Where's Andy?
The Kentucky governor is becoming the poster boy for Democrats who lack spines.
It’s been more than 40 days since Mitch McConnell was rushed to a hospital after an alleged fall and almost two weeks since a widely-scrutinized photo of the Kentucky senator was released showing him in rehabilitation.
And while the funny Mitch photo memes may have passed their expiration date, I’ve jumped on the meme train at the last station, because KY Gov. Andy Beshear’s relative radio silence on the issue is becoming has become as important to the fight for our Democracy as McConnell’s possible last act defiling it.
You likely know the contours of the Kentucky fried drama here.
Mitch isn’t running for re-election for the first time since, I assume Kentucky nominally remained with the Union in the Civil War. Traditionally, governors appoint a caretaker senator in the event of death or incapacity, but Kentucky Republicans stripped Bashear of that power. From Virginia’s WRIC:
Kentucky law allowed interim appointments until 2021, when McConnell and other state GOP leaders persuaded the Republican-run Legislature to make a change. They did not want Beshear to shift the partisan balance in Washington if he got the opportunity. They called for a committee of the previous senator’s state party to select three people from whom the governor could choose an interim senator. In this case, that would mean Beshear picking which Republican would fill a vacancy. Several states have this system.
Kentucky lawmakers changed the law again in 2024 to require a special election. The only role for the governor is to call that election.
Beshear vetoed the 2021 and 2024 changes but Republican lawmakers overrode him.
Beshear also insists that the Kentucky laws are unconstitutional, based on the 17th amendment of the US Constitution. The Republican scheme here seems to be stopping Beshear from calling for an August 3rd primary to temporarily fill the seat until November.
Their reasons aside, all Beshear has managed to muster since McConell went missing is a good natured letter to Mitch’s office gently asking for more details and wishing him a speedy recovery.
Washington Democratic leadership has been just as politely impotent, as I wrote about here:
While Beshear initially did some interviews and indicated he might decide to play hard-ish ball on (at the very least) getting some real proof on McConnell’s actual condition he has totally dropped the ball since.
Beshear’s weak-ass reliance on a long-dead standard of decorum is especially egregious with Mitch in the mix — a man who single-handedly packed the Supreme Court with MAGA crazies.
Beshear is a good communicator, and seemingly a good guy. His unicorn status as a D leader in a deep red state has fueled speculation that he is almost certain to run in the 2028 Democratic primaries. Beshear’s game-plan is undoubtedly to do so as a moderate candidate who will say he has appeal with Independents and the sliver of sane Republicans not yet driven to extinction.
I would argue that Daniel Boone himself couldn’t clear that path. But, that’s a bigger discussion to be left for if or when we make it through this November.
What Beshear doesn’t seem to grasp is that his silence on this issue is the litmus test for him even being able to get in that race.
Yes, there are policy divides among Democrats and room for real debate on a host of issues. But there is no room in the party for Democrats who don’t understand the dire and dangerous crisis we find ourselves in.
Beshear should be calling for an election. And smoking Mitch out in every way possible.
I personally think McConnell is alive but likely in much worse shape than reported of his handlers would have produced real (and easy) proof he’s not a vegetable. Hiding someone’s death is of an entirely different magnitude than having some select doctors and support staff maintaining confidentiality of a live patient.
But at the very least Beshear should be screaming about this issue every day until he’s blue in the face.
Because it’s the right thing to do.
And the only way he’ll ever see any blue votes in the future.
I think Beshear needs to release a proof of life video as well. I can’t believe his silence on this. He can force the issue by demanding proof that McConnell is alive and calling an election if they don’t respond. I have a hard time imagining that the Republicans would be so flaccid if the roles were reversed.
Agreed!!