Things seem to be moving fast on the Jeff Sessions front.
#BREAKING Decision 'soon' on fate of US attorney general Sessions: White House
— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 25, 2017
That’s sounds to me like Trump is about to fire his Attorney General, but maybe it’s just a head-fake.
I asked two ppl close to Trump why he is tormenting Sessions instead of firing him. The answer from both, paraphrased: Because he can.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) July 25, 2017
It could be that Trump just wants to tear the legs and wings off Sessions and watch him writhe around in pain, but there may also be a legal and political strategy involved, however misguided. If Sessions were to resign voluntarily, it would be hard to pin on Trump as more evidence of obstruction of justice. If he were to leave of his own volition, Trump would also have an easier time getting his replacement through the confirmation process in the Senate.
So, it could be that Trump is torturing Sessions for the pure sadistic pleasure it brings him, but there’s another possibility.
Finally, it could also be that Trump has now run out of patience and will just go ahead and can Sessions since the Attorney General clearly can’t take a hint.
If this is all part of an effort to kill the Russia investigation, it won’t be smooth. Sessions has many friends in the Senate, and the Senate will insist that any replacement agree not to fire Mueller without cause. My suspicion is that Trump has another plan that will involve utilizing an interim replacement to fire Mueller, but that won’t be easy, either. I’m not clear on all the rules and norms of what happens when an Attorney General resigns, so I can’t game this all out at the moment. It looks like I have homework to do.
Worlds smallest violin
KARMA
The Senate won’t like it. Not just because of decency (Senate, decency. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!…) but because he is treating one of their own badly. It is a big exclusive club and any disrespect to one member is perceived as disrespect to ALL members. He forgets that the Senate can remove him. First the House has to impeach him, but Ryan’s ambition knows no bounds and he stands just behind Pence.
To emphasize my previous comment. Trump has nothing to fear from Democrats. It’s Republicans he should fear.
Well, you have a lot more faith than I do in Republican Senators. Trump is going to do everything he can to make this Russia thing go away. And keeping the investigation alive is going to depend on people within his own Party standing up for democratic principles, the rule of law and respect for over two centuries of precedent, respect for political norms, and acceptable Presidential behavior. All things about which Trump, or his supporters in Congress, don’t give two shits.
I will believe it when I see it. Even then, I will still be only 51% persuaded.
Can he fire him and make a recess appointment?
I don’t believe there is anything standing in Trump’s way, as long as the Senate goes into recess. Remember, Mitch keep the Senate in session to prevent Obama from making recess appointments during last year’s recess period.
There is much in play here and an even greater landscape of untested grounds; like the argument over whether Trump could indeed pardon himself.
The Chris Wray news that he represented Christie for 11 months during the Bridgegate scandal & trials is highly problematic (for Trump).
Subpoena for Manafort signed off by Grassley has to give Trump a kick in the shins.
Everyone assumes that McCain has flown back to push forward the health care debate but McCain just might have something to say about Syria’s rebels, Sessions and why Trump hasn’t come on board with the new Russian sanctions.
I know one thing, Trump’s lawyers need to lawyer up.
McCain might be coming back to exact his revenge. Remember how the donald was way to quick to declare McCain was no hero. The donald burns bridges that can never be dug out of that empty hole.
He just voted yes
And Pence cast the 51 first vote.
There has never been anything particularly “mavericky” about McCain. Of course he would vote yes on the motion to proceed, and I would wager he’ll vote yes on at least one of the bills that the Senate will offer up. He nearly always falls in line.
The talk is about a recess appointment. Sure, it would be better in Trump’s mind if Sessions resigned. His lawyers would like it better. But any recess appointment that ends with the firing of Mueller may create a firestorm. We’ll see.
Only McConnel proved the minority can keep the Senate “In Session” permanently. There will be no Recess appointments.
And Pence breaks the tie. Portman, Capito and Heller all cave.
Imagine that.
Most people seem to feel otherwise, but I think they are going to take down the ACA. We are giving Republicans way too much credit for their humanity. They want to win. Nothing else matters.
Trump,will accept nothing less. MConnell does not want the Sessions treatment nor do the senators, although Murkowski and Collins voted no this time.
That’s a fair assessment. The path to success for some form of ACA repeal has been narrow, but doable. I’ve been saying pretty consistently that this looked like a tossup, and at least have been trying to communicate that the risk of a repeal was very real. After all, the GOP does have the majorities in both chambers of Congress and a White House occupant who will sign whatever they spew forth. Win at all costs seems to be the ethos. That’s a lousy way to govern, but there is not a lot left to stop them, except hoping that a handful of relative moderates will do so.
If Sessions goes, will he also sack Mueller? And Rosenstein?
It might not be personal, although with Trump it usually is. It might be practical monkeywrenching of the Mueller investigation.
And a test of absolute power.
Its always personal with Trump. I think he will ultimately fire Mueller, if not him, then Rosenstein. And I really doubt anything happens, maybe some arm waving but not much. And the fake news will have a field day. Maybe he just wants everyone to see what a disgrace Sessions is for not doing it. That way his supporters will agree with him. If Mueller has anything on him, he best bring it soon.
Has anyone considered the possibility that Sessions and Trump are not necessarily in some sort of epic struggle here? Remember, Sessions was the very first person of stature in the government to come out in support of Trump. That buys one hell of a lot of good will from Trump. I find it highly suspicious that Sessions has fallen so far from grace, so quickly, that Trump would just as soon shoot Session’s dog as to look at him.
Could this all be a complete ruse, which Sessions is in on, just to create the circumstance where Trump can work the levers of the powers available to him to get rid of Robert Mueller? I know everyone says that the firing of Mueller will set off all sorts of alarm bells among Republicans, especially Senators, and that it would be the “tipping point” and “beyond the pale”, not to mention “unprecedented and against all norms in our history”. But at this point, does anyone really believe that there is some sort of magic line that Trump will cross which will cause Republicans to finally say ENOUGH!! TOO FAR!!
I am inclined to say, no, there is no such line. Sessions could well be purposely falling on the grenade, with the full knowledge and encouragement of Trump. He was, after all, not too long ago, the best kind of soldier. The first one who steps up and out of the line to volunteer for the most dangerous political mission imaginable. That, in itself, garners unbelievable favor in the eyes of the commander.
Like I said, I usually eschew tin foil hats. But it seems like somewhat plausable scenario to me.
You may be right. But in the end I despair of getting him out unless we take back congress and I don’t see that happening in 2018. And in 2020 who exactly is going to take him on and defeat him in face of his bullying,
>>does anyone really believe that there is some sort of magic line that Trump will cross which will cause Republicans to finally say ENOUGH!! TOO FAR!!
No. There is absolutely no crime so heinous that this Congress and his deplorables would turn on him.
Pun intended.
It’s all about the tribe and some sort of twisted will to power bullshit that drives these jackals. When these assholes say they want to take away my health care and essentially kill me and mine, I take them at their word. When they say they want to steal from me and take away what I have paid into for over three decades of working life in order to give their rich cronies enormous tax breaks, I take them at their word. If they want to harm me because I might be the wrong religion/sexual orientation/etc., I’d take them at their word on that as well. If tRump is their vessel to make their wildest lusts come true, he could be caught doing the most twisted and perverse acts imaginable and they’ll look the other way. That to me is a safe bet.
It’s a jacked up way to try to run a country as enormous and diverse as this one, and it is one that will lead to ruin. I’m not sure I have much hope left in me. But I recall what I think is a Dutch saying about not needing hope to persevere. That said, the ball is in the control of a group of jackals who simply don’t give a crap. No changing that for now.
A guy with brain cancer flew across the country to vote to proceed on a bill that would take health care from millions.
It seems strange…but I’ve known THREE people with brain cancer. All three died of it……two of them within two months. So this guy, instead of assessing his life and maybe dedicating his final days to doing good……..wants to take away what he has.
There is no lower you can go.
.
“The Saturday Night Massacre” was the beginning of the end for Richard Nixon. That event wasn’t different from what Trump appears to want to accomplish: firing the special prosecutor. A difference was that Eliot Richardson had appointed Archibald Cox and that appointment was integral to Richardson’s confirmation as AG. When Nixon ordered Richardson to fire Cox, Richardson declined and resigned. The job then fell to the DOJ #2 – Deputy AG – William Ruckelshaus. He also declined and resigned. On to #3 – the Solicitor General, Robert Bork who did the deed.
As Sessions recused himself, he has no authority over Mueller. So, on this matter, Rosenstein -Deputy AG – is in the #1 position. Not plausible that he would fire Mueller. If ordered to do so, he’ll decline and resign. Then it falls to the Solicitor General. Trump’s nominee has yet to be confirmed and that isn’t going to happen without total assurance that he won’t fire Mueller. In the meantime there is an Acting Solicitor General, Jeff Wall. Does he have the requisite authority? And if he does, is he a fool enough to do it?