A handful of GOP senators is weighing whether to force a fraught internal debate about their leadership’s future after Mitch McConnell’s second public freeze-up in a month.
Some rank-and-file Republicans have discussed the possibility of a broader conversation once senators return to Washington next week, according to a person directly involved in the conversations who confirmed them on condition of anonymity. Party leadership is not currently involved in those discussions, and nothing has been decided yet, this person added.
It takes just five Republican senators to force a special conference meeting, which is the most direct way to have a specific discussion about the minority leader after his public pause on Wednesday revived questions about his condition. But the Senate GOP also holds private lunches two or three times a week, giving members another forum for hashing out the direction of the party’s leadership — one that could forestall the need for a special confab.
At the very minimum, there should be cognitive tests to ensure they have their mental faculties and agency.
There’s some folks who are still sharp well into their 80s.
Others can suffer dementia and other severe cognitive issues in their 30s and 40s.
Putting an arbitrary age limit (like say 65) would also keep out any folks who want to run after they retire (and who can’t afford to run for office before then).
That sounds like a separate problem that shouldn’t be used to argue against mandatory retirements for the absolute highest political positions.