Cory Booker Testifies Against Senate Colleague Jeff Sessions, Calls It a Matter of Conscience
Senator Cory Booker today got a lot of attention for testifying against Senate colleague and Trump AG nominee Jeff Sessions in what he called a matter of conscience but what more cynical observers felt was his kickoff to a 2020 presidential run.
Booker acknowledged at the outset today just how extraordinary his testimony is (more on that here), but said, “In the choice between standing with Senate norms or standing up for what my conscience tells me is best for our country, I will always choose conscience and country.”
Leading up to his testimony today, there were reports highlighting Booker’s praise of Sessions last year when the two senators came together to award the congressional gold medal to Selma marchers. He said at the time he felt “blessed and honored” working with Sessions on it.
Booker acknowledged this in his remarks today, but he maintained that he believes his colleague has shown “hostility” towards certain aspects of criminal justice that he believes are important for the U.S. attorney general to hold.
He said Sessions would not be a leader in tackling racial bias in police departments across the country at a time when America needs more “hope and healing.”
One of the biggest reactions to Booker’s speech circulating on Twitter was that he was using it to raise his national profile for a presidential run:
Cory Booker kicks off 2020 moves with testimony against Sessions: https://t.co/DkOoXeak8n pic.twitter.com/4tz391SjCy
— The Hill (@thehill) January 11, 2017
Corrie Booker finishes Sessions testimony by handing out Booker2020 bumper stickers
— Jazz Shaw (@JazzShaw) January 11, 2017
It was courteous of Cory Booker to begin and end his 2020 presidential campaign on the same day.
— Ian Tuttle (@iptuttle) January 11, 2017
The "make America just again" theme Booker laid out in his testimony against Sessions will be a good animating theme for his 2020 campaign.
— Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) January 11, 2017
Cory Booker begins his Booker for President 2020 campaign today. #SessionsHearing
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) January 11, 2017
Ever shorter Cory Booker: #Booker2020. https://t.co/q1BcMn1zMa
— David French (@DavidAFrench) January 11, 2017
Sen. Booker just declared he's running in 2020 by smearing Sen. Sessions. Stay classy, liberals.
— Brent Bozell (@BrentBozell) January 11, 2017
And one of Booker and Sessions’ Senate colleagues weighed in with this:
.@CoryBooker attacks on Jeff Sessions are so far-fetched I half-expected his make-believe friend T-Bone to be next witness.
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 11, 2017
(Senator Cotton is referring to this controversy Booker got into a few years ago.)
Watch above, via CNN.
[image via screengrab]
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