Mitch McConnell experienced another frightening health episode Wednesday. He froze for more than 30 seconds while trying to answer reporters’ questions. The staffer who eventually intervened explained that McConnell was dehydrated.
After the election, McConnell’s retirement (or at least his resignation as leader) was called for by many Republicans.
Joe Biden, the president, is now stepping in to defend McConnell.
“I spoke with Mitch.” Biden replied, “He’s a good friend, and I spoke with him today,” when asked to comment on McConnell’s condition at a press conference about FEMA’s response following Hurricane Idalia. “He was his usual self on the phone,” Biden said.
He noted that the husband of one of my leading staff members is also a neurosurgeon. It’s not unusual for Mitch to experience the same reaction as he did after a severe head injury. This is part of his healing.
“I’m sure he will be back to himself.”
Examine the merits first. McConnell’s on-camera episodes are a sign of his concussion recovery. It’s true that this is possible. However, people of advanced age tend to have a harder time recovering. McConnell fell in March. Now it’s September.
The reasoning is similar to what has been said and continues to be said about Sen. John Fetterman whose health problems following a massive brain stroke in May 2022 have also been well documented. While it was said that he would recover quickly, he actually got worse after being elected. He spent two hospital stays, including one of nearly two months. Since then, he’s essentially been reduced to a ghost. He is occasionally seen in the hallways but rarely speaks.
How long will Republicans wait to see if McConnell recovers? Now more than ever, the GOP needs a leader who is outspoken and in front. There is a very good chance that the Senate will be retaken in 2024, no matter what the outcome of the Republican primary. Can McConnell take the lead and give off an air of confidence and competence to the public? I am seriously doubtful.
I don’t doubt that Biden considers McConnell a close friend. However, I have serious doubts about his defense of McConnell being anything other than cynical. The current president has been shown to appear senile in many ways, including falling down and appearing confused. Biden’s defense of someone his age is convenient, as he knows that age-related questions are going to hound him in his reelection campaign.
The comparison is not valid. McConnell may legitimately claim that he is recovering from an injury, but Biden has not been injured to our knowledge. He’s an old man losing his cognitive ability, which is not something that can be “recovered” as a person ages.
The press will claim that McConnell’s problems somehow excuse Biden’s mental decline. But they do not. Both should retire. However, Biden’s problems aren’t comparable to McConnell’s.
