U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has just ceded the power of her attorney to her daughter, the New York Times reports.
This in itself, however, is not the story. The story is that, despite ceding the power of attorney to her daughter, Feinstein still remains a U.S. senator.
There is an obvious incongruity here.
How can one be fit enough to remain a U.S. senator but, at the same time, not be fit enough to retain the power of attorney?
On Thursday, the Times released a report, titled, For an ailing Feinstein, a fight over the family fortune.
The piece's subheading reads, "As Dianne Feinstein, 90, struggles to function in the Senate, a dispute within her family over control of her husband's estate is another difficult chapter at the end of a long career."
It is in this context that the Times reveals that Feinstein has ceded power of attorney to her daughter - 66-year-old Katherine Feinstein - to deal with the ongoing legal dispute over her late husband's assets.
"Katherine Feinstein, 66, Senator Feinstein’s only child, who has power of attorney over her mother’s legal affairs, filed two lawsuits against Senator Feinstein’s co-trustees," the Times' report reads.
Michael Klein, a lawyer representing the co-trustees, says that he was not informed that Katherine Feinstein has been appointed power of attorney. And, he added:
Nor has Katherine made it clear, either in this filing or directly to my clients, why a sitting United States senator would require someone to have power of attorney over her.
How could someone be fit enough to be a U.S. senator but not fit enough to have power of attorney?
The Washington Examiner explains, "Giving someone power of attorney is generally done when someone is experiencing a decline in health to the extent that they can't properly function."
The outlet adds, "Feinstein transferring it to her daughter indicates that her cognitive functions have further declined and will likely lead to further calls for her to resign."
The Times' report comes after a recent incident in the U.S. Senate in which a befuddled Feinstein was caught being told by a staffer to "just say 'aye'" during a roll call vote on a national defense bill.
Feinstein, before this and before the Times' report, had already been facing many calls - including calls from members of her own party - to resign, particularly following her recent health struggles, which caused her to take a significant absence from the U.S. Senate. The Times' report is only going to intensify these calls.
