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A sad but necessary story. Feinstein's legacy and accomplishments deserve respect. But she still represents millions of people, and has clearly been having trouble for a while. Reporters on the Hill know this, and it's really tricky to navigate. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/dianne-feinsteins-missteps-raise-a-painful-age-question-among-senate-democrats?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=onsite-share&utm_brand=the-new-yorker&utm_social-type=earned
I've had the experience of asking her a question and her seeming confused, or providing an odd answer. What do you do with that? On one hand, she's a US senator. Her comments matter. It's not our role to police what whe says. But we can tell she might not mean what she's saying.
And then there's the question of writing about it. It's in the public's interest to know what's happening. But how do you do so without, well, being cruel? I think this piece does a good job of telling the story without being disrespectful.
As the story notes, this issue isn't just about Feinstein. Republican Sen
Thad Cochran was in the same boat. He was chairman of one of Congress' most powerful, important committees: Senate Appropriations. https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/18/thad-cochran-says-not-retiring-senate-243918
Thad Cochran was in the same boat. He was chairman of one of Congress' most powerful, important committees: Senate Appropriations. https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/18/thad-cochran-says-not-retiring-senate-243918
Some context on why we didn't see a thorough story on this before. I hear people's complaints. https://twitter.com/LoopEmma/status/1336893951593287680?s=19
I will say I believe reporters haven't hidden this -- folks have tweeted about their strange interactions with Feinstein. I think I probably have at some point, too.
Another thing to consider: you need folks close to her to talk to you to write something like this. Were those people willing to before now?
Right -- I should have better explained the reporting process. Journalists didn't hide it from anyone -- her comments *were* reported -- but also likely didn't have the sources and information to actually land a larger piece like this until more recently. https://twitter.com/BenAdamsO_O/status/1336895257615740928?s=19
Example of past comments being reported: https://twitter.com/LoopEmma/status/956345891916599297?s=19
A more eloquent explanation than mine: https://twitter.com/DeGolierThomas/status/1337094064458625032?s=19
