Why not replace McConnell anyways and let them prove otherwise?
this post was submitted on 28 Jul 2026
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Because Kentucky law says Beshear would have to call an election so a Republican would get in anyway. But that law might be unconstitutional from what I've read. But also is it a fight worth spending political capital and legal fees on when realistically it won't change anything and there'll be a new Republican Kentucky senator in 6 months?
I thought special elections were trending less MAGA these days.
Its still Kentucky.
Which has a Democrat for a governor. Senators are up for statewide elections just like governors.
Cross party governors are a very different thing than cross party senators. Massachusetts and California have both had Republican governors and at no point did that indicate the state was turning red. Cross party governors can be seen as outsiders that will pump the brakes on a single party establishment legislature.
Beshear has been in office through a couple Senate elections and they were still Republican blowouts.
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The reason they want to stop a Special Election, is in one of those Maise can run despite losing the Republican primary
He might not win, but he'd suck up enough votes from the other Republican to give it to a Dem
So I've heard this said before, but I don't really get it.
Massie is a current Kentucky House representative, he lost his primary so his term will end in January.
McConnell's seat is up for election in November, so his term also ends in January.
If a special election is held, it's just to fill out his term until the end of January.
So in a scenario where a special election is held and Massie wins, he has to resign his House seat to take the Senate seat, but the term still ends in January.
Does that really change anything?
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a Republican would get in anyway
That Republican might be Thomas Massie, though, which they REALLY want to avoid at any cost.
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I thought Kentucky law said Beshear could appoint a replacement. And that's why the GOPers are dragging their heels till August 3.
No. Kentucky law specifically says Beshear cannot appoint a replacement. But he can call a special election, which might have different candidates than the general election for his seat in November. The August 3 date is floating around as the deadline after which Beshear can't call that election.
From what I understood, there are opposing laws in conflict with one another, one stating Beshear can appoint a replacement directly, and one stating he cannot. What he could do is go forward with an appointment, but then he will be caught up in legal proceedings anyway until the litigation on which law is binding can be made. So it will be a bit of a stalemate anyway.
I am likely to be incorrect in my understanding, but I remember reading that somewhere.
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And if McConnell DOESNT give an Update before August 3rd then Beshear will send ANOTHER Angry Letter!
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Even the article says this is likely to not do anything. Its time for the people of Kentucky to burst into every hospital with their cameras ready. Demand they see their senator is cognizant.
This is just the bare minimum that should have been demanded weeks ago and honestly he should have just started the appointment process by now, assumed he's in a Weekend at Bernie's situation, played the Republican lowball game and let the political chips fall where they may.
Honestly at this point I think the governor should just declare Mitch to be either deceased or unable to serve and start the process of appointing a successor. Then if Mitch's team challenges him, say look I want to be wrong please produce the Senator for an in person visit or appearance of any kind, or shut up.
Because if you strip away the politics, McConnell is there to represent the interests of his constituents. If he is unwilling or unable to do so then he should be replaced.
Yeah, there's no excuse to not do a video conference in this day and age. Mitch could even stay in his bed, or whatever turtles sleep in.
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Mitch is feeling much better lately.
Went for a hike today:
Then they visited Paris:
And stopped by Euro Disney:
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Imagine not showing up to your job for 43 days and even the governor is demanding that you do something, but you’re just like “nah” and nothing happens to you and you keep your job.
#nokings?
Well all you have to do is work hard enough to buy your own lawless reality. They’re living the American dream, I think?
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While the language in Beshear’s letter is strong, it likely won’t do anything. McConnell, like every member of Congress, can essentially go on paid medical leave for as long as he wants. The fact that our elected officials don’t really have to prove that they can walk, talk, and think coherently—while we still pay them—is disgraceful. Maybe Beshear should just pay McConnell a visit himself, and bring a camera crew with him.
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Yet, the Democratic governor of Kentucky continues to be a chicken-shit coward. He has the power to end this now, but he's too much of a coward to do anything. He can simply declare the seat vacant by death or incapacitation and call for a special election. If McConnell still walks among the living, then he can show up in court to prove his health quite easily. It would be the quickest court case ever.
This is squarely on the hands of that sniveling coward Governor Beshear.
He can simply declare the seat vacant by death or incapacitation and call for a special election.
Can he actually?
Waaaah, but what if we caaaan't? What if it doesn't work? What if the courts just overrule it?
Who fucking cares if it doesn't work? Try it anyway and quit being a god-damn child.
Let's stop this limp-wristed, self-defeating, surrender-in-advance attitude. Here's an idea. Try having a god damned backbone. Try it anyway and see if it sticks. As long as you have a half-decent legal theory, give it a go.
Liberals are shiftless cowards. Republicans will happily try a dozen things out, expecting only one or two of them to hold up in court. Democrats second-guess themselves into paralysis.
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Yep, completely gutless/meaningless: "If the Senator is unable to respond for either of those or other conditions, consider this letter a demand for his Senate staff to be honest and transparent with the people of Kentucky."
It should be a specific date and time when he'll start the replacement process with a specific date and time when he expects the new person to be sworn in.
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Call for the special election anyway.
If he’s alive he’s gotta say something to stop it.
That's what I've been saying: Call their bluff, by appointing a replacement, and make them sue the state to stop it. The only way to stop it is to demonstrate to the judge that the Turtle is still swimming, and if he is, then great, MAGA wins.
But if they can't, MAGA's got some 'splainin' to do.
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So we’re calling mildly worded letters an order now? He’s doing the same bullshit everyone else does. Every week that gets added to this he writes another letter. MF the deadline for the election is next week.
For context Senator Ben Lujan from New Mexico got BRAIN SURGERY after a STROKE. He returned to work after a little over a month. He took less time off than McConnell has had for what is allegedly only a minor case of Pneumonia.
Why does Trump get carté blanché but when it’s anyone else they just throw their hands in the air. Beshear needs to just hold the special election. Watch how fast they provide information.
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Isn't there only a week left until it's too late for a special election? If the Republicans are covering up his death they're not going to give in when they're so close.
Exactly. Play dirty and create a nasty constitutional crisis. Worse case scenario is that the fucker is still alive. Best, it exposes the GOP that will puppeteer a corpse not to lose power.
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He's passed on! This senator is no more! He has ceased to be! He's expired and gone to meet his maker! He's a stiff! Bereft of life, he rests in peace! If they hadn't nailed him to the hospital bed he'd be pushing up the daisies! His metabolic processes are now history! He's off the twig! He's kicked the bucket, he's shuffled off his mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the choir invisible!! HE IS AN EX-SENATOR!!
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Guys. Guys. I've got it. This is poetry.
Show us your death certificate
They'll update on August 3rd to avoid the special election
Kentucky Gov sends sternly worded letter.
Andy Beshear is a little bitch. Bust in there with your goons and end this fucking play already.
I am reminded of the situation around Dianne Feinstein in 2023, who held on to her seat until her death, even though rumors were swirling that she had dementia that was only getting worse. She actually gave power of attorney over her personal affairs to her daughter a few months before her death, while still serving as Senator.
(But, even through all that she still had lucid moments, and actually voted to prevent a government shutdown just before she died, which is more than Mitch has done recently.)
We really need some way to get these people to step aside when the time comes.
Weird to ask an unresponsive corpse to resign. Just pick a new senator!
I would like to think he may be setting up everyone involved in the cover up of McConnell’s death to be complicit in organized fraud. I want to see arrests made for this bullshit.
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Is this a firm "day after it doesn't matter" deadline?
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