Two pieces on Sessions’ entry into the Senate race, the first just before he announced, the other just after. Follow the links embedded in the headlines to read the full columns.
Sessions provides other candidates an odd, risky way to win.
MOBILE, Alabama — If reports are correct that former Attorney General Jeff Sessions will forcefully defend President Trump’s Ukraine-related actions when Sessions enters the Senate race in Alabama, it opens an odd avenue in the race for another candidate to exploit.
So far, all the Republicans in the multicandidate field have gone to almost embarrassing lengths to see who can be the Trumpiest. Perhaps one of them should reconsider. The risky but potentially effective play would be for one to say that new testimony convinces him the impeachment proceeding is warranted, for open-minded analysis of all relevant facts, even if the case for impeachment remains as of yet unproven.
It helps that this also is the most appropriate stance and that Sessions will be damaging his credibility by not taking it himself. For purposes of pure political analysis, though, let’s set aside what’s ethically right and look at why this could be a surprisingly smart political play….
Sessions joins Trump’s praetorian guard. In announcing his bid to regain his Senate seat in Alabama, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions made an honest and compelling case about his own consistent record. He marred his by-the-book, Eagle Scout persona, however, by insisting that there is no merit in the investigation of President Trump’s actions with regard to Ukraine.
It is one thing to say he hasn’t seen anything yet that convinces him impeachment is necessary. It is another thing, not intellectually honest, to do as he did and dismiss the whole thing as merely “a continuous political attack.”
As former chief law enforcement officer in the land, Sessions should know better….
