Squat and Squabble

Conflicting viewpoints on topical subjects

  • Latest Posts
  • USA Politics
  • Other Stuff
  • Pop’s Pearls of Wisdom
  • Southpaw’s Ramblings
  • About Us

Too Many Hats

March 2, 2017 by Pops Leave a Comment

“I was wearing my Senate hat at that time”

One of the pitfalls of selecting cabinet members who have a history of accomplishment during their careers is that nominees may have often found themselves performing two or more inapposite jobs at the same time.  This can be problematic when those roles required differing rules of conduct.

During the contentious confirmation hearings for Senator Jeff Sessions, who was selected to be (and now is) the Attorney General, Democrats asked the Senator if he had been involved with contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russian officials. The Senator, under oath, replied “no.” It has been revealed that he actually did speak to the Russian Ambassador last year, during the campaign, when he was a senator serving on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The issue is whether or not Sessions was acting as a senator in his official capacity, or as a campaign adviser for Trump, when he spoke with the Russian. Sessions said this morning that while he twice met with Russia’s ambassador during the presidential campaign season, he was speaking with him in his capacity as a senator, not as a campaign adviser to Donald Trump. It is a crucial distinction, the proof of which may determine the career of Mr. Sessions. The White House is vigorously defending the AG.

Predictably, Democrats are accusing Sessions of committing perjury, and are calling for him to either resign, or to be summarily executed in the public square.

This mess could probably have been avoided, or at least defused, if Session would have simply answered “Yes, I did speak with the Ambassador, but in my capacity as a senator.” But of course, he didn’t say that. It is admittedly eyebrow-raising that he seemed to have given a Clintonesque “it depends on what ‘is’, is” answer, rather than being more forthright. Further inquiry is appropriate.

The White House should support getting someone neutral (if that’s possible) to get to the bottom of this. If there is nothing there, then move on. But if there is any subterfuge, Sessions has to go.

Republicans need to wise up and figure out that the Democrats will turn over the tiniest of pebbles looking for dirt, and if there is any dirt to find, they will find it. This recurrent Russian-connection thing may be just smoke, but until Mr. Trump can prove that there isn’t a fire behind it, he can’t move forward.

Tweet

Filed Under: USA Politics

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Log In

Please log into the site.

Search

RSS Fox News

  • California Democrat Rep. Judy Chu arrested at Capitol during pro-choice protest
    Capitol police arrested Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., on Thursday along with 180 other demonstrators for crowding, obstruction or incommoding during an abortion-rights protest.
  • Biden to host virtual meeting with governors to 'protect women's reproductive health' after abortion ruling
    President Biden is meeting with governors from states that moved quickly to protect women's reproductive health after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
  • Ron DeSantis vows to appeal abortion ban ruling to state supreme court: will 'withstand all legal challenges'
    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will appeal a court ruling blocking an abortion ban that is set to go into effect on Friday at midnight.
  • FLASHBACK: Biden said it's 'dangerous' to 'delegitimize the courts' in 2017
    President Joe Biden, who harshly criticized former President Donald Trump for attacking federal courts in 2017, characterized the Supreme Court as "destabilizing" Thursday.
  • Border Patrol in Rio Grande Valley nab 2 sex offenders, 9 MS-13 gang members
    Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas have stopped multiple gang members and sex offenders attempting to enter the United States illegally.
  • Republicans, hawks fear border crisis will get worse after SCOTUS 'Remain-in-Mexico' ruling
    The Supreme Court decision ruling that the Biden administration can terminate the "Remain-in-Mexico" policy was greeted with disappointment by conservatives.
  • Nearly half of Americans say Trump should be charged for Jan. 6 Capitol attack: poll
    A new national poll suggests that 48% of Americans believe former President Trump should be charged with a crime for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol
  • Most Americans disagree with Supreme Court gun ruling, but blame mental health for mass shootings: new poll
    Polls show more Americans disagree with the Supreme Court's gun ruling, but still believe mental health is more to blame for recent mass shootings.

RSS CNN International

  • Hong Kong marks 25th handover anniversary
    • Analysis: Xi Jinping brought Hong Kong to heel. Now he's back in a city transformed • Xi leaves mainland China for first time since beginning of pandemic
  • Hong Kong marks 25th handover anniversary
  • Modi's BJP wrests back control of key Indian state ahead of 2024 election
    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party is returning to power in the country's richest state, Maharashtra, giving it a fillip ahead of the 2024 national election after an unlikely ruling alliance of parties crumbled after more than two years.
  • UCLA and USC to join Big Ten conference, shaking up the college sports landscape
    In a seismic shift to the collegiate sports landscape, the two Southern California powerhouse universities -- UCLA and USC -- said Thursday they are leaving the Pac-12 Conference for the Big Ten Conference at the start of the 2024-25 season.
  • QAnon returns and targets Cassidy Hutchinson in new post
    In a new post, online conspiracy theorist QAnon targets former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan explains what it means now that the account is back active.
  • Florida judge allows lawsuit filed by Gabby Petito's parents against Brian Laundrie's parents to proceed
    A Florida circuit court judge has ruled a lawsuit filed by Gabby Petito's parents against Brian Laundrie's parents can move forward.
  • It's been 130 days since WNBA star Brittney Griner was detained in Russia and her trial is about to start. Her wife wants US officials to do more to bring her home
    Cherelle Griner, the wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner, told CNN on Thursday she wants US officials to do whatever they have to do to bring the basketball legend home -- and she needs to see them do more.
  • After 43 days on run, woman accused of killing elite cyclist captured in Costa Rica
    The woman suspected of fatally shooting elite cyclist Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson in Texas has been captured in Costa Rica, the US Marshals Office said Thursday.

Archives

  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017

Copyright © 2022 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in