Sen. Jeff Sessions is replacing Arlen Specter as the ranking member of the judiciary committee and this is sparking a brawl in the sphere. Ed Morrissey is pleased:
“Jeff Sessions won’t start trouble for no good reason. He’s not a bitter partisan, but a strong conservative voice who understands that elections have consequences. Sessions won’t be afraid to stand up for those principles, though, and he will not shy away from a fight if Obama selects a far-left ideologue or a hack to the bench, especially the Supreme Court. This is a definite upgrade for Republicans and conservatives in a key arena.”
Politico has a piece up about Sessions and the old fight over his nomination in the eighties.
Hogan at Redstate calls the Politico piece a cheap shot. Hogan has wanted Sessions for the post all along. Malkin notes the liberal blogs are going after Sessions.
“The race-obsessed leftists are the ones wearing the bigot blinders. They see every white Southern Republican male in public office as a de facto racist. Hey, never mind that Sen. Sessions voted to confirm Eric Holder as Attorney General (a mistake, in my opinion, but an inconvenient fact the smear merchants won’t acknowledge). This is uncontestable: Sen. Sessions is a man of integrity. If he is extreme about anything, it’s about fair-mindedness. After the Left used slimy race-card tactics to kill his bid for a federal judgeship in 1986, he has served in office for more than two decades with character and distinction. He conducts himself with the utmost civility in hearings and on the Senate floor — and his colleagues on both sides of the aisle say so. Because of his own unfair treatment during the judicial confirmation process, Sen. Sessions has made clear that he will insist on a tough but fair hearing for any nominee.”
The New Republic’s Katie Koch has a piece up linking to an old piece about Sessions. Steve Benen reminds everyone of the old accusation about Sessions:
“Thomas Figures, a former assistant U.S. Attorney in Alabama and an African American, later explained that during a 1981 murder investigation involving the Ku Klux Klan, Sessions was heard by several colleagues commenting that he “used to think they [the Klan] were OK” until he found out some of them were “pot smokers.” Sessions once again acknowledged making the remark, but once again claimed to have been kidding. Figures also remembered having heard Sessions call him “boy,” and once warn him to “be careful what you say to white folks.”"
Digby has a post up, as well.
UPDATE: Maddow on Sessions:
Jay Newton-Small in Time on Sessions
UPDATE #2: Via Matt Y, there’s a piece in the Guardian by Michael Tomasky.
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May 6, 2009 at 5:48 pm
[...] EARLIER: Fight Over The Nomination Sparks Fight Over The Nomination [...]