Senator Dianne Feinstein is 87 years old. The senior democratic senator from California has recently been a cause of concern for her fellow democrats, in part, due to her age. Now speculations as to her political future has exploded after California Governor Gavin Newsom speculated as to who he might appoint to the Senate should Feinstein retire.
Dianne Feinstein was first elected to the Senate in 1992 in a by-election to fill an open seat. She won reelection to a sixth term in 2018 and has almost four years left to serve. She will probably not run again in 2024.
Will you offer us a hand? Every gift, regardless of size, fuels our future.
Your critical contribution enables us to maintain our independence from shareholders or wealthy owners, allowing us to keep up reporting without bias. It means we can continue to make Jewish Business News available to everyone.
You can support us for as little as $1 via PayPal at [email protected].
Thank you.
The other day, Governor Newsom told MSNBC’s “The ReidOut” that he would appoint a black woman to replace Senator Feinstein. When asked about this he said, “We have multiple names in mind and the answer is yes.”
There has been concern that Dianne Feinstein getting too old for some time now. Last December The New Yorker reported on how she was showing signs of her age. It cited anonymous sources close to the Senator as acknowledging that she is “seriously struggling” and that this has been evident for several years. These sources also admitted that her short-term memory has grown so poor that “she often forgets she has been briefed on a topic, accusing her staff of failing to do so just after they have.”
Senator Feinstein’s democratic colleagues were also visibly annoyed with her behavior during last year’s Senate confirmation hearing for Supreme Court justice Amy Coney Barrett. They felt that she was too chummy with her Republican colleagues on the judiciary committee.
Well Dianne Feinstein has hit back at Governor Newsom and denied that she is even thinking about retirement. On the rumors she told CNN, “There’s nothing to it.” On early retirement she added, “I have not discussed that with anybody, nobody has asked me any questions about it.”
“We’re very good friends. I don’t think he meant it the way some people thought,” Feinstein said when asked about the governor’s comments. The senator added, “You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.”
Well now the New York Times has reported that Senator Feinstein’s future is connected to her Husband, Richard Blum. According to the report, Blum, 85, is lobbying to get appointed to an ambassadorship somewhere in Europe. Should this happen, Dianne Feinstein would likely leave the Senate and move abroad with her husband.
In any event, Feinstein is still working hard on new legislation. Her Tweet below explains her new bill would reinforce the Freedom of Information Act.
–
The public has a right to know what the government is doing and hold it accountable for its actions. Our bill would restore a longstanding legal interpretation of the Freedom of Information Act and strengthen the public’s ability to access information. https://t.co/jMG3uFeSql
— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) March 16, 2021