(ConservativeJournal.org) – California Senator Dianne Feinstein died on September 29 from undisclosed causes after more than two decades in Congress. While the reasons for her death are not yet known, the Golden State politician had dealt with a bout of shingles-induced encephalitis earlier in the year that had caused her to miss work for about three months.
The 90-year-old was also hospitalized for a short time in August after reportedly falling while she was at home. Feinstein’s seemingly weak physical appearance and her apparently diminished cognitive abilities had been called into question by even mainstream outlets in the months leading up to her passing.
One such instance from the Senate floor in late July saw the aging Democrat begin reading a lengthy statement in error when called upon for her vote of “nay” or “aye.” During the proceedings, one of Feinstein’s aides was ultimately forced to interrupt his boss and tell her to “just vote aye.” USA Today referred to the incident as “awkward” and referenced her brain inflammation issues as well as her prior diagnosis with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.
The legacy outlet was not alone in its critique of Feinstein. In a mid-May report from CNN, the organization noted that the legislator had to be wheeled into the Senate and said that her presence had prompted “renewed scrutiny” in regard to “her fitness.” Another organization reported earlier in the year that almost two-thirds of California voters felt that she was too unhealthy to continue representing them.
Questions as to who Feinstein’s replacement would be began circulating within minutes of her death being reported. Two days after her passing, California’s governor put an end to the speculation and announced that EMILYS’s List president Laphonza Butler would be stepping into the seat.
Butler’s organization is a leftist PAC that seeks to have women elected to a range of Democratic offices. According to Newsom, she will be the first openly black lesbian in Congress.
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