Jefferson Beauregard Sessions of Alabama

[LN124308]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Unfortunately apart from one or two GOP members the chances of that happening are so remote as to be negligible. We saw what happened to DeVos yet hundreds of conservative phoned and emailed their GOP Senators, it was not simply the Dems. The woman is hopelessly unfit for the cabinet post.

Unfortunately, the GOP which now controls Congress, has decided to bow down and give in to Trump in every way imaginable. I had hoped that they would push against him some and try to force Trump into fitting their agenda rather than the other way around. If this does eventually occur (not holding my breath) we may seem some actual governing get done by reasonable Reps/Dems reaching across the aisle. If, conversely, the GOP continues to defer to Trump, things will continue downhill.

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by LN124308

but I do think our Senate needs some members that are ready and willing to work together and actually accomplish some governing,

The point of no return for that was passed quite a while back.

The only option left is revolution.

[bobabode]

Jeff Sessions plans to appoint Chuck Cooper as solicitor general.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_J._Cooper

[donquixote99]

"Cooper led the legal team for the defendant-intervenors in Hollingsworth v. Perry, defending California Proposition 8 in 2008, which banned same-sex marriage in the state."

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

"Cooper led the legal team for the defendant-intervenors in Hollingsworth v. Perry, defending California Proposition 8 in 2008, which banned same-sex marriage in the state."

And so...?

[donquixote99]

And so he's a homophobic bigot. D'oh.

A very smart, high-achieving, reasonable, well-spoken bigot. Think of him as a beautiful, shiny Mercedes that vents carbon monoxide into the cabin.

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

And so he's a homophobic bigot. D'oh.

Obama: I am not a supporter of Gay Marriage.

2004 senate campaign.

Hillary Clinton?

[donquixote99]

Running for office is not always a good influence on people.

Ask them now.

I'm sure Cooper has a non-bigoted rationale for that effort. He may even believe it. People have this odd capacity for doublethink, especially if they can make money and enhance their reputation (in their political world) that way....

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

Running for office is not always a good influence on people.

Ask them now.

That was the appeal of Bernie Sanders.

He didn't change his positions to pander to political expediency.

[whell]

The Senate didn't invoke rule 19 because Warren was only reading a letter from CS King. From the Article cited in the OP:

Earlier, Warren read from the 1986 statement of (TEd) Kennedy, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee who led the opposition then against Sessions, including the Massachusetts Democrat’s concluding line: “He is, I believe, a disgrace to the Justice Department and he should withdraw his nomination and resign his position.”

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), a freshman who was presiding over the Senate at the time, issued a warning to Warren at that point, singling out Kennedy’s “disgrace” comment, and 25 minutes later McConnell came to the floor and set in motion the battle, citing the comments in the King letter as crossing the line.

McConnell later defended his decision.

“Sen. Warren was giving a lengthy speech. She had appeared to violate the rule. She was warned. She was given an explanation,” he said. “Nevertheless, she persisted.”

Warren was over the top, and the Senate rules applied. As an alternative, consider this:

But we also need civil debate. And in the Senate, lawmakers have learned to sting each other within Rule 19. If they have an insult to fling at another member, they simply disguise it as a compliment.

In 2001, as a reporter covering the Senate, I witnessed a particularly brilliant exchange on the floor between the late Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy and Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch. Kennedy fiercely criticized Hatch's position. Hatch responded by saying Kennedy was wrong, and then adding a few lines of "praise."

"[Reality] doesn't stop bombastic arguments, nor should it. I love them myself. I love to see the distinguished senator from Massachusetts get up there and everybody's almost positive he's going to blow a fuse before he's through. He has a right to do that, and I admire him for doing it. I admire the way he supports his special interests. And I love my colleague, as very few in this body do."

Senators on the floor, and onlookers in the gallery, burst out laughing.

Nobody missed Hatch's point. Nor did anybody call out Hatch for a violation of Rule 19. Sen. Kennedy offered his own lines about Sen. Hatch. When the exchange was over, Kennedy — who was an old friend of Hatch — walked over and hugged him.