(RoyalPatriot.com )- California Democrat Dianne Feinstein made the surprise announcement of her retirement from the Senate this week in a muddled conversation with reporters outside the Capitol.
Reporters questioned Feinstein, 89, about a statement sent by her office minutes earlier that indicated her plan to retire at the conclusion of her tenure next year.
The Democrats running to succeed her showed maybe the most blatant lack of respect.
California Democrat Rep. Katie Porter began running for the seat more than a month before Feinstein announced her retirement.
In the days that followed, California Democratic Representative Adam Schiff also declared his candidacy, making him the second high-profile Democrat to do so. Many other Democrats have also shown interest in the contest.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed Schiff earlier this month, sending a strong signal to Democrats about the race and showing that the party was ready to go on regardless of Feinstein’s choice.
John Feehery, a Republican strategist and former senior staffer to then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert, said he believes that is insulting to the senator and to her legacy. Feehery said they did the same thing with Justice Breyer.
Feinstein was pressured by liberal activists to resign as the leading Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020, mainly because she wasn’t fanatically left enough.
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California sparked speculation about Feinstein’s impending departure last year when he said he had a list of prospective appointments ready in case Feinstein quit before the conclusion of her term. He also said that if he were to replace her, a black lady would be his choice.
The year 2020 saw the first reports of a congressman having trouble keeping up with the rigors of the position.
California’s former Democratic senator and longtime colleague Barbara Boxer, who served with Feinstein for almost two decades, seemed to encourage her to step down in September of 2021.
Now, with Feinstein’s resignation, progressives will have a chance to elect a senator from California who better matches the state’s liberal leanings. The Senate seat is almost certainly safe for Democrats to hold onto, and the burgeoning primary field may rapidly become a test of who can lurch to the furthest left.
