It's past time for Dianne Feinstein to resign

Another cringe-y episode

(California Sen. Dianne Feinstein)

The following exchange took place between California Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Capitol Hill reporters this week — when one journalist asked her about the well wishes she had received for returning to Washington after a months-long absence:

Feinstein: “What have I heard about what?”

Reporter: “About your return.”

Feinstein: “I haven’t been gone. You should ... I haven’t been gone. I’ve been working.”

Reporter: “You’ve been working from home is what you’re saying?”

Feinstein: “No, I’ve been here. I’ve been voting. Please, either know or don’t know.”

(You can listen to audio of the exchange here.)

Which, oomph.

Feinstein spent months away from Washington as she struggled to get over a bout of shingles. Her absence became a national news story as it made it impossible for Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee to push through judges nominated by President Biden.

And it appears as though Feinstein is entirely unaware that she was even gone.

The MOST charitable reading on that exchange is, I suppose, that Feinstein thought the reporters were talking about where she had been the last few days — and she wanted to make clear that she had been in Washington working.

But, that’s not really what she was asked. She was asked, specifically, about all the well wishes she had gotten since coming back to Washington. And she seemed to not know she had been gone.

And, we know from past reporting that Feinstein has demonstrated short term memory problems.

All the way back in April 2022, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Feinstein was plagued by major memory issues. Here’s the key bit from that story:

Four U.S. senators, including three Democrats, as well as three former Feinstein staffers and the California Democratic member of Congress told The Chronicle in recent interviews that her memory is rapidly deteriorating. They said it appears she can no longer fulfill her job duties without her staff doing much of the work required to represent the nearly 40 million people of California.

They said that the memory lapses do not appear to be constant and that some days she is nearly as sharp as she used to be. During the March confirmation hearing for soon-to-be-Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Feinstein appeared composed as she read pertinent questions, though she repeated comments to Jackson about the judge’s composure in the face of tough questioning. But some close to her said that on her most difficult days, she does not seem to fully recognize even longtime colleagues.

The following month, the New York Times reported much the same — including this tough paragraph:

At 88, Ms. Feinstein sometimes struggles to recall the names of colleagues, frequently has little recollection of meetings or telephone conversations, and at times walks around in a state of befuddlement — including about why she is increasingly dogged by questions about whether she is fit to serve in the Senate representing the 40 million residents of California, according to half a dozen lawmakers and aides who spoke about the situation on the condition of anonymity.

Given that reporting it seems much more likely that Feinstein simply does not remember that she has been gone from Washington at all. Which should give everyone involved in this process pause — as she continues to cast votes and serve as one of 100 senators.

Remember that Feinstein is currently one of two senators representing the interests of 39 million Californians. In short: This is about more than just whether she wants to stay in office. It’s about whether she is capable of doing the job she was elected to do.

To be sure, the topic is awkward. Talking about whether someone is mentally capable of holding onto their job is a tough conversation. No one really wants to be the one to come out and say “Guys, this is ridiculous…it’s time to end it.”

(Sidebar: It’s worth noting here that Feinstein is far from the first infirm senator to continue serving. As South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond aged, his chief of staff was widely seen as the 101st Senator — running his office and deciding on which way to vote on issues.)

There are other calculations here as well as expertly detailed in POLITICO’s Playbook this morning. They note that Nancy Pelosi’s eldest daughter is currently serving as Feinstein’s sherpa in the Senate — constantly at the side of the aging incumbent.

And, as POLITICO notes, there could well be a reason for that:

The intrigue surrounds the future of Feinstein’s seat. Pelosi has endorsed Rep. ADAM SCHIFF, her longtime protege and former hand-picked House Intelligence Committee chair, to succeed Feinstein after her sixth and final term ends next year. Schiff is a household name in California and already has a $15 million campaign cash advantage over his nearest competitor.

But if Feinstein were to bow to pressure and retire early, Schiff’s advantage could disappear. Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM has pledged to appoint a Black woman to serve out her term, and one of Schiff’s declared opponents, Rep. BARBARA LEE (D-Calif.), would fit the bill.

“If DiFi resigns right now, there is an enormous probability that Barbara Lee gets appointed — thus, it makes it harder for Schiff,” one Pelosi family confidant told Playbook, adding that the relationship between Pelosi, her daughter and the senator is “being kept under wraps and very, very closely held.”

“It’s very tricky, and political, because they want her to stay” in the Senate, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak candidly about a sensitive situation. “The political thinking is that if DiFi stays as long as possible, it helps Schiff as well.”

Which, well, tough. Again, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened and no one is under any illusions that politics isn’t bean bag. But propping Feinstein up for as long as possible to strengthen Schiff’s hand in the Senate race is, well, gross.

Senators have largely been loathe to comment — at least on the record — about Feinstein’s condition. But South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham put it best, telling CNN: “She’s a dear friend. As a friend, you can see she’s hurting.”

Yes, she is. At this point, it’s become increasingly uncomfortable watching Feinstein try to navigate Washington in her current state. Ideally she would have the choice to leave the Senate on her own terms but it’s worth considering at this point whether she is fully able to make that determination on her own.

Trying to keep Feinstein in office for political reasons is decidedly unseemly — and clearly not the best thing for her.

I say it again: It’s time for Dianne Feinstein to resign.