Back in October, I pointed out that a D.C. police report saying that 88-year-old Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton has “early stages of dementia” was the latest sign of a disturbing gerontocracy in our government. Norton’s staff contended the “reporting officer was unqualified to make” that assessment; and of course, Norton was not made available for interviews to dispel the claim that she suffered from dementia.
Norton officially filed a termination notice for her reelection with the Federal Election Commission on Sunday. In a devastatingly illustrative sentence, the New York Times wrote, “It was not clear whether Washington’s 88-year-old veteran delegate, who has been in declining health but has insisted she would seek re-election, was aware of the filing.” You can’t ask the delegate if she was aware, because she hasn’t granted an interview.
Lawmakers should retire long before they reach this point. Cases like this will fuel the argument from the likes of Rahm Emanuel that public office should have a mandatory retirement age of 75 years.