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On June 14 2017 05:50 Logo wrote: I like how we're supposed to believe what Comey did was "Stunning" nearly a year after he did it when these same people were not vocal about it at the time.
On June 14 2017 05:40 CorsairHero wrote: whose this lady thats asking questions right now
She sounds like a prosecutor. You can obviously tell who has a legal background
Her question was important, because Sessions seems to be leaning on the argument that working for the president prevents him from answering any question he feels the president would disapprove of. But he is leaning on some “long standing” justice department policy he can’t cite or name and has not read to back that up.
I had to leave for 2 minutes did she ask him if he talked with the President about using his executive privilege?
On June 14 2017 05:40 CorsairHero wrote: whose this lady thats asking questions right now
She sounds like a prosecutor. You can obviously tell who has a legal background
Her question was important, because Sessions seems to be leaning on the argument that working for the president prevents him from answering any question he feels the president would disapprove of. But he is leaning on some “long standing” justice department policy he can’t cite or name and has not read to back that up.
I had to leave for 2 minutes did she ask him if he talked with the President about using his executive privilege?
No the focus was on the fact that Sessions is citing this policy that he seems to know nothing about.
On June 14 2017 05:40 CorsairHero wrote: whose this lady thats asking questions right now
She sounds like a prosecutor. You can obviously tell who has a legal background
Her question was important, because Sessions seems to be leaning on the argument that working for the president prevents him from answering any question he feels the president would disapprove of. But he is leaning on some “long standing” justice department policy he can’t cite or name and has not read to back that up.
I had to leave for 2 minutes did she ask him if he talked with the President about using his executive privilege?
No, he couldn’t cite the policy and couldn’t answer if he read it or not to prepare for the hearing. His argument was that he has been in the justice department for many years and therefore they should accept the policy exists because he says it does. Or something. The man is an attorney, but apparently citation is a new thing for him. Maybe he has his staff handle that part.
On June 14 2017 05:40 CorsairHero wrote: whose this lady thats asking questions right now
She sounds like a prosecutor. You can obviously tell who has a legal background
Her question was important, because Sessions seems to be leaning on the argument that working for the president prevents him from answering any question he feels the president would disapprove of. But he is leaning on some “long standing” justice department policy he can’t cite or name and has not read to back that up.
I had to leave for 2 minutes did she ask him if he talked with the President about using his executive privilege?
No the focus was on the fact that Sessions is citing this policy that he seems to know nothing about.
Probably because the second he cites a policy it would constitute potentially (let's be real, actual) lying or misinterpretation. This way it can be all in his head and his ass can't be held to the fire
On June 14 2017 05:40 CorsairHero wrote: whose this lady thats asking questions right now
She sounds like a prosecutor. You can obviously tell who has a legal background
Her question was important, because Sessions seems to be leaning on the argument that working for the president prevents him from answering any question he feels the president would disapprove of. But he is leaning on some “long standing” justice department policy he can’t cite or name and has not read to back that up.
I had to leave for 2 minutes did she ask him if he talked with the President about using his executive privilege?
No the focus was on the fact that Sessions is citing this policy that he seems to know nothing about.
Probably because the second he cites a policy it would constitute potentially (let's be real, actual) lying or misinterpretation. This way it can be all in his head and his ass can't be held to the fire
Have no doubt that was the plan. And the excuse that rapid fire questioning makes him nervous is a bit much. He is an attorney and argued cases before judges. Apparently he was good at it. And you don’t do that by getting flustered by aggressive questioning.
On June 14 2017 05:58 FueledUpAndReadyToGo wrote: He doesn't recall much does he
That is the standard phrase you use when to avoid misstating something under oath. If there is even a chance he might get something incorrect, he will say he does not recall.
On June 14 2017 06:03 Logo wrote: I'm disappointed that no one has followed up with Sessions not knowing the policy he is abiding by.
It is a fruitless quest. Sessions isn’t going to answer anything that will get him in trouble and congresses isn’t going to hold his feet to the coals for it. He knows it. He just needs to get through this and not get in trouble.
As one reporter said “Sessions has a audience of one today”
On June 14 2017 06:03 Logo wrote: I'm disappointed that no one has followed up with Sessions not knowing the policy he is abiding by.
It is a fruitless quest. Sessions isn’t going to answer anything that will get him in trouble and congresses isn’t going to hold his feet to the coals for it. He knows it. He just needs to get through this and not get in trouble.
As one reporter said “Sessions has a audience of one today”
On June 14 2017 06:03 Logo wrote: I'm disappointed that no one has followed up with Sessions not knowing the policy he is abiding by.
It is a fruitless quest. Sessions isn’t going to answer anything that will get him in trouble and congresses isn’t going to hold his feet to the coals for it. He knows it. He just needs to get through this and not get in trouble.
As one reporter said “Sessions has a audience of one today”
At least they asked him to provide the policy in question and to discuss with the WH whether or not there were area where he could disclose discussions with Trump to help the committee. Of course he can come back saying he didnt ask but at least that's something.
On June 14 2017 06:03 Logo wrote: I'm disappointed that no one has followed up with Sessions not knowing the policy he is abiding by.
It is a fruitless quest. Sessions isn’t going to answer anything that will get him in trouble and congresses isn’t going to hold his feet to the coals for it. He knows it. He just needs to get through this and not get in trouble.
As one reporter said “Sessions has a audience of one today”
At least they asked him to provide the policy in question and to discuss with the WH whether or not there were area where he could disclose discussions with Trump to help the committee. Of course he can come back saying he didnt ask but at least that's something.
If the senators are unhappy with how he answered the questions, they can call him back. Or demand Trump detail to them which question he would invoke executive privilege for. I’m not holding my breath, but the Senate might do that. It is hard to gauge how much good will Sessions has burned through.
NPR is pulling up some choice Session quotes from when he got to ask questions. Sessions really lives up to all my expectations as a slimy southern lawyer peddling that good old boy charm.
I'm surprised people expected Sessions to give the witch hunters ammo.
I didn't get to watch, but from everything I'm seeing, Kamala Harris is everything I want from a CA senator: an ass and an idiot. She's so perfect for this state. And to think that I thought Loretta Sanchez could have been an bigger embarrassment! How foolish I was.
I still don't understand how anyone is defending Sessions refusal to answer questions related to conversations with Trump. Sessions clearly states that only the President can invoke executive privilege and that the President has not invoked executive privilege. How can you refuse to answer with no legal justification for not answering the questions? What is the point of testimony under oath if you can refuse to answer basic questions without invoking some sort of legal justification for the refusal? (5th amendment, executive privilege, etc)
That should be offensive to everyone on that committee and all Americans, D or R. I can't believe the bullshit party games that get played on both sides or the partisan hacks in the general public that let their team slide but lambaste the other. It has been and will always be a problem but it seems to have only gotten worse.
I was a registered Independent until 2016 when I registered as a Democrat so that I could vote in the Democratic primaries and I fail to see why anyone would value their party membership over having a functioning, non-corrupt government. If people are doing bad things I don't care if they're R or D, why is that so goddamn important to people?
people are tribalistic; they tend to defend the in-group from out-group no matter what. also, the people who are the loudest tend to be the more partisan ones. the reasonable folk mostly try to stay out of online discussions finally, most people don't have the knowledge or skills to tell the difference between what's truly bad for the functioning of a government and what isn't.