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Kentucky governor says he has no info on Mitch McConnell’s health as he rips Congress (www.the-independent.com)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/politics@lemmy.world
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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear sharply criticized Senator Mitch McConnell and the Senate at large over the Kentucky Republican’s prolonged absence from Congress due to health issues.

Beshear, a Democrat, said on Friday that he still had little information about the condition of McConnell, who was hospitalized in mid-June and released from a rehabilitation center earlier this month.

“I’ve received absolutely nothing, and that's the same that the people of Kentucky have received,” Beshear told MS Now. “This is why the Senate feels broken. These guys don’t think that they have a boss when the people of Kentucky are their boss. They don’t feel like they are accountable whatsoever.”

Beshear called on McConnell to make a video or call into a news show to update the public about his health.

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[–] -4 points 2 months ago (13 children)

"Clearly" an example of fraud but you can't point to a law, and you need to assume he's dead.

I will grant you that it feels wrong that he can just soft quit his job without consequences. That doesn't make it illegal.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago (12 children)

    The reason I can't point to a law is because I'm not a lawyer. I've never read a legal code. And I'm not from Kentucky. It's not because a legal code can't be found. It's because I'm refusing to jump through your hoops just to gain your validation.

    And I didn't assume he's dead. The issue here is about his apparent refusal to provide proof of life. It seems you're the one assuming he's not dead.

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  • [–] -5 points 2 months ago (11 children)

    And I didn't assume he's dead. The issue here is about his apparent refusal to provide proof of life. It seems you're the one assuming he's not dead.

    Some time earlier:

    For one thing, collecting paid medical leave after a person is deceased is fraud, and when it's coming from the taxpayers there are likely more types of fraud at play too.

    The "laws" you made up require him to be dead the to violate them. That is to say, you are assuming he is dead.

    It seems disengenuous to make claims about the law and then hide behind "I'm not a lawyer, bro" when confronted about it. Maybe, if you don't know anything about the law, you shouldn't discuss the law.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago (9 children)

    The issue here is about whether or not he's dead and it's being covered up. You asked what law would apply, and I'm telling you that if his death is being hidden, then it's an example of fraud. Not to mention conspiracy.

    I didn't "make up" laws. Fraud is a law.

    And no, I didn't "assume" that he's dead. Fuck, it's like you have no idea about the context of this entire fucking story. Or you're just arguing in bad faith, which is the more likely explanation.

    It seems disengenuous to make claims about the law and then hide behind "I'm not a lawyer, bro" when confronted about it.

    It's not disingenuous at all. This is a web forum, not a court room. It's where people discuss things in a conversational way. If you want to litigate this before a judge, then go to a Kentucky circuit court. I'm not going to spend hours poring over kentucky legal codes just to prove a point to you.

    Maybe, if you don't know anything about the law, you shouldn't discuss the law.

    You could say this about any field, and you'd be equally wrong. People don't need to be doctors to talk about covid, people don't need to be historians to talk about ancient Greece, and people don't need to be engineers to talk about technology.

    You asked a question in a forum and got an answer, and the bone you want to pick is that the person responding isn't a lawyer? That's pathetic. You're not a lawyer either.

    Oh, by the way, the governor of kentucky has the state's attorneys general as a resource, whose entire jobs it is to know kentucky state law. Go ask them your questions if you want an expert fucking opinion. You're on lemmy.

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  • [–] -3 points 2 months ago (8 children)

    The governor can't "do something" without there being a crime. Unless you're advocating for abuses of executive power. Hence why I asked what crimes would exist to justify it.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago* (7 children)

    There's a lot that a governor can do without there being any crimes involved. Where did you even get that idea that he can't? He's not the state prosecutor, he's the governor.

    It's entirely within the fair and just use of executive power to demand proof of life from a senator who has been no-contact and supposedly on medical leave for nearly two months now. He was elected by his constituents and the taxpayers are funding his salary. He should be accountable to the people, and if he can no longer perform his duties then he needs to step down.

    The governor demanding a response is not overstepping his authority. And if it turns out that Mitch has been dead for a few weeks, and that there's been a massive cover-up by co-conspirators trying to defraud the state of Kentucky in order to maintain their own grip on power by preventing a special election, or that his family has been collecting his salary and medical benefits that should have ended on the day he died, then that is fraud and should be prosecuted as such.

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  • [–] -1 points 2 months ago (6 children)

    He has already demanded this and was ignored.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    Yes. Yes, exactly. You finally get it.

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  • [–] -1 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    So now what? He has no direct influence over a senator. Abuse executive power?

    This is why I was asking what crime he would use to justify taking further steps.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    He doesn't need direct influence over a senator. He's only demanding proof of life. Either McConnell can give that, or he can't. If he can't, it's because he's dead. If he's alive, then he can give proof of life.

    If it comes out that he's been dead and there's been a cover-up, then every co-conspirator involved in that cover up is liable for fraud, which it would be the state attorney's job to prosecute, and potentially US attorneys since it involves a member of Congress.

    And I've already explained this to you multiple times, so at this point you're sealioning.

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  • [–] -2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    McConnell did give proof of life, you just didn't like it.

    I get the frustration, but the KY governor is (and should be) bound by the law.

    I'd think people would be sick of politicians abusing their power. Seems like many of you are okay with it as long as you agree with the reasons for abusing power.

    I think abusing power is wrong, regardless of the reasons.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    When? Where? Show me.

    I never said anything about the governor not being bound by the law or abusing power. That's stuff that you're adding.

    Accountability for public officials is not an abuse of power. Holy shit.

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  • [–] -1 points 2 months ago*

    When? Where? Show me.

    He released two separate pictures. Google will help you find them.

    Accountability for public officials is not an abuse of power. Holy shit.

    The senator of a state is not accountable to the governor of that state. Stop talking past me and think. You want the KY governor to do something he has no power to do.

    I feel like you think that I'm defending McConnell and his actions (or lack thereof) but nothing is farther from the truth; I'm just stating facts. Internet conspiracies about McConnell being dead are just that; they're not actually actionable.

    All the governor can do is make demands, but he has no power to force those demands to be met. He's done all he can, short of abusing his own power. If you agree that he shouldn't abuse his power, then he is out of options.

    Our system of government clearly has very many loopholes that unscrupulous people acting in bad faith can exploit, and we need to make a real effort to patch them up when Dems have the power to do so, but until then there's not much anyone can do about it.

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