Democrats are worried that the Supreme Court war will not be handled by Feinstein

Feinstein is sometimes confused by reporters’ questions, or gives different answers to the same question depending on where or when she is being asked. Her appearance is weak. Feinstein’s Gentle Behavior, which seems to belong to an earlier Senate era, could lead to trouble with the increasingly hard Democrats who are not interested in coalition or bipartisan platitudes.

Earlier this week, Feinstein angered progressives after announcing his opposition to ending the Senate legislative ruling – the main goal of party activists if Democrats win full control of Congress and the White House in November. While other Democrats have expressed similar views, some on the left have called for his resignation.

In a telephone interview, Feinstein was pushed back strongly against suggestions that he could no longer serve as a ranking member of the Judiciary Committee or that he could not handle the upcoming nomination struggle.

“I’m very surprised and shocked to see this, because I’ve trying to be very careful, so I’m confused,” Feinstein told Politico. “My visit is good.

Feinstein relied heavily on his ever-present staff to deal with any problems and would often turn to them for help in responding to inquiries. Despite being part of the most vulnerable age group for the disease, Feinstein was forced to wear a mask around the Senate in the early days of the epidemic. He has only made two floors of speeches in the last nine months, the last of which he spoke in early July, though he is active in group hearings.

There has been a protracted fallout about Feinstein’s role in the highly controversial judicial panel hearing on Judge Brett Kavanagh in 2018, and there are in-depth factors that raise questions about his suitability for this recent nomination struggle.

Kristin Blaise Ford Finestein waited several weeks before Cavanaugh released allegations that he sexually abused her when they were teenagers. The bombing allegations almost drowned out Kavanagh’s appointment, and senators from both parties questioned why Feinstein did not move quickly to release Blaise Ford’s statement.

A Democratic senator, speaking of anonymity, said a group of Finestein’s colleagues were sen. Dick Turbin (D-Il.) Or Sheldon White House (DRI) said he would like to serve as a top Democrat on the upcoming judicial committee. Nomination hearings are expected to be extraordinarily controversial. This senator worries that the Democrats will lose their seats because of Feinstein’s missteps.

“She doesn’t know what she’s doing,” Democrat Senator Feinstein said. “If you look carefully, we could be two senators short. If it is available [messed] Above, it may have the same result. “

“I think it will affect many of the places we can win,” the senator added.

Another Democratic senator pointed out that party leaders were “in a position of impossibility” that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DNY) and other senior Democrats would be expected to replace a female senator with a dead woman in the Supreme Court.

However, the senator said there had been discussions among some Democrats about making changes to the seniority system next year due to concerns about Feinstein. If the Democrats win a majority, the California Democrat will be the head of the judiciary.

The third Democratic senator said: “She can’t pull this off.”

Other Democrats have personally reported that party leaders have complained that Feinstein does not have the capacity to handle the judiciary in the current situation. He said some of these senators should have retired in 2018 instead of being re-elected at the age of 85. Feinstein’s age was an issue in that campaign and was raised again and again in the news, but he defeated Democrat Kevin de Leon by almost 10 points.

Feinstein has already stumbled once with Amy Connie Barrett, widely seen as Trump’s Supreme Court candidate. At the 2017 hearing for the Court of Appeals seat, Feinstein told Barrett that he “lives loudly within you” – which was immediately seized upon by Republicans as pro-Catholic.

Schumer declined to comment on Feinstein or his role in the judiciary.

As for Feinstein, his work on the board is comparable to what he has seen from other Democratic ranking members across the Senate.

“So it’s hard to see me, I don’t know what people expect,” Feinstein said. “I was on that group for a while. I have seen how the committee works and how the other chairs on our side work. I do not see, to be very naked and honest, I do not make a big difference. I’m ready, so it’s confusing to me. ”

As a minority, Feinstein pointed out that Democrats have only limited weapons in any nomination struggle. McConnell has removed Melibuster for Supreme Court candidates, so Democrats can slow down the stabilization process, but they can’t stop it as long as Republicans are together.

“Let me say this – I know this is going to be a fight and I understand that.” Said Feinstein. “I don’t have a lot of tools to use, but I’m going to use what I have. We can try to delay and prevent it, but they can run this process. That does not mean we will not fight tooth and nail.”

Feinstein – the first woman to serve as a ranking member in the judiciary – has since created a long record of legislative success. He wrote the 1994 offensive arms embargo, was forced to raise automobile fuel-efficiency standards, and was a leader in environmental and civil rights issues. Feinstein led a lengthy investigation into the CIA’s post-9/11 investigation and detention plans, which led to the historic 2014 Torture Report.

When asked if Feinstein could still do the work of a ranking member, Durbin said, “I believe she is.” Durbin is next on the board behind Feinstein. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VD) has served in the judiciary longer than any other Democrat, but he serves as a ranking member in the quota and cannot hold both positions.

Durbin said he was unaware of any discussion about replacing Feinstein. Commenting on the recommendations of some of his colleagues that he should accept the post of judiciary, Durbin added, “I am not going to go into those speculations.”

The White House, a former U.S. attorney, was not interested in discussing the situation with Feinstein, and only gave a harsh opinion on the matter.

“She is a very famous woman and I have a lot of affection for her,” White House said, declining to comment further.

There is a recent Senate precedent in both parties for replacing senior senators, who are no longer capable of handling the job.

The late Sen. Strom Thurmand (RSC) was transferred as chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the late 1990s. In 2008, the late Sen. Robert Byrd (DWV) voluntarily relinquished his role as chairman of the allocation committee. On the House side, group chairs have been eliminated in several key panels in recent decades, including allocations and energy and trade.

But Feinstein is not alone in that he has aged legislators in powerful positions.

Feinstein is the second oldest member of Congress behind Rep. Young (R-Alaska), nearly two weeks old. Sen., chairman of the Finance Committee. Chuck Crosley (R-Iowa) is 87 years old and allocation leader Richard Shelby (R-Ala) is 86 years old. This year, Jim Inhof (R-Okla.), The head of the Armed Services, wants to be re-elected. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (California), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (former) and Majority Whip Jim Glyburn (SC) are all 80 members. Trump turns 74 after election day, when former vice president Joe Biden turned 78.

Some judicial committee Democrats said there was no reason to defend Feinstein and try to turn him into a ranking member.

“He is an extraordinary person and I have full confidence in his leadership,” Sen said. Cory Booker (DNJ) said.

“His leadership is very firm and courageous,” Sen said. Said Richard Blumenthal (D-Con.). “She has extraordinary intelligence and intuition based on her vast experience. I see no reason to question this leadership.”