Tales From The Crypt - Feinstein Chronicles

Dianne Feinstein claimed she hasn't 'been gone' when asked about her lengthy absence from the Senate: 'No, I've been here. I've been voting.’
The 89-year-old senator returned to Washington last week after a nearly 3-month-long absence from a shingles infection.
In a statement issued through her office, Feinstein said she's "still experiencing some side effects" from the virus and would be working a "lighter schedule." Those side effects include vision and balance impairments, requiring her to use a wheelchair at times.
"I'm hopeful those issues will subside as I continue to recover," she added.
Feinstein, the oldest sitting US senator, announced days before her absence began in February that she would not seek re-election in 2024. Several Democrats are already running to succeed her, including Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee.
But her prolonged absence created a deadlock on the Senate Judiciary Committee, preventing Democrats from swiftly advancing nominees to the floor that lacked Republican support.
As concerns over Feinstein's absence grew, the California Democrat agreed to step down from the committee and allow Sen. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who's also retiring after 2024, to replace her. But Republicans blocked that effort.
Meanwhile, some House Democrats, including Reps. Ro Khanna of California, Dean Phillips of Minnesota, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York called on Feinstein to resign.
"Her refusal to either retire or show up is causing great harm to the judiciary," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on the social network Bluesky recently.
Feinstein has more than a year and a half left until her term expires in January 2025.