There are so many fine Democratic politicians who could serve. I wish Sen. Fetterman would resign to focus on recovering his physical and mental health while he is still able to do so. No politician is indispensable-I wish more would step back and admit that due to age or infirmity, they are not best suited to undertake the strenous task of representing others but should focus on themselves.
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I have said this before and it is not political. I think all people running for important public offices, president, governor, Senate and House should release their medical records in full, unredacted. They should be fully transparent about any medical issues especially those that can affect their ability to fully function in their jobs. Hiding these things is just not honest. It’s ironic that we know more about Bruce Willis’ medical diagnosis than we do about so many in high office.
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There is nothing shameful or disqualifying about mental health challenges/clinical depression. He wasn’t my first choice in the primary for PA, but the way he is handling this with transparency (vs how things were communicated after his stroke) is giving me more confidence in him. There are few elected officials who have been clear and open about depression (Jason Kander is one — kudos to him), but many many who have experienced depressive episodes. I think anything that can be done to destigmatize depression is very hopeful. I’m wishing him an effective recovery and as quick a return as possible to the Senate.
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Depression is common, but depression of such severity as to require inpatient treatment is not, and IMHO, does disqualify him from doing his job. I would feel the same way if it were a physical cause of undefined duration requiring hospitalization, like a brain tumor.
He would qualify for short-term ( and possibly long-term) disability at any other workplace
I understand how reasonable people can disagree on the issue. Just my perspective. It will be very interesting to see how accommodations are made (or not). Will be telling and hopefully force some institutional reflection. We’ll see!
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My point was that voters are entitled to ALL this medical information before they vote and after as well insofar as public pressure may prevail on a politician in certain circumstances to resign or not seek re-election (Dianne Feinstein).
This country has had too many examples of hidden health histories in people who are making important decisions perhaps while very ill (Roosevelt, Wilson come to mind). Medical information is at least as important as tax returns to voters when deciding which candidate to choose.
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I remember what happened to Eagleton. People are not kind or understanding, and not everything is the public’s business. If someone in office gets cancer & has to take time for chemo, radiation, surgery, recovery … should they step down?
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Actually, the president does, in effect, step down temporarily under the 25th amendment whenever under anesthesia or similarly incapacitated ( for example, a colon exam ). The paperwork is actually done for that. Short term, defined and infrequent periods of incapacitation I can accept, but longer periods raise grave doubts for me.
Yes, I do think the health and capacity of representatives are the public’s business.
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I wish senator Fetterman the best in his recovery.
I hope his honesty (which he didn’t have to disclose and which many in his position have not disclosed) will help others dealing with depression. If the senator’s admission that he needed help, helps any other person wrestling with any mental health issues, then he has done a great service to his constituents.
Since the senator was elected by his peers, he has the same right to serve as any other elected official.
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He was elected by his constituents and since there is no procedure or precedent for removal, he can indeed stay in office if he so wishes. Members have been elected when comatose ( yes, really) and some Senators have been unable to act for years but remained in office. I had rather hoped more could be expected of him in terms of putting his state or party’s interest above his own personal enjoyment of the role.
Dead people have been elected. The voters knew the person on the ballot was dead.
Reminder that there is a political forum to discuss politics! Please refrain from doing it here or you are welcomed to migrate to the other forum and start a thread there.
In many ways, this makes Fetterman’s path to recovery much easier. He is guaranteed $1M+ of income over the next 6 years, whereas most other people have no choice but to hide their illness for fear of losing their job.
I think what my Senator is doing is incredibly important for anyone with medical issues or disability issues. There’s no reason he, or any other person, is automatically unqualified to work simply because of his disability. He and his family have been very brave in the face of ignorance, and whether he serves or not is up to him. Making physical fitness a litmus test is not going to solve anything.
The attitude of “he’s now unfit” is precisely why people with invisible health issues keep it under wraps and in doing so, prevent recovery or treatment. Depression after stroke is so common that doctors often refer to mental health treatment as part of rehab (they did for my father, for example).
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Just to clarify-so if he doesnt work for a year, that is fine with you? I think the longest a Senator did not work was for 3 years.
Plenty of senators have been and are disabled-wheelchairs, hard of hearing, etc. It is more rare to have long term hospitalization precluding attendance in the chamber.
My guess is that he will be back to work within a couple of weeks. Is that good enough for you?
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It doesnt matter if it is good enough for me, it is a question of whether it is enough for his constituents, who might prefer an actual expert opinion on his prognosis rather than random internet guesses.
This guy literally ran on the premise of representing those who can get back up when they’ve fallen down. He won, deservedly, on authenticity and the relatively party-agnostic position of overcoming adversity. He isn’t governor, but part of a body that can function with members taking temporary absence. It’s instructive to his constituents and to all Americans for people to be able to see how real life problems — even severe problems — can be tackled. I really hope he has a meaningful inpatient stay and a steady recovery.
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I don’t think there’s any possibility that the Senator will choose to stay absent that long. If, however, his doctors and family feel absence for a year is the best path to recovery, then I imagine he will step down. He’s just not the person to choose a job over his kids having a dad.
There’s got to be some rimshot joke about senators who don’t do work, but I am not that funny 
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