Mitch McConnell has been MIA from the Senate for over a month after taking a tumble at home, and Kentucky's Democratic Governor Andy Beshear is basically saying "pics or it didn't happen." Well, actually he wants more than pics. He wants the man to open his mouth and prove he can still do the job, as Conservative Brief reported.
Beshear fired off a letter on Monday to McConnell and his team, with a carbon copy to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, essentially laying out an ultimatum: verbally speak to the people of Kentucky and demonstrate you're still capable of serving, or hand in your resignation. That's a pretty bold move from a governor who clearly has zero patience for the "trust us, he's fine" routine.
The governor made sure to point out that running for public office means you voluntarily give up a chunk of your personal privacy. "That's the deal," he wrote, which is political speak for "you signed up for this, buddy." He also noted that all the wild speculation swirling around could be squashed with just a tiny bit of openness. You know, like maybe a video where the senator says words out loud.
In a particularly spicy touch, Beshear addressed his letter directly to McConnell "under the assumption" that the senator is actually able to read it and respond verbally, and is not incapacitated in terms of consciousness or cognition. If that assumption turns out to be wrong, Beshear wants McConnell's staff to come clean with Kentuckians immediately.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Attending Physician says McConnell is grinding through multiple physical therapy sessions daily and hasn't been cleared to leave his rehab facility. They also noted that his childhood bout with polio remains a major factor in his ability to get around. So the man is working hard, but nobody outside his inner circle has actually heard him speak in quite some time.
The rumor mill has been absolutely feasting on this situation. Speculation has ranged from claims that the longest serving Republican leader in Senate history was deceased to suggestions he was in a vegetative state. None of that has been confirmed, but the silence from Team McConnell hasn't exactly helped calm things down.
A recent photo showed McConnell with his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, along with a statement expressing his disappointment about missing the annual Fancy Farm barbecue in Kentucky, which is basically the Super Bowl for Bluegrass State politicians.
The whole saga kicked off on June 14 when McConnell fell at his Washington area home and was briefly knocked unconscious. He later revealed there were no broken bones, no concussion, no stroke, no tumors, and no hemorrhages. He did pick up a mild case of pneumonia while hospitalized, which responded to antibiotics. On July 12, he broke his silence with a written statement and photo.
Republicans, meanwhile, are scrambling to push through legislative priorities like Russia sanctions and major nominations where every single vote counts. Having one of your senators essentially on injured reserve during crunch time is not exactly ideal strategic planning.
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