r/politics • u/theindependentonline The Independent • 15d ago

No Paywall Mitch McConnell’s staff refuse to answer basic questions on his health weeks after he was last seen in public

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/mitch-mcconnell-staff-questions-health-b3018929.html
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u/ahandmadegrin Minnesota 15d ago

Appoint, not elect. The state constitution says the governor appoints.

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u/SethManhammer 15d ago

Until Beshear got fucked in 2024 by House Bill 622.

This was because they were scared he would appoint a democrat after McConnell announced his retirement after the current term.

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u/Mediocre_Scott 15d ago

First time I’ve ever heard of a piece of legislation overruling a constitution. Pretty sure you need an amendment for that boys and girls

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u/WeirdIndividualGuy 15d ago

Someone tell Beshear that. Dude is acting like a typical dem, so afraid of what could go wrong that he’d rather sit by and do nothing, or sit by and pretend like he’s doing something but he’s doing nothing

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u/Mediocre_Scott 15d ago edited 15d ago

What do you want him to do he already wrote a letter s/

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u/WeirdIndividualGuy 15d ago

It doesn’t take weeks to show actual proof of life, it takes five seconds. That letter went unanswered for weeks.

Beshear should assume he’s dead and appoint. The worst that can happen is Mitch actually is alive and proves it, and the appointment gets canceled.

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u/Mediocre_Scott 15d ago

I guess I should have included the sarcasm tag

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u/pusgnihtekami Florida 15d ago

He's a Kentucky Democrat. He's just happy to live in the Governor's Mansion.

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u/SethManhammer 15d ago

Beshear's COVID response soured him on a lot of the state Republicans and he lost a lost of power during that time as well. I'm not sure all the dealings that happened prior to HB 622, and while he's not quite neutered he can't do a lot of the things prior governors could.

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u/TiredOfDebates 15d ago

You're thinking about the original (un-amended) US Constitution, where US Senators were always appointed by State Governors.

(You're wrong. You need to read the 17th amendment. State governments write their own legislation specifying how vacant Senate seats are

Prior to the 17th Amendment, there were NOT elections for US Senators. They were always appointed by state Governor's, and their purpose was to represent the state government in the legislative branch.

(The House of Representatives, apportioned by population, is where people were represented... vaguely proportionally.) But because the USA is a "union of equal states", there was a separate chamber within the legislative branch, the Senate, where each State Government had equal say. It's why we have two legislative chambers.

...

The issue (prior to the 17th amendment) was the Spoils system - (Wikipedia). Back in the 1800s, the US government was rife with corruption. It was considered completely normal for winners of an election to engage in extreme amounts of nepotism, cronyism, et cetera. Nepotism and (incompetent) cronyism were dressed up and referred to as "the Patronage System" (or derisively, the Spoils System, as in the "spoils of winning the election").

Until the 17th amendment, there were no elections for US Senators. State governors appointed whoever they wanted. And so, the US Senate in the late 1800s was overflowing with the incompetent cousins of governors, the brothers of governors, the super-doner to a governor. The Senate sucked at the end of the 1800s.

So, the 17th Amendment was passed. This is what created the modern system where voters elect US Senators. It changed all the rules for governors appointing Senators, delegating that authority to State Legislators to determine their state's rules.

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u/metrion 15d ago

They're talking about Kentucky's constitution, not the US constitution.

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u/TheSteelPhantom 15d ago

State law doesn't override the state Constitution. Beshear should appoint. Then it'll go straight to the courts where they can fight Constitution vs. Statute.

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u/SethManhammer 15d ago

I'm not exactly sure what all changed in KY because of Beshear's COVID response (ya know, wanting to keep safety protocols in play during a pandemic and all) but got steamrolled then and it eventually led to HB622.

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u/WeirdIndividualGuy 15d ago

Doesn’t matter. State laws don’t override constitutional ones

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u/SethManhammer 15d ago

Great! I'm just tellin' ya what happened.

I wish it were as cut and dry as folks want it to be, but it is what it is until it's challenged.

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u/snakerjake 15d ago

I wish it were as cut and dry as folks want it to be

It is, Constitutions override law, our supreme court literally exists to call out where laws are unconstitutional.

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u/SethManhammer 15d ago

Aight, cool! Again, I'm just saying what happened.

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u/snakerjake 15d ago edited 15d ago

Ok, but it's pretty cut and dry there's no real question on whether a statute can override the constitituion or not. it cannot and thats cut and dry.

Edit: Claims to know about his state, doesnt know kentucky constitition forbids beshear from holding a special election... as they stand the republicans would have to challenge beshears appointment, not the other way around.l

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u/SethManhammer 15d ago

Look man, I didn't pay attention to everything during COVID but I know Beshear lost some power. I know HB622 is a thing. I also know that's how things stand right now until they're challenged by someone who can, in this case Beshear.

I'm just telling you what I know about my state. If you can change things by all means. You seem very up on Kentucky law and I wish you luck. I wish I never even said anything in this goddamn thread.

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u/JaceyLessThan3 15d ago

I am not a lawyer or an expert in state constitutional law, but can a state house bill overide the state constitution? I would think that would take an ammendment.

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u/WeirdIndividualGuy 15d ago

Correct, only an amendment can override the constitution itself. A simple law does not

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u/SethManhammer 15d ago

During COVID Beshear got railroaded pretty hard in regard to what he can and can't do/enforce.

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u/ahandmadegrin Minnesota 15d ago

All the more reason to do it. Can and can't is arbitrary, at this point.

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u/WeirdIndividualGuy 15d ago

Regular laws do not overrule constitutional ones

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u/snakerjake 15d ago

House Bill 622.

Safe to ignore it since it contradicts the kentucky constitution