Two sides of the question about Sessions thinking of making a Senate comeback. Follow the links embedded in the headlines.
Despite Trump’s tantrums, Sessions would be great choice for a Senate return (Oct. 31).
MOBILE, Alabama — While there are good reasons for Republican former Attorney General Jeff Sessions not to run for his former Senate seat in Alabama, it bears saying that if he does run, he deserves to win.
Moreover, the people of Alabama would be well served to have him back in office.
If Sessions runs, President Trump surely won’t like it. He will likely verbally eviscerate his former cabinet pick throughout the primary. Nonetheless, if Sessions wins the Republican nomination anyway, he still would be favored against fluke incumbent Democrat Doug Jones in this heavily conservative state. Besides, during a general election campaign, Trump would be too busy with his own reelection battle to waste time attacking Sessions.
Either way, Trump is wrong about Sessions. Indeed, he’s twice wrong….
Jeff Sessions probably shouldn’t try a Senate comeback (Oct. 29).
As an Alabama newsman who has covered closely former Attorney General Jeff Sessions for more than 20 years, I have decidedly mixed feelings about the multiple reports that he is considering a race for his old Senate seat.
Sessions was an excellent, principled senator, and at 72 is vibrant enough to give Alabamans another productive term while bringing considerable expertise, competence, and seniority to the job. It requires no denigration of the other Republican candidates for the seat to say that, in a vacuum, Sessions would be a more immediately effective senator than they could be.
Alas, there is no political vacuum.
Despite Sessions’ continuing, unfailing loyalty to President Trump and Trump’s agenda, Trump has done nothing but heap unmitigated (and unmerited) scorn on Sessions ever since the Alabaman rightly recused himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Whereas Sessions easily was the most popular politician in the state before becoming attorney general, his standing among Republican voters here clearly has taken a fall since the popular Trump began denigrating him….
