Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to retire at end of term

nytimes.com

6 points·trynewideas··6 comments

Feinstein is a longtime tech industry villain on the "catastrophically ignorant" track,[1][2] especially around encryption.[3][4] I'll especially remember her brushing off kids who lobbied her on the Green New Deal:[5]

> “I’ve gotten elected, I just ran,” she added. “I was elected by almost a million-vote plurality. And I know what I’m doing. So you know, maybe people should listen a little bit.”

The SF Chronicle ran a story in April about her progressing cognitive problems. She's 88.[6]

The race to replace her was already competitive before she'd even announced her retirement.[7]

1: https://www.politico.com/story/2012/06/feinstein-im-no-techn...

2: https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/sen-feinstein-sh...

3: https://www.techdirt.com/2016/04/08/burr-feinstein-release-t...

4: https://www.theverge.com/interface/2020/3/12/21174815/earn-i...

5: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/431238-kids-confront-fei...

6: https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/dianne-feinstei...

7: https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-01-20/california...

Its even more bonkers that she remained anti-encryption and pro-mass surveillance after the CIA was caught spying on her committee, while her committee attempted to investigate the CIA!

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/12/a-brief...

From a different polity (aus), if a senate seat falls vacant its filled by a nominee of the party who held that quotient at the will of the state premier, a power which has occasionally (very occasionally, but notoriously to cause a flip in the government by triggering a double dissolution of the chambers) been abused.

Would it not be kinder to the D party for her to stop now. Or, presumably have stopped years ago?

Democrats here aren't especially well known for doing anything that helps their party, tactically or strategically.

We need age limits now!

I look forward to having two Senators again in 2025. Feinstein votes reliably but hasn't said anything of note for years and seems generally disengaged from anything. Joe Biden is a whirlwind of energy by comparison.

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