Mink's condition worsens, recovery poor, party says

Honolulu Advertiser ^ | Friday, September 27, 2002 | Vicki Viotti

[Vidalia]

The Hawai'i Democratic Party said U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink's condition has worsened today and prospects for recovery are poor. The party released a statement this afternoon saying Mink "will not make promises to voters that she may not be able to keep. She will remain on the ballot, but her family wants voters to know that she will not assume office in the 108th Congress if she is not able to represent the 2nd district with her customary vigor."

[Vidalia]

Not much sympathy for this one, for she knew the game well.

McCauliff has already picked the successor...

[GovernmentShrinker]

Could we please try to be civilized here? We may disagree with her politics, but we should have plenty of sympathy for any decent person who is dying slowly from complications of chicken pox.

[holyscroller]

They'd leave her corpse on the ballot if need be...just like they did with Carnahan. ANYTHING just so a Republican doesn't get elected.

[GirlShortstop]

This sounds grave and it seems as though there will be non-existant voters voting for a non-existant candidate.

'Rat practices aside, prayers for her and her family in this dire time.

[Spyder]

Interesting timing - wasn't yesterday the deadline for getting someone new on the ticket?

Yes, I feel for the family but I deeply resent that the condition has been kept so secret for so long.

Did you hear Rick Hamada this morning? Said a receptionist had been fired at Straub for giving out her room number to a florist. He also said the hospital had a new confidentiality statement signed by everybody just in the past few days. I find that interesting - anybody involved in hospital work anywhere has confidentiality statements they sign prior to employment.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

The 74-year-old Mink has been in the intensive unit at Straub Clinic & Hospital since Aug. 31 with viral pneumonia stemming from a case of chickenpox.

When did she catch chickenpox? At that age isn't it rare? I did read if you get it as an adult it can be much more serious.

[GirlShortstop]

shoot... non-existent

[Phantom Lord]

If she wins and doesnt get seated in the 108th congress a whole new election will have to be had. House members can NOT be appointed to fill an absense.

Her failure to step down by the deadline shows an allegiance to party over principle. She knows full well she will not be returning to congress, yet did not do the honorable thing and withdraw.

I wish her will and hope she recovers to the point that she can lead an enjoyable life until its final and hopefully natural end but it is difficult to generate any sympathy for her.

[FreePaul]

Do you have some reason to beilive that she is a "decent person"? All I know about her is that she is a life long socialist democrat who would rather see this country cease to exist than give in to reasonable solutions to social issues.

[M. Thatcher]

A couple of weeks ago the comments from her campaign were so tepid that I concluded she had already died. I still think that. I think this is a typical Democrat scam. Many of their voters are dead, and so, it seems, are some of their candidates. Sorry if it offends you.

[Phantom Lord]

She is also showing a total disregard for the taxpayers of her district by knowingly saddleing them with the cost of two elections when it could have been done for the price of 1.

[Phantom Lord]

Getting chicken pox as an adult is very dangerous to your health. Serious long term reductions in health and ability or death are not uncommon outcomes.

[Spyder]

Her failure to step down by the deadline shows an allegiance to party over principle. She knows full well she will not be returning to congress, yet did not do the honorable thing and withdraw.

I'm not sure Patsy knew anything. The rumors are pretty thick around here as to what her condition has truly been recently (i.e. waiting to unplug the respirator). Nobody at the hospital has squeaked, and even local Dimicrats are only giving out information they claimed to have received from the hospital. If she had truly been recovering at all, she would have made a phone call or at the very least a hospital spokesman would have come out and announced updates from time to time.

I'm not sure who should take the blame for waiting until the day after deadline to make this announcement, but I highly doubt it is Mink herself.

[SwatTeam]

I agree with you. Some one who has been in ICU for a month is someone who is probably on life support. My sister had real bad viral pneumonia at the age of 37. She was in ICU and on life support for 3 weeks. She was alert and aware but was unable to talk and certainly couldn't make any kind of decisions. All her energy was geared to living. I'm sorry to say she lost the battle. Don't see how a 74 year old could survive a month in ICU with pneumonia.

[Phantom Lord]

One of the problems with out election laws is there is virtually no penalty for violating them. Everyone knew Carnahan was dead and he died long after the deadline to get a new person on the ballot. He still should not have been allowed to be victorious as the US Constitution says clearly that a candidate must be a resident of the state. And the only way Carnahan was a resident of the state would be to concede to a Clintonian argument over the definition of resident.

What if she has actually already died? Whats the penalty for perpetuating such a fraud on the voters? I suspect none. But in reality, her opponent should be declared the winner by virtue of running unopposed.

[Phantom Lord]

There is a process for removing the president if he is unable to fulfill his duties due to diminished health. Is there any laws regarding such a procedure for members of the house and senate?

[Brytani]

I see another Missouri in the making. Is Mink married?

[Spyder]

even local Dimicrats are only giving out information they claimed to have received from the hospital

Oops - my goof. should have said that they claimed to have received from the family .

[Phantom Lord]

House members can not be appointed. They will have to hold another election.

[Octar]

You are correct. Good riddance, she has been in the house too long. It should come as no surprise that that she leaves gracelessly, for that is how she served. Again, good riddance.