It’s no surprise that there is vocal opposition to all of President Trump’s cabinet nominations from the Democrats. Still reeling after Hillary’s defeat and their failure to retake either house of Congress, they have to do something in an attempt to demonstrate that the party still has some relevance. While what promises to be the most contentious debate is still future in the confirmation hearings for President Trump’s pick of Judge Gorsuch to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court, debate over his cabinet nominations have been acrimonious as well.
Senator Elizabeth Warren just stepped over the line in her criticism of Senator Jeff Sessions as a nominee for US Attorney General. Even though she must know the Senate rules on debate, she was silenced for her violation of those rules.
Warren may have thought she could skirt the rules if she quoted someone else speaking about Sessions, but instead she was forced to end her remarks because of her breach of Senate protocol.
First, she quoted Sen. Edward Kennedy Sr., from 1986 when the Massachusetts Democrat led the opposition to Sessions joining the federal bench: “Mr. Sessions is a throwback to a shameful era, which I know both black and White Americans thought was in our past. It is inconceivable to me that a person of this attitude is qualified to be a U.S. Attorney, let alone a U.S. federal judge, he is I believe a disgrace to the Justice Department and he should withdraw his nomination and resign his position.”
The presiding officer, Sen. Steven Daines (R.-Mont.), warned Warren that her comments were a violation of Senate Rule XIX, with the characterization of Sessions as a disgrace to the Justice Department.
Warren, a Harvard Law School professor and attorney, pled bewilderment.
Of course she feigned bewilderment. She knows the rules, and just got caught trying to get around them.
She was then allowed to continue at which time she began reading excerpts from a lengthy letter from Coretta Scott King which contained highly charged accusations against then US Attorney Sessions.
Mr. Session’s conduct as U.S. Attorney, from his politically-motivated voting fraud prosecutions to his indifference toward criminal violations of civil rights laws, indicates that he lacks the temperament, fairness and judgment to be a federal judge.
At this point, Majority Leader McConnell exercised his privilege to intervene at any time stating that, “The senator has impugned the motives and conduct of our colleague from Alabama as warned by the chair. Senator Warren, quote-said, ‘Sessions has used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens.’ I call the Senate to order under the provisions of Rule XIX.”
The Senate then voted to end Mrs. Warren’s floor speech. As a result, she chose to continue her speech including the reading of that letter on Facebook Live. Reportedly, five million — no doubt confirmed liberals — watched.
“Tonight, I wanted to read that letter, and Senator Mitch McConnell and Republicans came to the floor to shut me down for reading that letter,” Warren said int he video. “I just want to read the letter.”
Making inflammatory statements is not new behavior for Senator Warren, having asked highly insulting questions of HUD nominee Dr. Ben Carson during his confirmation hearings.
It should be pointed out that Mrs. Warren no doubt is willing and eager to make degrading and offensive statements with regard to conservatives while accusing President Trump of doing that very thing. The hypocrisy is obvious.
Mrs. Warren should stick to giving her speeches on social media and quit wasting the US Senate’s time.
Some believe that this was actually an intentional backfire in order to elevate Warren. See the video below:
Source: Breitbart
Source: Daily Caller
Chief Broken Rubber