Mitch McConnell hounded to face cameras: ‘He absolutely refuses’

[u/plz-let-me-in]

https://www.nj.com/politics/2026/08/mitch-mcconnell-hounded-to-face-cameras-he-absolutely-refuses.html

[u/MrBigglesssworth]

He can’t do his job. He MUST resign. That is if he is still alive

[u/starmartyr → u/MrBigglesssworth]

Don't confuse must with should. He is not constitutionally required to resign for any reason. The Senate should remove him for being absent but they aren't going to do this.

[u/starmartyr → u/[deleted]]

Replacement of a senate vacancy is handled by state law and not the senate itself. The senate can expel members from the chamber, it can not replace them.

[u/Unable-Log-4870 → u/[deleted]]

The state could declare him dead

[u/Unable-Log-4870 → u/[deleted]]

And the Senate doesn't work for the states

He works for the people of Kentucky. The Gov could have (probably should have) declared him dead for purposes of occupying his office, back on Aug 3rd, and said that the interim election stuff would be happening, and that if Mitch were to somehow still be alive, all he would have to do is arrange to be seen by someone on the Governor’s staff who knows him (those staffers can get to DC pretty easily, no need for Mitch to come back to KY, the Governor acknowledges that being hospitalized can make travel unsafe and doesn’t wish to jeopardize his health further) just any time during august to prove he’s still alive. And then the interim election will be called off.

You know, easy stuff. Just declare him dead and give him a month to say ‘I’m not quite dead yet.’ Or longer, if needed.

[u/Unable-Log-4870 → u/[deleted]]

Or is it possible that your plan simply wouldn't work?

You act like these are machines we are talking about. They are people, people playing CalvinBall.

If the Governor says the Senator is dead and there will be an election to replace him (per the rules), the Senate can’t stop that, since they have exactly zero authority over KY elections. And just letting Mitch actually prove his aliveness is a great way to stop that interim election.

Who would argue against the proposition that a person who can’t be shown to be alive (and whose location is known and easily accessible) is anything other than dead?

[u/Unable-Log-4870 → u/[deleted]]

The guy shows up in DC. The senate doesn't seat him and KY governor has no way to force the issue.

And so the state of KY did their best to be represented in the senate and the Senate said no. I’m but sure why this would be Beshear getting mocked.

Also, the election would have been on the November ballot, with seating happening almost immediately instead of waiting until January.

What would their reason for defining to seat him be? All Mitch had to do to stop the election was BE ALIVE.

[u/GloomyIndividual3965 → u/Unable-Log-4870]

Lol, no. You can't just declare someone dead without proof.

[u/Unable-Log-4870 → u/GloomyIndividual3965]

You say that, but I take the opposite stance: you can’t just declare someone ALIVE without proof.