Trump messes with Sessions, and Senate Republicans are not pleased

McClatchy DC ^ | July 25th, 2017 | By Lesley Clark

[Mariner]

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is getting a bitter Washington lesson when he messes with Jeff Sessions – you don't pick a fight with one of the Senate's guys.

It's a lesson that could cost him politically in a Senate where he badly needs Republican support for his lengthy agenda, starting with healthcare on Tuesday.

"I don’t understand it. There’s no more honorable person I’ve ever met in my life than Jeff Sessions,” said Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., a close friend of Sessions and his wife. “The only person who is more upset with Trump about this than me, is my wife.”

Sessions spent 20 years in the Senate, winning a reputation for affability and party loyalty. He understood and doggedly practiced the code of what's been called the world's most exclusive club: You can disagree without being disagreeable, but you protect the institution and its members.

Trump, clearly, doesn’t play by those rules.

[Cboldt]

-- Easy there would be no special council. --

And that tamps down the fire? Wave hands by AG, and "poof," no more "Russia?"

[xzins]

Sessions won’t go after those illegal acts, so keeping Sessions doesn’t move the ball forward or end the investigations.

A new AG just might pursue justice.

[KTM rider]

whats the difference between a Senate republican and a senate Democrat ?

answer: A senate republican has to pretend he is on the right

[itsahoot]

And that tamps down the fire? Wave hands by AG, and "poof," no more "Russia?"

Clearly you have bought into Russia, Russia, Russia. Do you fear Global Warming as well?

[itsahoot]

We depend on AG Sessions to keep President Trump from falling in with swampthings.

Seeing as how he threw him in the Swamp with no weapon, I disagree.

[Cboldt]

-- Clearly you have bought into Russia, Russia, Russia. Do you fear Global Warming as well? --

My poor ego, how will it ever survive such an insightful and clever attack?

[Eleutheria5]

What is needed is high-level officers with deep ties to flyover country. Sessions is one of them. He’s not only Southern, but has made a career out of being a “southern gentleman” type, and with all due respect to Rudy, he’s a New Yorker, which makes him suspect to non-New Yorkers, especially since Trump is one himself. Trump didn’t even campaign in New York. He was a great mayor, and is a great man, but you can’t throw over southern gentleman for a New Yorker. The chemistry’s wrong.

[Nifster]

Too bad all y’all are cucks. You haven’t done your jobs. You take our money and screw ya every chance you get. You weren’t that enthusiastic about Sessilns when he was appointed. I know he has some good things but he too is not doing his job

I’m sick of the lit of them

[Nifster]

Precisely

[Theophilus]

This flap between President Trump and AG Sessions is amazing to me since I believe Jeff Sessions (and his early endorsement) is more responsible for President Trump’s election than anyone else, save Donald Trump. I could almost doubt that there could be a flap but for the tweets.

[itsahoot]

My poor ego, how will it ever survive such an insightful and clever attack?

Your ego is not in trouble but your perception of reality is sorely outdated.

[Cboldt]

As long as you're fine with starting an insult war, let me get my two cents in. You are ignorant. You think that the appointment of Mueller is Session's fault. That is risible.

[NautiNurse]

The owls are not what they seem...

Consider the possibility that the Trump/Sessions story was bait to flush out the WH leaker(s).

[liberalh8ter]

Sen, Inhofe, I suspect that your definition of honorable is quite different than ours out here in flyover Country.

[itsahoot]

You think that the appointment of Mueller is Session's fault. That is risible.

I don't think it is his fault I know it is fault. Give me a scenario where Mueller becomes Special Council if Sessions had not recused himself. The world awaits your wisdom.

[datricker]

I think many share your sentiments;however, once hearing where his priorities are coupled with the recusal most reasonable people especially outside the the swamp are thinking what gives Jeff.

The president is saying what many of us have said and unlike a normal politician when you ask the president a question you get whats on his mind. These public comments seem to be a way of giving Session a chance to get with the program. I think Trump likes Sessions lots, many Trump policies come from Sessions and his office.

I think the president was very excited about Jeff being his D.A I don't think he wants to fire him. He will though if Jeff doesn't get his act together priority and teamwise

[Cboldt]

-- Give me a scenario where Mueller becomes Special Council if Sessions had not recused himself. The world awaits your wisdom. --

Sure. And I appreciate that you have opened the snark gate so we are each free to ridicule the other.

Any idiot can see, with minimal reflection, that a president's AG will not be seen as unbiased. If there was going to be an investigation of this (and I am not saying one is warranted), the president's AG will not be viewed as honestly disposing of it.

If Obama's campaign was under a similar cloud, we would not accept AG Lynch's conclusion that nothing is there, "case closed." She's biased for her man. We wouldn't even trust her to name a SC. She'd pick a ringer.

It's the nature of the beast. Has nothing to do with who the players are.

Your question appears to include Mueller as SC, and maybe a different person would be okay as SC. My analysis doesn't get to the level of detail of picking who will be SC. Any AG would have to recuse, and especially so an AG who was involved in the campaign that was under a cloud.

And just to emphasize the point, I think the cloud is BS, and I think the SC was improvidently appointed. My beef with you is that you blame Sessions for this. And yes, I have the same beef with Trump, assuming he really believes this situation is Sessions' fault.