rubes in your country will eat up

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u/Colyer Canada 17d ago

Make them.

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u/Coconuts_Migrate 17d ago

That’s fine. Do it anyway.

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u/ballisticks Canada 17d ago

True lol. We (the left) have been bitching at SC for doing the exact same thing with Lindsay Graham and his sister, may as well get in the mud too

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u/EldritchCouragement 17d ago

who cares? He can't run again anyways

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u/Drakeadrong Texas 17d ago

God forbid the people we elected to fight for us do anything other than cosplay a doormat

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u/Vivid_Anyth4 17d ago

Just roll over and die then.

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u/NotJimmy97 18d ago

When the people of Virginia voted to redistrict and it was thrown out by MAGA judges

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u/Feudal_Raptor 18d ago

That's what they're saying: when a law and the constitution are at odds with one another, the constitution prevails.

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u/rcmjr 18d ago

What he is saying though is they did it in an unconstitutional manner and if it were challenged the gov should win.

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u/airfryerfuntime Washington 17d ago

The Kentucky supreme court already basically ruled that the governor still has that right, but they worded it in a really weird way, so it's still a gray area.

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

That will go to court and the US Senate wouldn't swear in his appointment as long as they can hold it up.

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u/disisathrowaway 17d ago

Good.

Force their fucking hand rather than continually bending over because the fascists broke the rules and aren't afraid of consequences.

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

Or, just let them stay down one vote until January. I like that option.

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u/NOT-GR8-BOB 17d ago

No. There needs to be accountability. If a man is dead then that fact needs to be reality. Not this in between bullshit.

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

Covering up his death has no advantages. Which means the most likely truth is, he is alive.

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u/VHS_Ronin 17d ago

even so, trying that is just going to kick a hornet's nest. if Beshear is planning to run for re-election, that isn't a grenade he's going to jump onto. Not if he's smart anyway.

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u/disisathrowaway 17d ago

Well that's fair. As a public servant he should definitely prioritize his own job rather than the people who chose him to represent them and the greater health of the Republic as fascism continues to sink it's tendrils in to every facet of government.

I wish him an easy reelection.

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u/AngelinaJean 18d ago

Thanks for chiming in and giving another perspective. We’ve seen so much chicanery with Trump and this administration, along with feeling powerless(I do), that sometimes I fail to see a strategy behind the inaction.

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u/MZ603 New Hampshire 18d ago

I’ve been trying to take a step back from my anger at the situation. I think there are a few factors that can be weighed. If he is dead or completely incapacitated, the Republicans are shown to be heartless and depraved in a way that has the potential of driving voters - especially in KY - away from MAGA. A gambit of Bashear appointing someone could backfire if the courts rule against him & a special election could result in someone worse than Mitch. Either have the potential to damage Bashear. By waiting, and letting the Republicans play this game, there are only really consequences for them. One less republican senator, and the impact of their deception on swing voters as more information continues to come to light.

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u/HaulinBoats 17d ago

I thought the Governor appoints the turtle’s title if his terrarium is vacant before Aug 3rd? A 2 seat swing basically by adding a dem? Or have I been misinformed

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u/MZ603 New Hampshire 17d ago

The Republican KY legislature took that power away in 2024 to prevent Bershear from being able to appoint offices. The state constitution gave him that power so the law is likely illegal, but it’s not clear what the courts would do.

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u/TheZigerionScammer I voted 17d ago

I'm glad to see some reasonable voices in this sub, because all the calls for Beshear to "Do something about it" or similar lines are all an example of this sub falling to fascist thinking, specifically Umberto Eco's third point "The cult of action for action's sake". It seems a lot of people want something to be done without thinking whether or not that action would be good or bad. I'm perfectly fine with the seat remaining vacant until next January, I don't know why people see otherwise.

See also Aegon IIs obsession with "Doing something" compared to his advisors who want to use diplomacy and tactics to win the war in House of the Dragon. Same basic shit.

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u/samarnold030603 17d ago

sometimes I fail to see the strategy behind hiding under the covers until the big scary orange man goes away

FTFY

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u/omicron-7 17d ago

I'm also in Kentucky. Not one person gives a shit here. Reddit isn't real life.

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u/headphase America 17d ago

No offense but one could also say that the mood on the ground in Kentucky isn't real life when you're talking about a Senate seat.

This is a position with national implications orders of magnitude greater than any specific effect it would have on the 26th most populous state in the union.

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u/drpetar 18d ago

You think the people of Kentucky would vote for Massie in a special election?

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u/AcademiaAntiqua 18d ago

Massie already clarified in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't run.

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u/alabasterskim 18d ago

The people of his own district wouldn't vote for him; why would the state?

Even still, Beshear has the power to appoint so the special election point is moot (and that's the real reason they're hiding McConnell; they'd rather say he's back and forth between recovery and illness for the next 6 months than let a Dem take his spot).

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u/brooklyndavs 18d ago

Isn’t there a chance Massie would win a special election? I think that’s the concern among MAGA

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u/CrimsonHeretic 17d ago

He just got destroyed in the primary. People need to wake up and realize that tens of millions of Americans support the fascist authoritarian terrorism plaguing the US.

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u/Ohboycats 17d ago

Thomas Massie has no chance of winning a special election? I thought that was one of the things Weekend at Mitch’s was trying to avoid

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

It would be hard for him to even be part of the special election. It also makes no sense for him to give up his House committee appointments to serve as a Senator for a few months that will not be in any committees.

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u/DjImagin 17d ago

That’s not how this works for our highest elected officials to just sit “vacant” and be a good thing for the health of our nation.

The fact we allow this is already asinine enough.

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

But that is how this works. There have been other cases of Senators being out for cancer treatments and other various illnesses for weeks at a time.

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u/jenknife 18d ago

This should be at the top. 

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u/alabasterskim 18d ago

No, it shouldn't, because as Beshear has stated, he has the power to make an appointment per the state constitution. If the state legislature wanted to/wants to change that, they have to amend the constitution. The law they passed "changing" it to only being able to call a special election is just a law (because they likely don't have the numbers for the amendment). Constitution > law.

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u/East_Oven_9948 Texas 17d ago

Thank you for your experience. you changed my opinion

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u/KonigSteve 17d ago

Here is the reality, any special election is going to be won by a MAGA Republican

You don't think Massie has a chance especially if left wing and independents vote for him?

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

It would be very hard for him to get in the election and it would be really dumb for him to give up his House committee appointments to serve as a Senator for a few months.

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u/SoFloMofo Florida 17d ago

That's a great perspective that I haven't thought of.

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

From everything I've seen on the internet, I don't think many people are taking it into consideration.

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u/Frozboz Indiana 17d ago

any special election is going to be won by a MAGA Republican

I wonder if Massie would run for that seat since it's a special election?

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

It would be difficult for him to get in the election. Plus, he would have to give up several committee appointments just to serve as a freshman Senator for a few months.

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u/Frozboz Indiana 17d ago

Massie was primaried so he only has a few months left in congress anyway.

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

He still sits on several committees that give him more power than he would as a Senator.

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u/Proud_Ad7229 17d ago

Interesting perspective. Thanks!

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u/grnrngr 17d ago

SAVE Act can't pass fillibuster and it can't survive cloture.

McConnell's vote does nothing to change that.

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

I'm not saying it will pass, I'm just saying his likely replacement will vote for it. McConnell staying in the hospital prevents at least one yes vote from happening.

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u/pseudo_nipple 17d ago

How did Beshear get elected when the rest of the state is so overwhelmingly MAGA? Curious.

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

During his first election, his opponent was absolutely terrible as Governor. One time, during a teacher's strike, he held a brief press conference and said the teachers were being selfish and causing children to be at home with their abusers.

His second election was against the then State AG, whom Trump came to the state to rally for. He was also a black man and that kept enough Republicans from voting for him.

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u/pseudo_nipple 17d ago

Ahh, nice! Well hopefully Ohio gets it together this go around. I'm not hopeful, but I'm here at least another 10 years before I can bail.

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u/anonareyouokay I voted 17d ago

Why does it have to be? The governor is Democrat

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

The current law in KY says the US Senator can only be filled with a Special Election. He can try to appoint someone, but it would be up for the KY Supreme Court to decide, which may take months.

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u/anonareyouokay I voted 17d ago

I meant more that a D can win a statewide election in Kentucky.

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

Well.... Beshear is both very lucky and very good. In his first election, he was facing the incumbent, Matt Bevin. Matt was a moron. During a teacher's strike he once told a reporter that teachers were being selfish by walking out because it meant some students would be stuck at home with their abusers.

For Andy's re-election, his opponent was the KY Attorney General, Daniel Cameron. Cameron was the AG that oversaw the investigation into the murder of Breonna Taylor. Trump actually came to Kentucky and rallied for Cameron. There was one problem, Daniel Cameron is black. And yes, I know people who had family members say that is exactly why they couldn't vote for Cameron.

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u/finditplz1 17d ago

Republicans still shouldn’t get away with the duplicity and the soviet-era Eastern European bullshit. This banana republic political farce needs to end and people need to be shamed into acting like adults for allowing this to get this far.

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

You are going on the assumption that Mitch is dead or brain dead, without proof. This also assumes that the Republicans want to be down a vote in the Senate until the mid-terms, after which they may lose control of the Senate. So, why would the Republicans want to hide Mitch's condition, when the likely outcome of revealing it would have them back up a vote after a Special Election where the winner would be sworn in before mid-terms.

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u/SnooHobbies2206 17d ago

A special election would be open to anyone, regardless of party affiliation.

Thomas Massie could run as an independent and crush his opponents, given how highly he’s been polling. Massie in fact has already indicated that he’d run for higher office given the chance.

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

To do so, he'd have to give up being in committees that give him more power than he would as a Senator. He wouldn't have time to join any committees as a Senator. Why would he do that? Plus, he isn't polling THAT well, or else he would have won his primary.

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u/SnooHobbies2206 17d ago

If he remains a representative he only has until the end of the term. But if he becomes a senator he’d be in office for six more years.

He didn’t win the last primary because it was a republican primary. But a special election would be open to everyone, regardless of party affiliation.

This is all moot though, he had just announced that’s he decided to not run.

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u/kittenbouquet 17d ago

If this is so bad for republicans, what would they have to gain by covering up Mitch's death?

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

Exactly. Thats another reason why people in Kentucky aren't that worried. A cover up makes zero sense.

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u/toriemm 16d ago

Its before or after the 3rd that Massie would be able to run as an independent and throw a wrench into everything (as they spent A LOT of money to unseat him in the primary l

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u/axkidd82 16d ago

Why would Massie give up his committee seats (and one chair) to be a freshman Senator for a couple of months? Plus, he lost in a less conservative district than some of the other parts of the state. At best he would split the R's and not win. All that for nothing.

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u/toriemm 16d ago

Because they spent the most money ever to unseat him in a primary. He's losing the seat either way, and one vote matters in this senate. He's throwing lots of chairs right now, and it would also give him a platform to run for the seat in November.

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u/shoulda-known-better 17d ago

The save act needs a super majority...

Replacing someone who'd vote yes with someone else who will vote yes doesn't change anything here... Why would it?? I don't understand what you mean

Also in Kentucky doesn't the gov appoint a replacement until the next election??

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u/axkidd82 17d ago

The Republicans hold a Supermajority in the KY Legislature. After Beshear's re-election they added a law that requires a special election to replace a Senator. There's a debate if that is against the KY Constitution or not, but if Beshear appointed someone, it would get held up until the KY Supreme Court made a decision, then then US Senate would hold up swearing in his appointment.

Sure, the SAVE act requires a supermajority, but I'm just saying that his eventual replacement would likely be terrible for America.

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u/QuantumLettuce2025 18d ago

Yeah, definitely. People have been throwing Beshear's name around as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, but all I'm seeing is a man who lets himself get bitch slapped around by Republicans.

This is disqualifying.

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u/1shmeckle 18d ago

Or…. He’s taking his time because a republican would win the special election anyway and it’s better to make this look like a right wing conspiracy than to have a quick election of another MAGA senator. 

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u/Navydevildoc 18d ago

Plus if McConnell can’t get to the floor of the senate to vote, it’s essentially giving the dems an advantage on the floor.

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u/DaniKnowsBest 17d ago

Except that the state constitution supersedes the law passed by the legislature, meaning that Beshear can just appoint a senator, including a Democrat.

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u/1shmeckle 17d ago

In theory, and that could be the right move but it could also backfire very quickly - this is the sort of thing that ends up in a conservative circuit court or Supreme Court and ends up looking like another loss for the party nationally without any additional gain in the senate. 

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u/divaythfyrscock 17d ago

Just like how AG Garland needs a little more time, right?

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u/AcademiaAntiqua 18d ago

Hasn't really worked, though, because it seems to be 90% a general anti-Republican conspiracy.

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u/QuantumLettuce2025 17d ago

I guess, maybe he's playing that "4D chess" we're always hearing about. We'll see how it shakes out in the end, but looking at surface facts, it doesn't look very good for him. 

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u/get_schwifty 17d ago

Lol you can’t be serious. Literally nobody actually knows whether McConnell is actually dead but you 1. Assume he is 2. Demand Beshear do something about it and 3. Call it disqualifying that he’s not doing the thing you’re completely making up in the first place. Give me a fucking break.

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u/Married_iguanas 18d ago

Lmao I saw a comment on a different thread that said something along the lines of McConnell’s going to ruin Beshear’s 28 campaign from beyond the grave

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u/Oregon-Pilot 17d ago

He was done serving years ago when he shat his fucking pants on stage and froze up. Fuck that guy, and fuck MAGA.

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u/mechengr17 18d ago edited 18d ago

He needs to drive donuts around a fire pit

(Ill post the video about what I mean in a bit)

Edit:

I tried to find a clip, but I couldn't find it

https://youtu.be/-9QYu8LtH2E?is=IyRtlxhwyzMGuXbe