expecting the GOP to play by the rules, lol. expecting them to not use the rules to their advantage. expecting dems to not play by the rules even though the gop always cheats.... i hate this timeline
For KY, a seat that becomes open more then 90 days before an election (Nov 4) requires a special election. Currently the general election candidates are locked in. A special election would open the pool of candidates to include others the parties don't want to participate. And if one of them becomes the incumbent before Nov 4, they have a huge advantage in Nov.
They are waiting till after august 3rd so they can't do a special election and buy more time to figure out how to rig the election before they are removed.
Every day that McTurdle is out is one less reliable vote Senate R's have. His seats as the chair of both the Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense are also both currently empty. The people of Kentucky deserve representation but him being either dead or braindead is better for all of us in the interim.
It's also a felony to conceal a corpse. Someone is ultimately going to go to prison for this..
ehh, chances are he's just incapacitated, not actually dead, he had a heart attack or stroke or something and suffered severe brain damage and is just hidden in a hospital room somewhere.
Much as I don't like the idea, I do think he's alive, just because someone would've said something by now if he weren't. Hospitals have a lot of staff, *someone* would've spilled the beans.
Andy should just appoint Massie per the Kentucky state constitution.
To stop it, GOP would need to seek an injunction (aka equitable relief … in non-arsehole speak this is essentially the only way to sue BEFORE you’ve been harmed here in the US).
To get an injunction, plaintiff has to prove they’re likely to win at trial, which means proving their 2024 law applies and is constitutional.
So, before they could block the appointment, KY GOP would have to prove Bitchell is unfit to serve.
And before someone says “Massie isn’t that liberal” … don’t stoop to their level. There’s a huge difference between getting people represented by someone and stealing votes.
This is an opportunity to show the left is ready to fix democracy without shoving every ideological stance into their lives.
That or fuck it and put in a trans liberal arts professor and beat em at their own game.
I think he's fine in whatever state he's in. He cannot vote or participate in any legislation and a replacement would only be a Returdlickan anyway. Leave him in Scrodinger's casket where he can do no harm.
IIRC, there's not a special election. Governor just appoints a replacement (who is required to be same party) until next general election. But I'm no expert, so someone feel free to cite chapter and verse if I'm wrong.
Kentucky has a Dem governor and a R legislature, so they've been trying very hard to take away all of the governor's power, including appointments. It's an open question whether or not the law they passed to do so is actually valid or not (as KY's state constitution includes a statement that the governor appoints replacements, so they're effectively backdooring a state constitutional amendment, with the argument that the federal constitution 17th amendment already overrided the state's).
i take it as a good sign they are so terrified to lose grip of control that they have to hide the fact he died just to keep his senate seat empty instead of filled because of how dangerous just having a functioning government is to the republican agenda. now if only we could figure out a way to trick the government into functioning the republican plan would completely collapse
They aren't terrified of any of this. They would prefer to hold power and have no fear of consequences for breaking the law here, as they don't currently exist. This is the least effective Congress in recent history. They don't need strong control because everything is done via EO.
They prefer to hold the power, but losing it doesn't lose them much. There 8s no fear here and there won't be until the people put it in them.
Conspiracy theory time: this is why fetterman has recently upped his threats to change party. Trying to get Republican party to offer him a deal for more power since they're down a senator
Given McConnell is one of the few GoP who will occasionally vote against Trump, an open seat is ultimately beneficial for the regime. 50-49 is still a majority in votes.
more beneficial than whoever the democratic governor would appoint at any rate, but McTurtle talked a good game every so often but never when it mattered, and always actively pursued the awful game.
Kentucky Republicans already removed the ability for the governor to appoint. It would now be a special election. They are probably concerned Massie would get the seat for the rest of the year.
It's in the state constitution, and they didn't amend it, so that rule will fall apart when they find out Moscow Mitch has been dead the whole time. They'll lose the seat, the toady, and the rule all in one, which is why they're pretending he doesn't have rigor tortoise. They were going to get rid of the rule as soon as they got a republican governor and it came up anyway.
It’s worth noting that McConnell was publicly against the SAVE act & eliminating the filibuster, but didn’t get to formally vote on it before he got 404’d.
I suspect whoever (or whatever) substitutes for a senator these days will have a different opinion.
That's exactly why it benefits Trump that the seat is now open. It's one less GOP vote against the SAVE Act to deal with. A special election could go either way for that particular vote even if KY will probably elect another Republican. They only seem to ever vote Democrat for governors now.
It’s odd that a bunch of senators would develop awareness of that particular concern now, when so much of that ship has already left the harbor.
I wonder if they thought the rest of this administration’s obviously illegal and ambiguously leveraged actions were simply excused from opening a doorway to retaliation.
sirbartonslady
expecting the GOP to play by the rules, lol. expecting them to not use the rules to their advantage. expecting dems to not play by the rules even though the gop always cheats....
i hate this timeline
Hatlled
HolyFreakingToast
just appoint massie
Jamnew60
The Turtle is dead, long live the Turtle!
IblameTV
Proof of life
joshuNoodleDriver
Its like that movie DAVE, but there is no stand in actor
imeatingpizzaandfuckit
There’s no proof of death either soooo. Schrodinger’s senator?
akafluffy
no, call the governor appointment and have a constitutional challenge to make that special election rule go away.
archon325
People should go to jail for this, but it's so strange I don't even know if there's a law against it
oobidoobscoobydoobybenubi
I wonder what date they'll put on his tombstone.
Nanntuckett
I’m convinced there’s a 99.9999999999% chance of him being dead/in a coma and I’ll add a 9 every day he doesn’t release a video.
ThatGuyFromJustSouthOfTheMiddleOfNowhere
Not until Aug 3
CybrMeow
Why August 3? Is that the deadline for something?
ThatGuyFromJustSouthOfTheMiddleOfNowhere
For KY, a seat that becomes open more then 90 days before an election (Nov 4) requires a special election. Currently the general election candidates are locked in. A special election would open the pool of candidates to include others the parties don't want to participate. And if one of them becomes the incumbent before Nov 4, they have a huge advantage in Nov.
Lancars
They are waiting till after august 3rd so they can't do a special election and buy more time to figure out how to rig the election before they are removed.
NeverTrustThisNewInternetThingy
But will there be a special election or does just some other turtle inherit his throne in this kink of a democracy?
nintendolunchbox
It's hard to talk to anyone with a ventilator down your throat.
KoalaOnTheJuice
Or on morphine, barely conscious.
Shovi
May he burn and rot in Hell!
javadad60
Force McConnell to sue to stop a special election...
SixSixxtySix
Every day that McTurdle is out is one less reliable vote Senate R's have. His seats as the chair of both the Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense are also both currently empty. The people of Kentucky deserve representation but him being either dead or braindead is better for all of us in the interim.
It's also a felony to conceal a corpse. Someone is ultimately going to go to prison for this..
whereismymind86
ehh, chances are he's just incapacitated, not actually dead, he had a heart attack or stroke or something and suffered severe brain damage and is just hidden in a hospital room somewhere.
WeirdandOdd
Can a lot of people call the police in that area asking for a wellness check? Police have to verify he is well in person?
Frenchgeek
They're waiting for the taxidermist to be available.
yeahhedugit
It's what Mitch would do!
m6514309
Much as I don't like the idea, I do think he's alive, just because someone would've said something by now if he weren't. Hospitals have a lot of staff, *someone* would've spilled the beans.
G081
So can’t send cop(s) for welfare check? Even if thousands of folks call?
WellGoodLuckWithThat
Andy should just appoint Massie per the Kentucky state constitution.
To stop it, GOP would need to seek an injunction (aka equitable relief … in non-arsehole speak this is essentially the only way to sue BEFORE you’ve been harmed here in the US).
To get an injunction, plaintiff has to prove they’re likely to win at trial, which means proving their 2024 law applies and is constitutional.
So, before they could block the appointment, KY GOP would have to prove Bitchell is unfit to serve.
WellGoodLuckWithThat
And before someone says “Massie isn’t that liberal” … don’t stoop to their level. There’s a huge difference between getting people represented by someone and stealing votes.
This is an opportunity to show the left is ready to fix democracy without shoving every ideological stance into their lives.
That or fuck it and put in a trans liberal arts professor and beat em at their own game.
Just fucking do SOMETHING (legally).
ThailandExpress
Schrödinger's Senator -Both alive & dead till a reporter bribes the custodian for a picture or walks into his hospital room to verify it
YuffieK
GOP only has to keep Mitch's body hidden until the clock for special elections runs out on the 4th
PeeterGrant
I think he's fine in whatever state he's in. He cannot vote or participate in any legislation and a replacement would only be a Returdlickan anyway. Leave him in Scrodinger's casket where he can do no harm.
FetteredJuvenescence
The reason they're avoiding a special election is specifically because there's no guarantee a republican would win right now.
ostensiblystupid
He was actually against eliminating the filibuster or passing the “save act”. His timing in disappearance is convenient for Trump to say the least.
EverNotRelevant
IIRC, there's not a special election. Governor just appoints a replacement (who is required to be same party) until next general election. But I'm no expert, so someone feel free to cite chapter and verse if I'm wrong.
Syxcfaq
Not this time. Republicans decided to cheat and changed the law in 2024 because they knew ol Mitch would likely die in office.
joe6paques
That’s true in most states, but not KY. https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/24rs/hb622.html
CallMeCourierSix
INCORRECT. It depends entirely on state law. In Kentucky, it would be a special election. Unlike Graham's seat in North Carolina.
Jarjarthejedi
Kentucky has a Dem governor and a R legislature, so they've been trying very hard to take away all of the governor's power, including appointments. It's an open question whether or not the law they passed to do so is actually valid or not (as KY's state constitution includes a statement that the governor appoints replacements, so they're effectively backdooring a state constitutional amendment, with the argument that the federal constitution 17th amendment already overrided the state's).
LayingTheCableGuy
i take it as a good sign they are so terrified to lose grip of control that they have to hide the fact he died just to keep his senate seat empty instead of filled because of how dangerous just having a functioning government is to the republican agenda. now if only we could figure out a way to trick the government into functioning the republican plan would completely collapse
somerandomusernamething
They aren't terrified of any of this. They would prefer to hold power and have no fear of consequences for breaking the law here, as they don't currently exist. This is the least effective Congress in recent history. They don't need strong control because everything is done via EO.
They prefer to hold the power, but losing it doesn't lose them much. There 8s no fear here and there won't be until the people put it in them.
Nukls
akafluffy
we would be so much better off if she had said that instead of working until she died, letting Agolf Twitler choose her replacement
shitheadtookmyname
Conspiracy theory time: this is why fetterman has recently upped his threats to change party. Trying to get Republican party to offer him a deal for more power since they're down a senator
WellGoodLuckWithThat
“Republican party”?! … you spelled Trump weird.
shitheadtookmyname
Republican party is trunp party and has been since he replaced leadership of the party in 2019
OhIfIMust
Sounds pretty straightforward to me.
EroticZombiePants
Given McConnell is one of the few GoP who will occasionally vote against Trump, an open seat is ultimately beneficial for the regime. 50-49 is still a majority in votes.
akafluffy
more beneficial than whoever the democratic governor would appoint at any rate, but McTurtle talked a good game every so often but never when it mattered, and always actively pursued the awful game.
EroticZombiePants
Kentucky Republicans already removed the ability for the governor to appoint. It would now be a special election. They are probably concerned Massie would get the seat for the rest of the year.
akafluffy
It's in the state constitution, and they didn't amend it, so that rule will fall apart when they find out Moscow Mitch has been dead the whole time. They'll lose the seat, the toady, and the rule all in one, which is why they're pretending he doesn't have rigor tortoise. They were going to get rid of the rule as soon as they got a republican governor and it came up anyway.
ostensiblystupid
It’s worth noting that McConnell was publicly against the SAVE act & eliminating the filibuster, but didn’t get to formally vote on it before he got 404’d.
I suspect whoever (or whatever) substitutes for a senator these days will have a different opinion.
EroticZombiePants
That's exactly why it benefits Trump that the seat is now open. It's one less GOP vote against the SAVE Act to deal with. A special election could go either way for that particular vote even if KY will probably elect another Republican. They only seem to ever vote Democrat for governors now.
EroticZombiePants
Also a lot of people are very hesitant to kill the filibuster because they know the other party will take advantage of it when they take control too.
ostensiblystupid
It’s odd that a bunch of senators would develop awareness of that particular concern now, when so much of that ship has already left the harbor.
I wonder if they thought the rest of this administration’s obviously illegal and ambiguously leveraged actions were simply excused from opening a doorway to retaliation.
EroticZombiePants
The GOP can tell if there's going to be legitimate elections still, they aren't going to fare well in 2026 and very likely 2028 as well.