Sen. Feinstein’s death leaves Senate vacancy Gov. Newsom needs to fill

CALIFORNIA’S LONGEST-SERVING SENATOR – DIANNE FEINSTEIN – HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF 90.
PRESIDENT BIDEN CALLING HER A “PIONEERING AMERICAN AND A TRUE TRAILBLAZER.”

AND WHILE REACTIONS CONTINUE TO POUR IN — ATTENTION IS ALREADY TURNING TO THE IMPLICATIONS OF HER ABSENCE. 

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM – IS TASKED WITH FILLING HER SEAT.

AFTER SERVING FIVE TERMS AS A U-S SENATOR – IT BECAME APPARENT TO HER COLLEAGUES ON CAPITOL HILL – OVER THE LAST YEAR – THAT HER HEALTH WAS DECLINING – LEAVING HER TO MISS OUT ON VOTES IN THE SENATE.

SENATE REPUBLICANS WERE OPPOSED TO DEMOCRATS TEMPORARILY REPLACING FEINSTEIN ON THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE DURING THAT TIME – and NOW WE’RE HEARING A DIFFERENT TUNE. 

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM, THE TOP REPUBLICAN ON THE COMMITTEE SAID FRIDAY – HE WILL DO QUOTE “WHATEVER THE RULES SAY” WHEN IT COMES TO REPLACING FEINSTEIN.

WHILE SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER MOVES TO FILL THE VACANCIES SHE LEAVES BEHIND – HE ALSO REACTED TO HER PASSING, SPEAKING FROM THE SENATE FLOOR FRIDAY…

“OUR NATION WILL BE FOREVER THANKFUL TO SENATOR FEINSTEIN FOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS SHE FOUGHT FOR. I, TOO, AM PERSONALLY INDEBTED TO DIANNE, NOT JUST AS A COLLEAGUE, WHICH OF COURSE I AM IN SO MANY WAYS, BUT AS A FRIEND AND FATHER OF TWO DAUGHTERS. DIANNE’S WORK EXTENDED FAR BEYOND THE UNITED STATES SENATE FLOOR AS SHE GAVE A VOICE, A PLATFORM AND A LEADER TO WOMEN THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY FOR DECADES.”

NEWSOM HAS VOWED TO APPOINT A BLACK WOMAN TO THE VACANT SEAT – AND SAYS HE WILL NOT APPOINT ANY OF THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES ALREADY VYING TO WIN THE SEAT IN THE 2024 ELECTION — INCLUDING DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVES BARBARA LEE, KATIE PORTER AND ADAM SCHIFF. .

NEWSOM APPEARED ON NBC’S “MEET THE PRESS” TWO WEEKS AGO…

Gavin: “no i don’t want to make another appointment and i don’t think the people of california don’t want me to make another appointment. because i’ve made plenty of appointments. that said, it’s my job and my responsibility if we have to do it, we’ll do it.”

chuck todd: “are you going to abide by your pledge?”

gavin: “yeah, interim appointment i don’t want to get involved in the process.”

chuck: “so you would not appoint anybody on who has filed for this race?”

gavin: “it would be completely unfair to democrats that have worked their tail off, that primary is just a matter of months away. i don’t want to tip the ballots of that.”

chuck: “but you’re going to abide by, it would be essentially a caretaker, an african-american woman?”

gavin: “we hope we never have to make this decision but i abide by what i’ve said very publicly on a consistent basis, yes.”

THERE’S NO WORD YET ON WHOM NEWSOM WILL APPOINT FOR THE TEMPORARY POSITION.