Over at Hullabaloo Tom Sullivan writes about one of the many problems besetting the Democrats: the aging and consequent ossification of many of their elected officials, 89 year old Diane Feinstein, who is almost certainly in at least the beginning stages of dementia, being a prime example. Not only do these politicians lose touch with their constituency as they grow older, but they tend to become more bound to a way of thinking that exalts members of the club over duty to constituents. Why, for example, did Nancy Pelosi and her minions do everything in their power to protect Henry Cuellar during his primary, when he votes against virtually everything they try to do?
At least Nancy had the grace to step aside recently.
Here in Connecticut we have a few aging politicians who should consider retirement as an option in the near future. I have no quarrels with Blumenthal or Courtney, but at some point you have to step aside and let the younger generation take charge, for after all, it is they who will be living with the results of what Congress does now. I’m not suggesting either of them, or any other Connecticut politician that shall go unnamed, should step aside immediately, but I do think it might not be a bad idea for them to be looking for potential successors and doing what they can to make sure they are replaced by a young Democrat with good progressive credentials. Blumenthal will be 82 when his new term expires. That would be the optimal time for him to close out an honorable career in favor of a younger person who can carry on in his place. In Courtney’s case, in an ideal world he and party leaders would scout out for an ideal replacement, and spend some time preparing the district for that person’s candidacy. The Second is sort of a tough district, considering all the yahoos, whose numbers increase as you drive up 395. “Grooming” a potential replacement might not be a bad idea, and anyway isn’t grooming what we evil Democrats do?
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