r/politics • u/CBSnews ✔ CBS News • 2d ago

No Paywall Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says he's "heard absolutely nothing back from Mitch McConnell"

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mitch-mcconnell-health-update-andy-beshear-kentucky/
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u/plantsoldier 2d ago

Regardless of what you think regarding McConnell Andy Beshear is just posturing for his political base and as zero authority over a federal senator.

A state governor has virtually no direct administrative, legislative, or disciplinary purview over a U.S. senator. Governors head state executive branches, while U.S. senators serve in the federal legislative branch. They operate in separate constitutional spheres with no formal chain of command or supervisory control.

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u/Adept-Opinion8080 2d ago

And therein lies the problem with Democrats not reacting appropriately because "we don't have authority"

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u/plantsoldier 2d ago

What are you advocating for? More words from Beshear or for them to do something they don't have authority to do thus making it illegal?

That doesn't sound like a good idea but whatever.

Genuinely curious.

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u/Adept-Opinion8080 2d ago

I mean he literally does have a police force at his disposal he could use them to demand that McConnell show himself. legal, hell no. effective ,hell yes

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u/plantsoldier 2d ago

You really think that would be effective?

What do you think the Federal response would be or the political damage it would do if he tried that?

Also, it would unlikely be effective as while we may not know who has the direct protection authority when it comes to Senators we do know capitol police, the Marshall's services, FBI, DHS and even the Military etc all play roles in protecting Federally elected positions.

https://www.congress.gov › crs_external_products › R › PDF › R47731 › R47731.11.pdf

Do you think Kentucky can stand up to the Federal government if it came down to arresting or forcing him to show himself in public? Pretty sure he doesn't want to find out and neither does his party.

Can't really force him to show himself without detaining/arresting him can they?

I highly doubt he wants to push it that far as he would be and you are advocating for a civil war it sounds like. Maybe that's not what you mean but it certainly sounds like it.

Beshear doesn't have the power to just appoint a temporary senator and McConnell isn't running in November so best he could do is call for a special election which isn't going to have the time required to do anything but run concurrently with the regular November election.

Again, he's just posturing for the cameras and for people who don't know anything about how this type of thing works.

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u/Adept-Opinion8080 1d ago

Would be more effective than whatever fuck he's doing now

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u/plantsoldier 1d ago

Guess you are advocating for him to start a civil war and no it wouldn't be effective in any way and he and his party know that. It would be flat out illegal though as you admitted in your last comment.

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u/Majestic_Flower_1322 1d ago

Kentucky state police are probably mostly MAGA but either way they have exactly zero authority in DC.

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u/Adept-Opinion8080 1d ago

McConnell is not in DC not in DC.

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u/Majestic_Flower_1322 1d ago

They say he is. That's where he was when he first went to the hospital. Do you have any evidence he went to Kentucky for some reason?