Beshear again presses for more transparency on McConnell's condition

Gov. Andy Beshear continues to urge Sen. Mitch McConnell and his team to release updates on the senator's health and expectations regarding a return to work.

The governor told Katie Couric in the time leading up to the release of the hospital photo he had received no direct communication from McConnell and had instead dealt with conflicting reports.

"It had been a month before anything had been put out, not even an official statement from Senator McConnell. In fact, I've gotten two calls from different agencies, not state agencies, suggesting he'd pass. So this rampant speculation that was out there, it needed to end. People deserve to know what was going on," he said.

Beshear continues to wish the long-serving senator a full recovery, but he's remained concerned about the ongoing lack of updates.

"Everyone deserves a level of privacy on their health. But when you take on these jobs, when you represent the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, you give up some of that. That's just what it is. That's what comes with the territory," he said during last Thursday's Team Kentucky briefing.

The governor has suggested a video message or brief call with a news organization would ease some speculation and reassure constituents and colleagues.