One aide to another senator described what he called a “Kabuki” meeting in which Feinstein’s staff tried to steer her through a proposed piece of legislation that she protested was “just words” which “make no sense.”

— Michael Luo (@michaelluo) December 10, 2020

Feinstein’s staff has said that sometimes she seems herself, and other times unreachable. “The staff is in such a bad position,” a former Senate aide who still has business in Congress said. “They have to defend her and make her seem normal.”

— Michael Luo (@michaelluo) December 10, 2020

A stickler for detail, she demanded to see every page going out of her office with her name on it. But with her diminishing capacity, this has become increasingly difficult. The former Senate staffer who still works with Congress declared, “It’s been a disaster.”

— Michael Luo (@michaelluo) December 10, 2020

As the ranking Democrat, Feinstein ordinarily would be expected to run the Party’s strategy on issues of major national importance, including judicial nominations. Instead, the committee has been hamstrung and disorganized. very different mode now.”

— Michael Luo (@michaelluo) December 10, 2020

“Other members were constantly trying to go around her because, as chair, she didn’t want to do anything, and she also didn’t want them doing anything,” the former Senate staffer said.

— Michael Luo (@michaelluo) December 10, 2020

A current aide to a different Democratic senator observed sadly, “She’s an incredibly effective human being, but there’s definitely been deterioration in the last year. She’s in a very different mode now."

— Michael Luo (@michaelluo) December 10, 2020

There’s a Feinstein story here, but also the story of when she faced a plausible primary challenger two years ago and he got basically no institutional support from anyone. https://t.co/QGYdlGMsWz

— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) December 10, 2020