Breaking:Trump offers Jeff Sessions Attorney General post

[Night Hides Not]

Personally, I'm glad.  Ted Cruz dodged a bullet .  I

Pretty much ensures he'll be running for reelection in 2018.   

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Pretty much ensures he'll be running for reelection in 2018.   

Risky thing for him to have given up his seat for a cabinet post.

Also would be curious to know if Trump had asked Cruz his opinion on AG.  Perhaps whether he was interested, or who he'd recommend if he wasn't.

[starstruck]

Picking Senators for key positions may not be a good idea when you may (depending on Louisiana) have just a 1 vote majority going into January. SCOTUS is a crucial vote so giving away the majority may bite you. I can see where the Dems would have a legitimate argument to hold off the vote if there are some temporary Governor appointments waiting for a special election.

[Bigun]

Picking Senators for key positions may not be a good idea when you may (depending on Louisiana) have just a 1 vote majority going into January. SCOTUS is a crucial vote so giving away the majority may bite you. I can see where the Dems would have a legitimate argument to hold off the vote if there are some temporary Governor appointments waiting for a special election.

Do you imagine that Alabama would elect a democrat to fill the Sessions seat?  I sure don't!

[TomSea]

Sessions won't be suing border states for trying to stop immigration. A lot is said right there.

Sessions has a long record of conservatism in congress and not grandstanding to call attention to himself like some senators, "oh, look at me, I'm Mr. Constitution."

[TomSea]

Sessions also isn't about CFR and issuing more green cards for foreign workers, he's for American Exceptionalism.

[catfish1957]

Risky thing for him to have given up his seat for a cabinet post.

Also would be curious to know if Trump had asked Cruz his opinion on AG.  Perhaps whether he was interested, or who he'd recommend if he wasn't.

Actually, I think Cruz will be taking SCOTUS part 2 when Ginsberg croaks.

[Frank Cannon]

Picking Senators for key positions may not be a good idea when you may (depending on Louisiana) have just a 1 vote majority going into January. SCOTUS is a crucial vote so giving away the majority may bite you. I can see where the Dems would have a legitimate argument to hold off the vote if there are some temporary Governor appointments waiting for a special election.

A) No matter what happens, this seat will be GOP. AL is solid red.

B) Sessions is reaching his sell by date. He is 70. This is a half way decent way to go out.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I'm just relieved it's not some Alex Jones nutjob. That's my biggest fear.

[jpsb]

Pretty much ensures he'll be running for reelection in 2018.   

There's still a Supreme Court seat to fill.

[Cripplecreek]

Actually, I think Cruz will be taking SCOTUS part 2 when Ginsberg croaks.

Cruz can take a supreme court position after the presidency.

Putting him on the court now makes he a hit or miss success depending on what manages to make its way to the court. By keeping him in the senate now and the presidency later means he can actually drive legislation and policy. If we make him president in a few years he becomes a lock for the supreme court. He wouldn't be the first former president to become a supreme court justice.

I'm not suggesting you're doing it but a LOT of the people suggesting him for appointments will do anything to get him out of the senate.

Speaking of "step down" positions, Candice Miller gave up her seat in the US House this time around and became Macomb County Michigan Drain Commissioner.

[Applewood]

Sessions also isn't about CFR and issuing more green cards for foreign workers, he's for American Exceptionalism.

Can't resist bringing up that nonsense about Ted Cruz again, huh?

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Sessions has been on the Judiciary committee, and his conservative bona fides there have been unassailable.  I can't think of a single issue that will be within the scope of DOJ on which he has been on the wrong side.  Civil rights, immigration...everything.

Really? How about his rabid endorsement of Eric Holder as AG?

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Really? How about his rabid endorsement of Eric Holder as AG?

I wouldn't call it a "rabid endorsement". And consider the context.  You had the first black President, and first black AG nominee.  You also had the albatross of McConnell's stupid remark leaking out, and the reality that Holder was going to be confirmed overwhelmingly.  Holder was not going to be rejected, and dying on that hill made no sense, especially for a guy dogged by these allegations of racism.

Look at where he has actually stood on the issues that matter.

[Emjay]

I guess the rumors about Ted Cruz for AG were incorrect.

I read that Ted Cruz told friends he wanted the job.  So, naturally, Trump offered it to Sessions.  Good choice anyway, I think.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

I wouldn't call it a "rabid endorsement". And consider the context.  You had the first black President, and first black AG nominee.  You also had the albatross of McConnell's stupid remark leaking out, and the reality that Holder was going to be confirmed overwhelmingly.  Holder was not going to be rejected, and dying on that hill made no sense, especially for a guy dogged by these allegations of racism.

Look at where he has actually stood on the issues that matter.

He went out of his way to declare Holder as non-partisan when he could have been silent or actually have fought against the guy.

My point is that your assessment "his conservative bona fides there have been unassailable.  I can't think of a single issue that will be within the scope of DOJ on which he has been on the wrong side.  Civil rights, immigration...everything."  may be a bit strong.

I do hope he establishes a better tendency to back candidates who are not political hacks when he is AG.

Removing the partisans from DOJ is one of the chief duties I consider for a new AG.

[Emjay]

The AG doesn't argue cases before SCOTUS - that's the job of the Solicitor General.  For the AG, it is incredibly important that he be familiar with the organization and workings of the DOJ so as to quickly clean house. 

Sessions has been on the Judiciary committee, and his conservative bona fides there have been unassailable.  I can't think of a single issue that will be within the scope of DOJ on which he has been on the wrong side.  Civil rights, immigration...everything.

Moreover, he's been a state AG, so we know he has the organizational skills to run an entire department.  And he himself has been a U.S. Attorney, who are the DOJ's front line troops.

If there are others who would have been a better choice, that's a very short list.  Neither Cruz nor Gowdy was either a U.S Attorney or state AG.  I think either would have been great choices as well, but it's hard to find fault with the pick of Sessions.

In any case, remember the core metric - how does Sessions compare to who Hillary would have appointed?  For those of us worried that Trump might not be better than Hillary, this is an absolute home run pick.

Well, Ted Cruz was the longest serving Solicitor General in Texas History, so he's not exactly without experience.  He also argued several times before the Supreme Court.

But I'm glad that Trump picked Sessions.  We need Ted Cruz in the Senate and I don't trust Trump to give him a two-year appointment.

[jpsb]

Cruz can take a supreme court position after the presidency.

Cruz will never be president, he is not a Natural Born Citizen.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Cruz will never be president, he is not a Natural Born Citizen.

It is not your opinion that matters -- it is the opinion of the courts that will determine that, and I don't think you would like how they'd likely rule.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Well, Ted Cruz was the longest serving Solicitor General in Texas History, so he's not exactly without experience.  He also argued several times before the Supreme Court.

Right, but SG is an appointed position subordinate to the AG in both Texas and the U.S.  The AG is a much broader, more managerial focused position.

But I'm glad that Trump picked Sessions.  We need Ted Cruz in the Senate and I don't trust Trump to give him a two-year appointment.

Yeah, I think Cruz's skills would be wasted as AG -- more a behind the scenes position.

[libertybele]

Right, but SG is an appointed position subordinate to the AG in both Texas and the U.S.  The AG is a much broader, more managerial focused position.

Yeah, I think Cruz's skills would be wasted as AG -- more a behind the scenes position.

We need Cruz's Constitutional conservative voice and vote in the Senate.

[NavyCanDo]

As one who did not vote for Trump I am generally please with the names floated as potential appointees for his cabinet so far, with the one exception being Steve Bannon. The one-way Trump can ease a bit my worry about him, showing that he will govern far to the Right of Hillary and would not be a lose cannon, is to surround himself with good people.   

[Maj. Bill Martin]

As one who did not vote for Trump I am generally please with the names floated as potential appointees for his cabinet so far, with the one exception being Steve Bannon. The one-way Trump can ease a bit my worry about him, showing that he will govern far to the Right of Hillary and would not be a lose cannon, is to surround himself with good people.

I voted for him, but you described exactly how I feel.  Bannon looks like he doesn't shower often enough.  Stupid reason not to like the guy *(and it isn't just that), but there really seems to be something odd about him.

Otherewise, Sessions is very strong and I like Pompeo a lot.  Not sure about Flynn.  I'd really like to see Romney at Commerce or SoS.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I voted for him, but you described exactly how I feel.  Bannon looks like he doesn't shower often enough.  Stupid reason not to like the guy *(and it isn't just that), but there really seems to be something odd about him.

Otherewise, Sessions is very strong and I like Pompeo a lot.  Not sure about Flynn.  I'd really like to see Romney at Commerce or SoS.

Bannon is a former Goldman and Saks dude... really populist!  LIke I said, he looks like a drunken child molester. Trump would be well served to keep him away.

[jpsb]

It is not your opinion that matters -- it is the opinion of the courts that will determine that, and I don't think you would like how they'd likely rule.

@Maj. Bill Martin

Prior to the 1930's Cruz would not even be a citizen of the USA. Did you get that? Had Cruz been born in the 1800's he would not even be a citizen. Had Cruz been born in 1930 he would not even be a citizen. There is no way in hell the Son of a Cuban born in Canada is a natural born citizen (NBC) of the USA. I don't give a damn what our corrupt anti-American Marxists Courts say. Courts say it is ok to murder unborn children, courts say a man can marry another man, courts say the government can come into my house and search it without a warrant and not even tell me they did that, courts say the government can seize my property with no due process even thou I never committed a crime. Screw the anti-American unjust courts. Ted Cruz is not a Natural Born citizen of the USA and everyone with a functioning brain knows that.

I have yet to see a Consular Report of Foreign Birth for Ted Cruz, without which Ted Cruz is not even a US citizen.

But go ahead an be a good little Marxist and change the definition of NBC so that just about  anyone born anywhere can be president. According to you a if an American woman gets raped by an ISIS fighter in Iraq and has a baby over there that baby is a NBC of the USA and eligible to serve as commander in chief of the US military? Really? Let's see how that works out for the American people. 

There is a reason the founders put in the NBC clause, unfortunately some here are to dense to see it. You would think after the election of our first not NBC president people would learn their lesson.