Dem
47
GOP
53
The marriage between Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Elaine Chao is perfect: He has power and she has money (an
estimated $30 million from her Chinese family's shipping business). So when her husband was carted off to a hospital on a
stretcher,
after suffering a heart attack, what did the good wife do? She naturally maintained a vigil beside him hopped on
a plane to go to China for "philanthropic" reasons. After all, there aren't any needy people in Kentucky she could have
helped.
Although not a lot of people care what Chao does now as a private citizen (she was formerly secretary of labor and later secretary of transportation), a lot of people care about McConnell. In particular, if he dies, Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) might try to appoint a Democratic interim senator, despite a law saying he can't do that (because the Kentucky Constitution says he can). If he did, there would be a court case and Beshear might well win it. At the very least, his response to a vacancy could be a make-or-break moment for his 2028 presidential campaign. Will he meekly go along with the wishes of the Republicans in the state legislature (which are probably illegal) or will he defy them and fight them tooth and nail? Democrats want a fighter and Beshear could grab the opportunity and fight if he has the stomach for it. That would be worth a hundred clever quips at some debate in 2027.
Needless to say, there was a lot of "surprise" about Chao abandoning her husband of 33 years to go to China and speculation about why she met with high Chinese officials, including Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, while there. Some people even speculated that money and business were involved, one way or another. When she got back, Chao noticed the attention she got and decided to issue a statement. However, she didn't give a press conference, where reporters could ask her questions about: (1) McConnell's health and (2) why going to China was more important than staying with her (possibly dying) husband. The statement said that she met with a number of people, including the U.S. ambassador to China, former senator David Perdue. She didn't explain why she couldn't just call Perdue and the other officials she talked to on Zoom or Facetime, or what the hurry was. She did say that McConnell's health did not require her being with him. True love in action.
Maybe she was telling the truth. Laura Loomer, a not-always-reliable-but-well-plugged-in source, said that McConnell is brain dead and being kept breathing by machines. If McConnell is indeed dead, then maybe business does come first and the funeral can wait. Who knows? Certainly odd, though. (V)