It’s not just about Joe Biden anymore. A bunch of his fellow Democrats are following his example, or the example of whomever kept him propped up throughout his Weekend at Bernie’s presidency. That example? Hang on to power, no matter how old and decrepit one gets. Examples about: most of the Democratic Party’s senior leadership, official and unofficial, are of ages that can only be measured on the geologic time scale.

It’s causing some concern among younger Democrats, and for once, their concern comes with good reason.

Some younger House Democrats are preparing to push for a long-delayed, caucus-wide intervention on age after the tragic passing of yet another one of their septuagenarian colleagues, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The impacts of the party’s aging membership were keenly felt Thursday when House Republicans passed their sweeping tax cut bill by just a single vote, 215 to 214.

• Several House Democrats argued that vacancies created by the deaths of Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sylvester Turner (D-Texas), all in their 70s, may have been outcome-determinative.
• “You see where we are, we can’t afford to lose anymore members. … We’re down three people because they passed away,” one lawmaker told Axios just off the floor as the House was voting on the bill.
• Said another ahead of the vote: “The tragic reality is, when … this vote passes and the difference is the number of members who passed away this Congress, I think it’s going to really infuriate many of our supporters.”

Now, those deaths are sad; we rightly express sympathy for their families. But why did they see the need to stay in office for so long? Granted, I’m no spring chicken and yet plan to keep doing what I’m doing (with breaks for fishing and moose season) as long as I’m able to be propped up in front of the keyboard without shorting out that keyboard by drooling on it. 

But I’m not crafting legislation or carrying out government policies.

I mean, look at these people! Some of them may have been around to serve in the council of King Darius the Great.

• “Some folks have given their life to this place, and we’re so grateful and commend them for it — you don’t have to die in this place,” the first House Democrat said. 
• “I definitely think that someone in leadership needs to have some hard conversations and say … ‘you don’t [have to] keep doing this.'”

What’s more concerning is that, with the Biden administration, we have a very clear proof that there are those who will prop a failing politician up through whatever means are necessary, just to keep the seat in Democrat hands.