If the GOP takes the Senate in November, Jeff Sessions for Majority Leader
Hear, hear!
Sessions actually seems to know something about political tactics and strategy (and what commenter “eric” would call “the activist game”). Which is more than I can say for most of the GOP.
And although I’m not all that familiar with Sessions, so far I’ve very much liked what he has to say about the illegal immigration/alien crisis.
Sessions did something rather extraordinary yesterday. He helped to unite the warring Republicans behind a bill that actually seemed reasonable, and he did it in record time. But perhaps more importantly, he suggested the beginning of an approach to try to circumvent the fact that the bill is destined to die in the Senate at the hands of Harry Reid and his Democrats.
Here’s how the first trick was managed, although we don’t get many details:
“I applaud the hard work of House Republicans in putting together this package, and in particular would like to recognize the steadfast and unflinching efforts from members of our Alabama delegation,” Sessions said in a statement provided exclusively to Breitbart News. “The border bill has been substantially improved, and provides a marked contrast to the Senate Democrat bill””defeated on a bipartisan basis””that only perpetuated the crisis.”
Sessions’s praise comes after much turmoil in the House of Representatives over the past few weeks as Speaker John Boehner tried but failed to pass a supplemental appropriations bill on the border crisis that critics said didn’t address the root cause of the border crisis: President Barack Obama’s prior and planned executive amnesties. The House leadership pulled a bill late Thursday that critics like Sessions and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), as well as a core group of House conservatives, excoriated after Boehner and his new leadership team couldn’t get the votes to pass it. Afterwards, Boehner worked with members like Rep. Steve King (R-IA) and Michele Bachmann (R-MN) to improve the bill””fixing its flaws and focusing the package on stopping Obama’s planned executive amnesty. Then the House GOP conference coalesced around the new bill package and passed them both.
You might say: so what? After all, Harry Reid will sit on the bill and never let his precious Democrats vote on it. So why did the House Republicans bother to pass it, except to be able to say they tried?
The difference between this House bill and many others that have met the fate of dying in the Senate is that this particular issue has grabbed the attention of the American people as almost no other recent event has, and the Republican position on it is enormously popular whereas the Democrat position is hugely unpopular. So this is the sort of bill that has at least a chance of making people sit up and take notice, if the Republicans can only get the word out.
That’s why I was impressed with this from Sessions. He’s got the right idea:
“Now that the House has passed this measure to block the President’s unlawful actions, we will demand that every Senate Democrat be held to account,” Sessions said. “We will fight, and keep fighting, for its passage. I appeal tonight to all Americans: ask your Senator where they stand on President Obama’s executive amnesty. Ask them where they stand on protecting unemployed citizens from a plan which will give work permits and jobs to millions of illegal workers.”
Sessions concluded by highlighting the significance of the decision ahead for U.S. senators from both parties. “Senators face a time for choosing: to be complicit in the nullification of our laws, or to end this lawlessness and create an immigration policy we can be proud of,” Sessions said. “Mr. Reid: you and every single member of your conference will face this choice. On the defining issue of our nation’s laws and sovereignty, there is nowhere to hide.”
I don’t know whether Sessions, and/or the GOP, and/or the right, can execute this plan. To succeed, it needs ordinary people to get fired up to make a stink about it to their Democratic representatives (and RINO Republicans who previously supported amnesty). Also, they need to talk to their neighbors and alert them that the Democrats were not looking out for the interests of the people or their wishes. That’s what happened regarding Obamacare in 2010—but not enough people, not nearly enough. The effort needs to be organized and it needs to be relentless. The importance of this fight cannot be overestimated—this is a battle that must be won.
It is truly refreshing to see a Republican such as Sessions willing to speak coherently and with passion, and to show actual leadership and the ability to organize, convince, and rouse. The GOP “leaders” often seem to have no concept of what the word “lead” means, and seem unaware of the idea that they must publicize what they’ve done and drive home what the Democrats have done that hurts people.
This time, Republicans have not abdicated the responsibility to deal with the crisis, and Democrats have taken a line on immigration that benefits almost no one except the illegal immigrants themselves and their families: not the poor, not blacks, not Asians, not the middle class, and not even the Hispanic immigrants who are already here legally. That shouldn’t be so difficult a point to drive home to the American people.
[NOTE: And this “fire Harry Reid” campaign is another good idea, although it doesn’t seem to have gotten much traction. The emphasis needs to be on the fact that Republicans have passed a lot of bills in the House that Reid has blocked in the Senate.
None of this has a chance of changing the minds of any liberals or the left, of course. But those Independent LIVs are low-hanging fruit.]
There’s something funny about a nation that calls itself a democracy (and the rest calls it a republic), that only gets things done if a few people in office want it to get done. A few people like Reid or Clinton or Hussein, is able to walk through the halls of DC as if the rest of Congress is frozen. And all those who they represent, might as well not exist. They only get a share of the loot, if that.
It is as if in the halls of Congress, people are supposed to be playing chess against each other, but when a wizard utters the magick word, everyone on one side freezes and their turn automatically is reaped by one person alone.
For example, only a few people knew what the IRS was doing. Only a few people knew what Fast and Furious were about, yet it affected everyone as well as foreign nationals. The Gang of Eight, in the Senate intelligence committee knew about Benghazi before Sep 11. What about the rest of the country? What about the rest of the nation’s representatives in Congress? They might as well not exist. Congressional oversight? How do you have 8 people overseeing the Executive Branch?
That might as well be the Council of 9 then, an oligarchy not a democracy.
I’m in full agreement with everything you’ve said here and hold Sen. Sessions in equally high regard. He’s not just jumping on a conservative band wagon either, he’s consistently held rational conservative positions, such as: Democrats Skip Senate Budget Meeting
29 April 2013: “Sessions: Immigration Bill Gives Amnestied Residents ‘Immediate’ Access to Welfare”
21 June 2013: “Sessions: Border Security Amendment Would Not Hire Agents Until 2017”
25 November 2013: “Sen. Sessions slams Obama, CEOs on immigration”
10 January 2014: “Sessions: ‘For Every One Job Added, Nearly 5 People Left the Workforce'”
27 Feb 2014: “Jeff Sessions: Tea Party Is ‘Right on Every Issue'”
All this said, IMO it’s highly unlikely that if the GOP takes the Senate in November, Jeff Sessions will be chosen as the Majority Leader. He’s ‘a voice crying in the wilderness’ of the GOP, whose leadership sees him as a disloyal troublemaker. Any champion of the Tea Party is anathema to that GOP leadership.
I can’t fully agree Ymarsaker. Neither Reid, Clinton or Hussein are ‘in charge’ in that manner. They are not an American version of the ‘politburo’, at least not yet.
They are the leadership and are supported by the Congressional ‘troops’ as long as they are perceived to be working toward the fulfillment of the Left’s agenda. Nor can the Congressional troops remain if the American public does not support them. And as long as enough do, they need not fear the consequences that Sessions is alluding to…
As for Iraq, the Sunni Jihadist Caliphate may well be in its earliest stage of emergence. It will be a nuclear armed Caliphate ruled by truly brutal and barbaric religious fanatics. What could go wrong?
Oops! Wrong thread! “What a stupid I am!”
This triumph in the House was due in no small part to citizens like me who took the time to call their representatives in Congress. The focal point was Numbers USA.
https://www.numbersusa.com/
Here’s what they said last night in an e-mail I received:
“NumbersUSA is proud of the tidal wave of actions that emerged from the 3 million U.S. citizens who are part of our email and Facebook networks. Combined with the actions of citizens moved by many other organizations and radio and internet sources, these citizens blocked the House Republican leaders’ attempt to pass immigration funding that ignored Pres. Obama’s amnesty actions and threats.
Grassroots Americans were largely responsible for 435 Members of the House of Representatives having to cancel their flights home yesterday afternoon to begin their August recess.”
Get involved! Go to Numbers USA. Follow their lead. Contact your Congress critters. Some may say it doesn’t work. It did this time.
Agree 100%.
“He’s ‘a voice crying in the wilderness’ of the GOP…Any champion of the Tea Party is anathema to that GOP leadership.” -Ymarsakar
Sadly so.
“Some may say it doesn’t work. It did this time.”
I’m one of those who don’t bother with this at all. I would if I thought that my voicing an opinion would make the time worth the effort. If I lived in a state where the reps/senators had even a slight bit of a more centrist outlook, I would be contacting them on a regular basis. Living in Connecticut, it’s a supreme waste of time and bandwidth.
Not only is Sessions a clever, old type of Southern lawyer (in the very best sense), he has been speaking up for the American people, that is, native born Americans, whereas the Beltway Elite, the Rinos, the Neocons and of course the lib/progressives, are OBSESSED with the foreign born, i.e., immigrants and open borders.
Why? What does mass immigration do for the American people? Actually, very, very little good and its costs a great deal in terms of the expanded welfare state, which includes the now newly classified “minorities” of foreign born.
Go Jeff Sessions, go!
” …the Beltway Elite, the Rinos, the Neocons and of course the lib/progressives, are OBSESSED with the foreign born, i.e., immigrants and open borders.
Why?…”
There are many differing reasons why this group or that group favors open immigration, each having their own agenda, but one thing that is the draw for and unites those who favor it for economic reasons is the resulting lowering of the average age of the US’s population. This is the result of all illegal immigration, not just this recent massing of Central American youth at the Mexican border.
It is good to see the Republicans put forth a principled policy proposal that is both reasonable and clear enough for any voter to understand. That John Boehner has been unable or unwilling to pursue strategy like this is disgusting.
Dear John, It’s not that hard. If you don’t get a backbone, you deserve the primary treatment Eric Cantor got. And the cocktail parties back in Cincinnati are going to be a lot less glamorous than the B-list affairs in Washington that you will be relegated to for acting like a republican Republican.
GSR: The Business Roundtable types want people that will work in a chicken rendering plant for $8/hr instead of $14. The left wants more serfs for their liberal plantation. (Maybe we should update that term to “progressive plantation.”) I think they are all worried about feeding the pyramid scheme that is the welfare state.
Agree with most of the above, unfortunately Sen Sessions has already announced that he is not running again when his term ends (2016 I believe).
Neo: “what commenter “eric” would call “the activist game””
Right. Activism works essentially because activism is sociology weaponized. The Right desperately needs community organizers.
The prescription is found in how-to’s like http://doingdemocracy.com/ and accomplished Right activists like Steve Beren, David Horowitz, maybe Danusha Goska. Most of all, what’s needed is the people of the Right collectively, together, becoming activist and organizing around genuine activist leaders. All-in competitors undertaking a full-on, norm-setting, society-transformational movement.
GOP v Dems is a fair fight, but that’s not how the game is played anymore. Limiting one’s political frame to the confines of electoral politics is obsolete.
The people of the Right cannot look to the GOP to save the day when the Democrats and Left activists are working together as a team. The GOP is outclassed. Against that proven tag team, the GOP is hard pressed just to save themselves in the game, let alone compete effectively as champions for the people.
The GOP cannot take on the Democrats and the Left without the help of its own independent tag team partner that’s equal or superior activists to the Left activists.
Note: More than just working ad hoc on a candidate’s election campaign or within the lines of the GOP party. But an independent Right competing fully with the independent Left and, more, pursuing social norm-setting dominance.
If you choose to be tolerant and permissive of the Left per idealized American heritage, that’s fine. But make sure you do so from, first and foremost, a secure and stable position of social cultural/political dominance. Win the game and then be charitable.
Rather than the GOP saving you, it’s much more likely the GOP, including admirable hard chargers like Senator Sessions, needs to be carried by the people of the Right – properly activated, organized, and led by Right activists to counter the Left on the full spectrum of social cultural/political competition.
Of course a GOP that constantly depends on the Right to win the activist game will be a GOP that is constantly beholden to the Right, the same way that the Dems are beholden to the Left. In other words, effective Right activists is how the people of the Right can check and hold the GOP to account.
The GOP will make that transaction with the Right, no less than the Dems have with the Left, in order to win the game. But the Right must be effective in the activist game to hold up their end of the deal of the tag team partnership.
Proselytizing, ever spreading at grassroots, street corner, water cooler, campus (the area I recommend as the best bang for the buck), media, academia, education, law, all areas of pop culture – the narrative contest, the norm and stigma of the zeitgeist – all the social nodes that determine the general will of We The People.
The Right can win the activist game. Anyone can. The activist game is not the Left’s game. It only looks that way because the Right has thus far forfeited. But it’s actually anyone’s game to compete for any cause. Anyway, there’s no choice because it’s the only social political game there is.
When I was a little voice and small in number
I was told it was no use and not to bother
but I did anyway and little by little
The less joined by many to a fire kindle
Mike: “unfortunately Sen Sessions has already announced that he is not running again when his term ends (2016 I believe).”
Not a deal breaker. Elected officeholders aren’t the center of gravity, anyway. The missing piece isn’t Republican leadership. The missing piece is Right activists.
If the people of the Right become effective in the activist game, then the GOP, thus empowered to compete with the Dems-Left tag team, will do their part.
“He’s ‘a voice crying in the wilderness’ of the GOP…Any champion of the Tea Party is anathema to that GOP leadership.” -Ymarsakar
Btw, that’s a misquote. It’s by GB, not me. I don’t disagree with the general sentiment, but it depends on which GOP person we’re talking about.
I’m very familiar with Jeff Sessions. As a member of Numbersusa.org and having fought the constant tries for amnesty – I’ve watched Jeff rally to the American worker over and over again. I’ve called his office often to thank him and urge him to run for President! Why cAnt we ever get a solid American whose loyalty is to the country? So tired of those more interested in their own self serving actions. Yes I would love to see him run but I’ve heard he has often said he would not. That’s a shame- so the other option will have to do!
Heck with majority leader—Jeff Sessions must run for President. He seems to be the sole voice in the Republican party for sane, and winning, strategies.
Sessions was re-elected in 2008, so his current term expires Jan 2015. He was born in 1946. His website says nothing about not running again.
His full name is Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III. Don’t you just love that?
His full name is Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III. Don’t you just love that?
I do love it! So southern.
More like blue blood aristos
Completely agree. Someone gets it and is fighting back.
What kind of crap was Boehner trying to vote on, anyway? If there’s no chance of it passing, why not go bold? Why not create a wedge?
How long have dems been slamming the Republicans as the do-nothing congress, and where’s the Republican response? Who’s holding Reid accountable?
Among his other qualities, Sessions is crafty. The following is from the PowerLine blog that night:
” There was high drama on the Senate floor this evening.
* * *
” Harry Reid filled the amendment tree on the supplemental, meaning no amendments can get votes.
* * *
“Sessions’ motion to table failed by a vote of 43 yeas and 52 nays, with all Republicans supporting Sen. Sessions.
“This was Sessions’ effort to block Obama from issuing an unconstitutional amnesty to 5 to 6 million illegal immigrants, as he has promised activists he will do.
* * *
“Sessions lost the vote to hear the Cruz amendment, as the Democrats want to preserve the option of lawlessness. But he wasn’t done:
” Just now, Sessions raised a budget point of order against the Senate supplemental.
” The point of order was based on the fact that the $2.7 billion was entirely borrowed money. There were no offsetting spending cuts or tax increases, as required by current pay-as-you-go laws.
” It required 60 votes to waive that point of order. After failing to table the filled amendment tree, Sessions raised the point of order. Appropriations Committee Chair Mikulski, author of the legislation, moved to waive all points of order on the bill. Dems failed to waive the point of order, by a vote of 50 yeas and 44 nays, with Manchin again voting with Republicans.
“So the Senate immigration supplemental appropriations bill is dead.‘
Gee, I wish I’d been in the Senate gallery to see that!
Sessions was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama in the 1980’s. Ronald Reagan nominated him for a federal judgeship in 1986, but ultimately his nomination was withdrawn after an imbroglio over allegations of his making racist and “insensitive” comments to his colleagues. The Senate Judiciary Committee (controlled by the GOP at the time) voted not to recommend his confirmation to the full Senate, 10-8 (with RINOs Charles Mathias and Arlen Specter voting with the Democrats).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Sessions#Failed_nomination_to_the_district_court
What’s the point? This was 28 years ago and Sessions has had an honorable Senate career and appears very well respected. Indeed, Specter later acknowledged his was wrong to vote against Sessions’ confirmation.
All that being said, you can bet dollars to donuts if Sessions became majority leader, this ancient morass would be dredged up and repeated ad nauseam by the leftist, loudmouth, race-baiting echo chamber that permeates much of the MSM. All too easy and exploitable of a distraction and a way to further alienate minority voters (particularly African Americans) from the GOP (if further alienation is possible).
I am not trying to denigrate Sessions here. I join in applauding his recent work on the illegal immigration crisis. From what I do know of him (admittedly, not a great deal), he appears to be a very principled conservative, yet politically savvy; able to perhaps build a bridge between the “establishment” and the Tea Party. Moreover, I am sure the accusations against him almost three decades ago were blown well out of proportion, even though he did (by his own admission) make some inappropriate comments.
The point is simply that Sessions’ background does not make him the best option for the leadership of the Senate. As many of you know, I strongly believing the GOP desperately needs to work on its reach out to African American voters (and Latinos to a lesser extent). Placing a man whose background can be exploited (however absurdly) as emblematic of the Old South in a highly visible leadership position, is likely to hinder that effort greatly. His Old Southern name only reinforces that imagery.
To preemptively respond to the objection: “We shouldn’t be cowed or defined by our opponents!”, I agree. But practicality plays a role, too. If McConnell is challenged for the leadership (or if, ironically, he loses his seat as the GOP takes the Senate), I would favor Ted Cruz, even if he is still a first termer. Sessions can, and should, play an important role (Chairing Judiciary is highly important and influential). But majority leader? I wince at the thought.
Heck with the Senate, Jeff Sessions must run for President, he’s the only Republican with real integrity and the courage to say what’s right and WINNABLE. The GOP establishment is hopelessly wedded to and fearful of the lamestream media.
If the problem is the Left and their lackeys in the MsewerM…. why not just get rid of them?
Ackler says he is not trying to denigrate Sessions, and proceeds to do exactly that, including even his “Old Southern” name.
Interesting, BTW, the word “denigrate” survives and is used by the PC crowd which would have a stroke at “nigger”.
Cyrano de Bergerac (Jose Ferrer) was just on. So many jewels: if you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor.
Here’s his famous “No, thank you!” speech: one particularly apropos for all contrarians and apostates:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/oe9kvua
I’m very fond of Senator Sessions, as well. I’m also somewhat morbidly fascinated by conservative hostility to Mitch. Last time I checked he had as strong and consistent of a conservative record in the senate as anyone currently there. He’s also—while in deepest alpha sleep—far smarter than the entire Democrat aisle combined. Multiplied by 10.