The long, controversial path of Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III from senator to United States attorney general will forever be overshadowed by the words of civil rights icon Coretta Scott King, words Senate Majority Mitch McConnell tried to silence. These words:
I write to express my sincere opposition to the confirmation of Jefferson B. Sessions as a federal district court judge for the Southern District of Alabama. My professional and personal roots in Alabama are deep and lasting. Anyone who has used the power of his office as United States Attorney to intimidate and chill the free exercise of the ballot by citizens should not be elevated to our courts. Mr. Sessions has used the awesome powers of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters. For this reprehensible conduct, he should not be rewarded with a federal judgeship.
Actually, that's not precisely true. When Sen. Elizabeth Warren attempted to read that statement, she was censured, told to shut up and sit down and barred from speaking about Sessions' nomination again. But when a handful of white guys did the same thing and read those words on the floor, not a peep from McConnell or any other Republican. That, says New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, is a problem. "Silencing Sen. Warren under the guise of following Senate rules is hypocritical, and rightfully leads some to question whether the Majority Leader may have a different standard of expected conduct for female senators compared to their male counterparts."
Warren, of course, got her revenge. More than 8.8 million people have seen her read the Scott King letter on Facebook. And Mitch McConnell unwittingly, stupidly, disastrously gave the left its new rallying cry: "She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted."
Sessions is going to be the next attorney general. But the price Senate Republicans have paid to get him there is massive.