There are more than a few in Congress well past their prime. And by that, I mean they are old enough that their age is starting to become a problem and daily concern. As you can imagine, this is one of the major arguments for term limits in Congress.
Long-time California Senator Diane Feinstein is just such an individual. At 89, her age has started to affect her work, how long it takes her to get from one room to another, and how much she remembers about key pieces of legislation that come across her desk.
In fact, questions have begun about just how mentally fit she actually is, and it is assumed that her staff much does of the work for her anymore, covering the signs of cognitive decline fairly well.
In any case, it is assumed that she will retire soon. After all, if she secures a seventh term in the Senate, she will be 91.
Naturally, several individuals could take her place.
Now, it would be great if a Republican could do so. However, given the liberal atmosphere surrounding her home state and district, that is highly unlikely. So we might as well not even get into any of that.
Instead, let’s focus on the more likely choices to assume her seat should she step down soon.
First up, and the first to announce her intentions to run for Feinstein’s seat, is current Democratic Representative Katie Porter. Next is Representative Barbara Lee. Already, even Politico is calling the two’s campaigns a “vicious succession race.”
However, there is at least one more individual who has also reported some level of interest in the coveted seat.
Enter the infamous Russiagate advocate and Democratic Representative Adam Schiff.
While you might not have heard of the two others to eye Feinstein’s seat, it’s quite a bit more unlikely that Schiff’s name hasn’t come across your TV screen or made it into conversations in your home. After all, this is one of the key individuals who insisted that former President Donald Trump had conspired with Russia to win the 2016 election.
Of course, Schiff, as one of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s lackeys, did extremely well at trying to convince the world that Trump also conspired with Ukraine and was a major player in the January 6 protests that stormed the Capitol.
In fact, it was thanks to his loyalty to Pelosi and hardworking partisanship that Trump was officially impeached by the House not once but twice.
However, besides making similar Russia-influenced claims about Republican lawmakers, that is pretty much all Schiff is known for. Some would even say that partisan performance as an art form is his only talent, which could be seen quite clearly in his role as the former chair of the House Intelligence Committee.
And it is for that exact reason that he should not be Feinstein’s successor. Although Porter is known to have a healthy helping of that trait as well.
Now, as I mentioned before, a Republican isn’t likely to win this seat, given its location. However, there is one Democrat that many Republicans might be able to tolerate, if not actually enjoy.
As a congressman, Ro Khanna has proved his willingness to work with both sides of the aisle, as well as to stand against his own side when he feels something is wrong. In fact, he’s one of the few Democrats whose been willing to sit down with reporters from more conservative outlets such as Fox News.
He’s also been a rare, refreshing breath of air regarding immigration and border issues. Unlike most Democrats, Khanna actually recognizes the major problems at the border and, as such, has been pushing for change for a while now.
Additionally, he’s been one of only a few that sees the wrongs of Big Tech censorship in his party.
Khanna has also been a strong voice of reason regarding economic issues. Unlike most of his party members, he sees significant value in embracing patriotism in our finances, meaning he wants more jobs to move back home and more American-made products.
I can’t see how any of that would be bad. It’s certainly better than Schiff will do.
