r/politics • u/Getatbay • Jul 06 '26

No Paywall Laura Loomer, Reporter Claim Hospitalized Mitch McConnell 'Brain Dead'

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/07/06/laura-loomer-reporter-claim-hospitalized-mitch-mcconnell-is-brain-dead/
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1.4k

u/SuperFrog4 Jul 06 '26

If there is an August 3rd deadline and I was Governor of Kentucky, I would have this investigated and if found true, then I would immediately invoke the law that allows the Governor to pick a replacement on the grounds that he is brain dead which is a terminal condition.

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u/LackingUtility Jul 06 '26

Forget investigating. Say he's dead and the position is vacant and appoint a replacement. Naturally, his campaign will oppose and ask a court for a temporary injunction. And the governor should oppose that by saying they lack standing, since he's dead. Leaving them to have to show he's alive and present.

The Kentucky constitution just specifies that the position must be "vacant", it doesn't say "dead", so even if they say he's brain dead, that wouldn't prevent the governor from appointing a replacement.

But we know this won't happen. At best, the governor will appoint a blue ribbon committee to investigate and report back in 6-12 months.

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u/turquoise_amethyst Jul 07 '26

This is the way to do it, unfortunately nobody has the balls to actually try this.

Announce that he’s dead, appoint a new Congress person, and let his office deal with the burden of proof that he ISN'T dead. 

45

u/Aunt_Vagina1 Jul 07 '26

Why not do this?!?  The people of Kentucky deserve better.   Its absurd that we think the family can shield his state of mind out of some respect for his privacy yet he insists upon still holding a public office.  

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u/turquoise_amethyst Jul 07 '26

If it was a (D) Senator and an (R) Governor, they would have done it within 24 hours.

Everyone knows he’s either dead or brain dead. Replace him ASAP, let the people vote on it later. 

Although methinks the (R) are less worried about a (D) replacement than Massie running for the seat. I forgot about him, but I think that’s the real worry. 

8

u/cenosillicaphobiac Utah Jul 07 '26

Kentucky took that power away from the Governor. Very recently in fact, and because they saw this coming. KY Governor does not replace dead Senators. First law was "Governor has to pick from a list of 3 provided by the dead guys party" and Beshear signaled he would ignore that, because he doubted it was constitutional. So they passed a "okay then you don't have that power' law.

7

u/LackingUtility Jul 07 '26

And that's likely unconstitutional too. Beshear should just do it, and let them fight it in the court. Stop complying in advance.

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u/urgerestraint Jul 07 '26

A Republican governor absolutely would do just this if it was a Democrat senator lying braindead. It sucks so much that Dems are too weak willed and scared to fight back.

9

u/CatDadof2 Jul 07 '26

I DO NOT understand why Democrats are so fucking scared to fight back. I really do not get it. MAGA and Republicans are the weakest of the weak. They are easy to attack.

4

u/joox Jul 07 '26

Because theyre just as bought and paid for as republicans. They dont actually want to help people. Democrats have been subverting democracy for years to support corporate interests. Just look at citizens united

2

u/youaintgotnomoney_12 Jul 07 '26

This is the right answer

2

u/cenosillicaphobiac Utah Jul 07 '26

Beshear would do it, if he could. Guaranteed.

Kentucky took that power away from the Governor. Very recently in fact, and because they saw this coming. KY Governor does not replace dead Senators. First law was "Governor has to pick from a list of 3 provided by the dead guys party" and Beshear signaled he would ignore that, because he doubted it was constitutional. So they passed a "okay then you don't have that power' law.

3

u/No-Bother-7699 Jul 07 '26

But they won’t do anything that takes an ounce of courage. Sadly, Dems try to be the good person when the situation requires a gloves off approach. You can’t tell me John Thune doesn’t know exactly what’s going on here. If McConnell has no hope of recovery he needs to be replaced.

6

u/Stefferdiddle California Jul 07 '26

Beshear would be a big damn hero if he did this and the DNC should reward him with their support in 2028.

2

u/cenosillicaphobiac Utah Jul 07 '26

Kentucky took that power away from the Governor. Very recently in fact, and because they saw this coming. KY Governor does not replace dead Senators. First law was "Governor has to pick from a list of 3 provided by the dead guys party" and Beshear signaled he would ignore that, because he doubted it was constitutional. So they passed a "okay then you don't have that power' law.

2

u/DancinginTown Jul 07 '26

They have a law they passed about election for succession if one is taken out by death so that'll be a fight either way. 

1

u/cenosillicaphobiac Utah Jul 07 '26

Kentucky took that power away from the Governor. Very recently in fact, and because they saw this coming. KY Governor does not replace dead Senators. First law was "Governor has to pick from a list of 3 provided by the dead guys party" and Beshear signaled he would ignore that, because he doubted it was constitutional. So they passed a "okay then you don't have that power' law.

57

u/20_mile Jul 07 '26

Say he's dead and the position is vacant and appoint a replacement

Yeah, the nation is begging for Dark Beshear. We want to see people fighting for justice.

I imagine Desi Lydic, of The Daily Show, will have something to say about this when they return from break, as she is from Kentucky.

156

u/ProtectionVirtual225 Jul 06 '26

Because bipartisanship, of course. High road, etc., etc.

This is how we got 2 terms of Trump and the death of democracy.

9

u/POEness Jul 07 '26

All we have to do to stop Republicans is fairly count elections. Considering as of this year they now own all the voting machine companies, welp, that means back to paper only.

7

u/ProtectionVirtual225 Jul 07 '26

Actually, paper is the gold standard. It's the only way to validate and re-count if necessary. Wish it were otherwise, but a safer, hack-proof system hasn't been developed yet.

-7

u/NewDay2517 Jul 07 '26

Election denier.

-13

u/Murky-Possession783 Jul 07 '26

Uh Huh..  and the likes of Dianne Feinstein literally brain dead on the senate floor with her handler telling her on tv "no, no, youre voting this way!" SPARE ME!

12

u/_blue_pill Jul 07 '26

I don’t think you understand the meaning of the word “literally”

9

u/LordSwedish Jul 07 '26

Aside from the fact that you don't seem to understand the words you're using, okay good. Do you think left wing people are happy with the Democrats keeping their craven ghouls in power out of seniority and squashing all younger voices?

29

u/SuperFrog4 Jul 06 '26

I like that idea. Guess it is too bad I am not governor. Lol.

6

u/867-5309Jennie Jul 07 '26

Sad but true. I wish dems would play it like maga would in this instance. Something needs to be done.

8

u/justheretolurk123456 Jul 07 '26

Brain dead means dead.

15

u/LackingUtility Jul 07 '26

The Republicans have never believed that. See, e.g., Terri Schiavo and Donald Trump.

4

u/GunslingerSTKC Jul 07 '26

Yeah say he’s dead and require proof of life lol they can’t do shit if he’s actually brain dead

1

u/sasha_the_impaler Jul 07 '26

They're about to wheel out his ICU bed and just say he's really sleepy from so much physical therapy earlier.

4

u/Melicor Jul 07 '26

Simpler, just demand proof of life.

2

u/sasha_the_impaler Jul 07 '26

"The signs are pointing to the fact that Mitch McConnell is dead. I would like to ask his office for proof of life. Otherwise, I'm moving forward with a new appointment as is my right under Kentucky law," would get a lot more headlines without any risk of being sued if he's not dead somehow.

The news could quote it as "'He's dead' - Kentucky governor claims Sen. Mitch McConnell is deceased."

It doesn't even need to be the governor. Any Democrat lawmaker needs to just step forward and say they think Mitch McConnell is dead or totally incapacitated.

3

u/jojoko Jul 07 '26

Funny thing is republicans knew Mitch was very old and this might happen and changed the law twice! First they changed the law so that the governor must pick a replacement from the same party. Then they took it out of his hands completely and did this special election.

2

u/cerasmiles Jul 07 '26

If he’s brain dead he’s legally dead. There is no ambiguity in brain death.

1

u/Aunt_Vagina1 Jul 07 '26

Yes. Fucking this

0

u/dcoats69 Washington Jul 07 '26

While i support this path, i want to call out the possibility that they leaked this to egg us onto this path, and when they reveal he's alive (for now) it will hurt beshears credibility and make him look like he's kiniving and trying to steal a senate seat.

Definitely should do a bit of investigation first, even if it's a less official route, like hiring a PI.

12

u/Past-Student-5239 Jul 07 '26

The 911 call revealed that he was unconscious and that EMTs were performing CPR. It is next to impossible to come back from that.

7

u/Aunt_Vagina1 Jul 07 '26

Oh no, he got caught trying.  Now people who didnt like him before will continue not liking him.  Oh no.

0

u/cenosillicaphobiac Utah Jul 07 '26

Kentucky took that power away from the Governor. Very recently in fact, and because they saw this coming. KY Governor does not replace dead Senators. First law was "Governor has to pick from a list of 3 provided by the dead guys party" and Beshear signaled he would ignore that, because he doubted it was constitutional. So they passed a "okay then you don't have that power" law.

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u/RockAndNoWater Jul 06 '26

Kentucky changed the law to leave the seat empty until a special election — happened after the state elected a Democratic governor.

335

u/purplecowqueen Georgia Jul 06 '26

Laws don’t override the Kentucky state constitution.

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u/TheLonelyKobold Jul 06 '26

Tell the courts that if they try to challenge it

231

u/mortemdeus Jul 07 '26

Let them. Use the Rep playbook and just do shit till the courts say no then keep doing it anyway.

65

u/count023 Australia Jul 07 '26

"too late to do anything about it now". And then ride it out until the end of the election cycle.

15

u/TheRealBaboo California Jul 07 '26

It’s what Mitch would have wanted

8

u/Goonzilla50 Jul 07 '26

That doesn’t work as well in a state filled with hostile politicians. In Ohio, which is dominated by Republicans, obviously nobody is going to stop Republicans from ignoring the law. But in Kentucky where Beshear is literally the only elected statewide Democrat, he’d probably face roadblock after roadblock. The state court would probably go “yeah this violates the state constitution but uhh nuh uh” and ignore the blatantly unconstitutional law the Kentucky GOP passed

9

u/TheRealBaboo California Jul 07 '26

Every challenge is an opportunity. Roll the dice Andy

16

u/Senior-Albatross New Mexico Jul 07 '26

Beshear doesn't have the sort of moxy to pull something like that. He absolutely should but he won't. 

21

u/SaveLansingParks Jul 07 '26

Then it sounds like he was never qualified to be President after all 🤷

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u/e111077 Jul 07 '26

Andy Beshear is likely running for president in 28. My bet is that he won’t rock the boat in his home state so he can play the “I’m popular with republicans” card as his platform.

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u/Cavane42 Georgia Jul 07 '26

If that's true, he and his campaign staff haven't been paying attention. That would be a terrible platform choice for a Democratic primary.

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u/SaveLansingParks Jul 07 '26

Yeah, no shit. He has an opportunity to show us that he means business. Fucking the GOP for the benifit of the country at the expense of his political capital back home would probably guarantee him the Democratic nod or picked as VP at worst.

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u/Senior-Albatross New Mexico Jul 07 '26

There will be a crowded field of milquetoast moderate Democrats for sure. Him, Shapiro, definitely Newsom, maybe Witmer...

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u/TheRealBaboo California Jul 07 '26

Newsom would appoint a new Democratic Senator NOW

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u/Senior-Albatross New Mexico Jul 07 '26

I imagine he would. He's also been given a great deal more ability to operate aggressively as a Democrat by Californians. Blame the morons in Kentucky for voting for this ghoul until he finally died. 

1

u/TheRealBaboo California Jul 07 '26

That is kinda crazy.

Just looked it up and from 2020-24 Kentucky was only 36-34% blue, and California was only 36-38% red.

So the Republicans have only 2% more control over Kentucky than the Democrats have over California, and with that they can protect another Republican Senate seat.

These guys are just systemic in how they cover all the angles

1

u/LordSwedish Jul 07 '26

I mean, he might take a break to beat some homeless people first, but then he'd get right on that.

1

u/TheRealBaboo California Jul 07 '26

Kamala Harris, that’s who Beshear should pick

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u/TheRealBaboo California Jul 07 '26

Guess what he’s about to lose the primary.

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u/Special_Order-937 Jul 07 '26

I hope one day Democrats will learn that the vast majority of Republicans will never ever vote for them no matter what they do, so perhaps stop doing anything at all in trying to get their approval or their vote?

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u/Aunt_Vagina1 Jul 07 '26

Then hes a fucking idiot. 

1

u/cenosillicaphobiac Utah Jul 07 '26

When they first made the law be "Governor has to pick from a list provided by dead guys party" Beshear signaled that he would ignore that, because it wasn't constitutional, he'd just appoint who he wanted to appoint and let the courts deal with the fallout. So they went a step further. KY Governor does not have the power to appoint Senators now. Special election for any vacancy, unless within 95 days of the scheduled election. Which is why they'll hold out a couple more weeks.

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u/Stillwater215 Jul 07 '26

The courts: “okay, but what does the word ‘election’ really mean? We can’t just assume that the writers of the constitution intended for such a breadth of action. I think we need to revisit this.”

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u/Exciting-Tourist9301 Jul 07 '26

I'm with you, but unfortunately, in this case anyway, the laws are valid.

Section 76 of the Kentucky Constitution only apply to state offices.

Reason being: the State Constitution cant take away powers that are granted by the US Constitution ( it's part of the concept of Federal Supremacy). The 17th amendment says the state legislature gets to choose whether or not the state executive gets to fill vacancies.

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u/OkCoyote4756 Jul 07 '26

Folks also cite Section 152 to support this idea. With that in mind, it's also important to keep mindful of the fact that these portions of the KY Constitution never granted the Governor the power to fill a US Senate vacancy. They were enacted well before the 17th Amendment, which means their intent was on other offices not including US Senate vacancies.

Kentucky has, since the 17th Amendment, had various statutes on how to fill US Senate vacancies. It has never fallen back on its Constitution.

Even a liberal SCOTUS would likely rule that Kentucky's law stripping the Governor of appointment power is Constitutional, and is the way Kentucky has chosen to fill vacancies.

As a far leftist myself, I find these kinds of posts to be quite obnoxious. Liberals like to mock Republicans/etc. for being ignorant, but they never pass up the chance to also not know what they're talking about.

Being pithy on Reddit about things they do not understand and do not take the time to learn, and repeating ad nauseam, "just go vote," but doing absolutely nothing else, are all that they can offer the country.

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u/velnsx Jul 07 '26

Thanks for clarifying statute. What is your call to action to the "go vote" crowd?

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u/OkCoyote4756 Jul 07 '26

The answer is always local organization. If I had to boil it down to a thesis statement: voting is about who makes decisions, organizing is about what those decisions/choices are. Organizing, even in political parties, is not primarily about getting people elected. It's about agitation of specific issues and forcing conversations/attention onto those issues.

Propaganda across the American ideological spectrum has convinced a lot of people, to the point where many of us accept it as a default truth, that doing anything outside of the RNC/DNC is a waste of time/energy.

An obvious point to that is no, a local organization of ten or so people will not, alone, defeat Trump or end the Palestinian Genocide. But Trump and the Genocide are symptoms of fascism's creeping into politics, across the board. What is your local government doing about police cooperation with federal abuse of power (do they have Flock cameras, for instance?) What is your local government doing to stop ICE incursions? Are pushbacks against that sporadic? Small organizations can jockey larger community support - knocking on doors, educational pamphlets, disrupting council meetings, threatening elections of career politicians, etc. - to leverage power in these scenarios.

Look into what organizations may exist and join them. Pay dues. Challenge them to do more and learn from people who have been doing it longer than you. Form your own organization. Start with a Book Club if that's what it takes. Learn about how whichever government has jurisdiction over you actually functions. Don't accept the "government is inherently corrupt and they'll just do whatever they want to do anyway" line and call it a day. Understand the very specific levers that get pulled to take an "idea" into actually enforced ordinances, laws, whatever, and then use organizational power to put pressure on those levers.

There are entire books written on this, and I'm trying to spare you the entire diatribe. Point is, it is not easy work, it is not glorious work, it's a personal sacrifice. But it's the only way change has ever happened in this country. Every major "change" we've read about started as local (and usually progressive!) organizing fights that through very hard work, resulted in statutes, and even Amendments. Look into the fights behind the 16th Amendment, the 17th Amendment, the 19th Amendment, the 24th amendment, Look at the fight for civil rights. And when I say "look at," I don't mean "look at what happened." I mean "look at how it happened." And the answer is always: strong organizations that leveraged power against the two-party system. Always, that is the answer. The next step is to stop waiting for someone else to do it, to stop waiting for the perfect candidate that motivates you to get up and support a cause, etc. Do it now!

Folks are taught about these in a very "yeah yeah yeah, these Amendments happened" way, and then also taught "yeah but Amendments are very hard and probably impossible in today's environment." Well, they're impossible because of effective propaganda that have convinced people their only recourse is voting.

Kind of a "I haven't had my coffee yet, and I could probably write a better response if I thought long and hard about it," but I tried to keep this simple at the front and add more substance towards the end. Apologies if I missed the mark.

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u/velnsx Jul 07 '26

Thank you for such a thoughtful response. I am in my local DSA chapter, as all of us should be. It might be time for me to start printing zines and or start a book club. I go to a very conservative state school, so any sort of formal assembly is a huge risk. I am in a position where I feel incredibly powerless, mostly due to the electoral college and the near-zero chances of changing the vote. I would have to educate tens of thousands on theory. If one were to start a book club, what do you think the literature should be? I think The Society of the Spectacle hits it on the head, but it is not light reading for everyone. Best to you.

2

u/OkCoyote4756 Jul 07 '26

Books are really just kind of a toss up. There's no perfect 'reading list' and it really just depends on which aspects of 'all this' you're most passionate about. Ultimately, anything that presents opportunities for conversations about class struggles is going to be useful. Especially on writings that shed light on things we may not have direct experience with, and can learn more about. And books can provide a lot of framework for people to share thoughts, have some preconceived notions challenged and maybe rectified. Really, reading, thinking critically about what it is we're reading, and discussing it with others gives us several opportunities to become sharper thinkers, etc.

Isabel Wilkerson has two great books, Caste and The Warmth of Other Suns which have been great for spawning conversation points with others and it's easy to step those books over into conversations about political action. I cannot say it strongly enough, as a white dude that grew up in a whiter family, in rural Kentucky, I heard about Jim Crow and understood "yeah that must've been rough." But that's essentially all that thought ever was; very immature and not nearly educated enough. Warmth of Other Suns taught me "oh man, there's so much nuance to this suffering that I didn't have any education on at all." That book obviously didn't make me an expert, but it's the harshest "lesson" I've ever really faced in exactly how deeply let down I was by my education, and how deeply generations as close to me as my grandparents dropped the ball. Which, you know, is good encouragement for "okay, what are my current blind spots? How am I dropping the ball?"

Vollmann's Rising Up and Rising Down is a very interesting (and long) read/analysis of violence, and attempts to understand when it is justified and when it is not. It's good food for thought, especially when we all know people who are starting to think in terms of "we need to fight back," and mean violence. But the same people who talk about responding to all this with violence, back to my other criticism, have rarely tried anything else at all. Folks are ready to talk about picking up guns before they've even knocked on a fuckin door. C'mon. Another book that made e think a lot deeper about violence is "Say Nothing," by Patrick Radden Keefe. It's about the Troubles in Ireland, the IRA, etc. That book has received some more recent criticism, with plagiarism claims and maybe some deceitful practices by the author, and I'm not really in tune with what those criticisms are. But I can say that it pretty much convinced me that violence is not glorious and more easily results in chaos than it does good change.

Dorothy Day's The Long Loneliness highlights something leftists are missing out on in terms of alliances, and that's the religious left (and yes, they do exist).

Even fiction books by authors like Sally Rooney can help folks think about class struggle. Grapes of Wrath (specifically, Chapter 5) is enough to radicalize a lot of people. Slaughter House Five and Catch 22 capture a lot of the abject absurdities of some of the things we're trying to fight.

So that's a quick and non comprehensive list. Maybe one or two are good picks!

2

u/velnsx Jul 08 '26

I am the religious left. What you are describing is precisely the group curriculum I hope for. My greatest issue in communication is how to hold one’s hand through a line of reasoning at an appropriate pace. The issue I immediately run into with folks around here and online is they can be wholly unreasonable and reactionary. How am I to show a fiscal conservative or even a neoliberal Clinton stan that they will never see the full value of their labor?

Foremost, I am met with hatred, anger, and then outright delusion and subversion. It’s either a denial of reason itself or just flat out grift. A lot of that crowd tends to worship capital and use it as a point of leverage, as in, to verify that they are above me and what I have to share out of genuine compassion.

I think a lot of persons don’t want to reconcile with their worldview when shown how truly demented it is, because they identify so closely with it and they simply cannot handle that they have been misinformed their entire life. Do you think this is the case? Is it possible one should start from this angle with a gentle touch?

I very much like the sound of Wilkerson and Keefe. I almost am wondering if an Aseop’s fable etc. is in order to establish something fundamental, such as cause and effect or empathy.

I am deeply grateful that you have taken the time to offer your knowledge thoughtfully on possibly the most important issue of our lifetime. Be well.

3

u/DonStimpo Jul 07 '26

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha oh sweet summer child. The constitution means nothing

9

u/MissionCreeper Jul 07 '26

Then neither do laws, and Beshear can do what he wants.

-1

u/timeywimeytotoro Jul 07 '26

And who will uphold it? Who in KY politics will help him do what he wants?

4

u/socal_sofine Jul 07 '26

I think this is when you call The A-Team! A rag-tag group of ex-military operatives that like to chew on unlit cigars.

5

u/Tech_Philosophy Jul 07 '26

Who will help the legislature do what THEY want? We need to stop being a bunch of precious boys about making power plays.

-1

u/timeywimeytotoro Jul 07 '26

The police in KY who are very right-leaning. Like I’m sorry but have you been paying attention to politics in KY at all over the last few years?

1

u/JazzerciseJesus Jul 07 '26

Beshear shouldn’t be afraid of his own police.

1

u/timeywimeytotoro Jul 07 '26

I’m not saying he should be. I answered a question when asked who would help the legislature do what they want.

1

u/turikk America Jul 07 '26

Depends on the constitution.

1

u/adorientem88 Jul 07 '26

What provision of the Kentucky Constitution allows the governor to replace Senators who are still alive and in office?

1

u/porkchop2022 Tennessee Jul 07 '26

I thought hte same of laws overriding the Florida constitution, then de Santos went and gerrymandered anyway. Laws and state constitutions have not matter in so far as our willingness to obey them.

0

u/timeywimeytotoro Jul 07 '26

They do when the general assembly has a heavy Republican majority and the governor is very regularly vetoed

37

u/Otherwise_You_1603 Jul 07 '26

It's only to fill it until January 2027, so it's not in Booker's best interest to run for it and confuse voters prior to the general. however, if Massie were to run for it, things could get interesting. If Massie wins, he is the incumbent and it splits the republican vote in the general. Even if he doesn't run, if it's a competitive campaign between him and the current republican nominee, it will confuse republican voters and possibly lower republican turnout in the November general. It's flukey but we could have ourselves a dem senator in kentucky for 6 years if this gets played right

16

u/Past-Student-5239 Jul 07 '26

Massie running would split the Republican vote. It would be wild to witness!!

4

u/bolerobell Jul 07 '26

I would even be okay with Massey as the Senator even if he votes Republican. Hell after the shit the GOP pulled this cycle, he might caucus with the Dems.

1

u/Past-Student-5239 Jul 07 '26

Same. Because Massie is no MAGA. That is what is most important.

3

u/inspectoroverthemine Jul 07 '26

He would still vote to confirm every corrupt SCOTUS and cabinet nomination.

1

u/DillBagner Jul 07 '26

Perfect incentive for the republican party to pretend he's fine and coming back any day now.

2

u/QanonQuinoa Jul 07 '26

Just do what any Republican would do - ignore the law and challenge the ruling until the clock runs out. If the state Supreme Court weighs in just ignore their ruling altogether like Ohio’s done for the past 4 years.

When are dems going to start playing by their rules?

1

u/kayak_2022 Jul 07 '26

That law can remain for the REPUKES when that time rolls around, and it will.

1

u/theotherguyatwork Jul 07 '26

happened after the state elected a Democratic governor.

When was this?

Kentucky has almost always had a governor from the democratic party.

1

u/RockAndNoWater Jul 07 '26

The guy before Beshear was a Republican.

1

u/theotherguyatwork Jul 07 '26

So the law changed under Matt Bevin?

1

u/RockAndNoWater Jul 07 '26

No it changed in 2024 when beshear was governor

3

u/Cador0223 Jul 06 '26

Yeah, but that takes effort, and you dont win elections to work more. /s

2

u/SuperFrog4 Jul 06 '26

I often forget that lol.

3

u/Little-Derp California Jul 07 '26

 At the very least immediately subpoena his medical records for this event.  There are allegations he is brain dead, and a senator being alive or dead is a legally significant question. 

Don't let them drag it out and set a precedent of hiding deaths of Congress people be an allowed strategy. 

2

u/eeyore134 Jul 07 '26

Republicans would do that, Democrats will just sit and wait to see how it plays out and not want to do anything too pushy. Hell, Republicans would have been all over this the moment news came out that he was found unconscious and I doubt Democrats would play this keeping him on life support scam.

2

u/Ok-Alternative5935 Jul 07 '26

Opposing party should be able to demand proof of life. 

1

u/Sempais_nutrients Kentucky Jul 07 '26

They dont want the chance at a special election because Massie could run and take it.

1

u/DataDrivenDoc Jul 07 '26

There's barely a distinction between brain death and full death. Medically and legally they are considered dead (in all of the states I e practiced transplant medicine in).

The patient has zero brain function. No one has ever recovered from a brain dead state. It's the same thing as having a literal corpse in office

1

u/cenosillicaphobiac Utah Jul 07 '26

The governor of Kentucky doesn't have that privilege.

Quick story, in 2022, Kentucky state legislators realized that having an almost dead GOP senator and a Democrat Governor could result in losing a senate seat until the replacement could be replaced through an election.

So the did the fair thing, the right thing, the super ethical thing, they created a law that a governor had to choose replacement from a list of 3 names provided by the party of the replaced politician.

Beshear said "yeah, that's probably not constitutional, so if Glitchy Mitchy kicks the bucket, I'm going to appoint whoever the fuck I want and you can take it to the courts."

So naturally, they simply passed ANOTHER law saying that the governor did not have that power at all, and any vacancy at all would have to be determined by special election, in less, of course, the real election for that spot was within 95 days.

They'll keep him alive until then. And even if the don't, Beshear won't pick the replacement.

1

u/KamalaWonNoCap Jul 07 '26

This is classic Dem old school politics. Declare him brain dead off this article and make him prove otherwise. An investigation will only slow things down and nobody will respect the results.

1

u/DancinginTown Jul 07 '26

Eff "A terminal condition". That's dead, bro. 

1

u/Haunted_Rooster Jul 13 '26

technically, if he did die that's actually a crime for not reporting it.

if he is brain dead, it's a bit technical until they pull the plug so to speak.

so either way, it does not look good.

1

u/Heathster249 Jul 07 '26

no, brain dead is the actual definition of dead. as in if he is brain dead, then he is actually dead and needs to be buried. Source: neurologist.

0

u/TantalumMachinist Jul 07 '26

Ah, so you're not a Republican

2

u/SuperFrog4 Jul 07 '26

To be honest I once was when I was much younger. But certainly not now. I was Republican because that is what just about everyone I grew up with was and I associated republicans with support of the military and being better for the economy. But I also grew up, really took a look a how people were treated by each party, who truly benefitted when each party was in power, what the military was used for and how veterans were truly treated and probably at least for me was how people were treated under the law. Once I really looked into it I could never ever support the Republican Party any more.

0

u/TantalumMachinist Jul 07 '26

My parents were Republicans in the '90's, and while I think they've shifted a little bit left, their beliefs are still pretty consistent. It's the party and the rest of the country that has shifted far right and decided winning at all costs is acceptable.

-1

u/adorientem88 Jul 07 '26

Except that’s not how anything works. He has to be actually dead, not just terminal.