This week's award for consistency in public life goes to Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who was openly disdainful of a crying 12-year-old during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this week on the Uniting American Families Act, which would give equal citizenship rights to the foreign-born same-sex partners of American citizens. Sessions opposes the bill.
The committee was hearing from Shirley Tan, a Filipino woman who had fled her country after being physically attacked by a man who had killed her mother and sister. Tan and her American partner of 23 years are raising 12-year-old twin sons here, but she was almost deported in April, and has been granted only a temporary reprieve.
As Tan began to speak, one of her sons, who was seated behind her, burst into tears, and Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy stopped the hearing to inquire whether the child was alright, and whether he might not prefer to sit in a private room. But according to the New Republic, the show of emotion only annoyed Sessions, who "leaned towards one of his aides and sighed, 'Enough with the histrionics.' "
Sessions routinely enlivens the hearings he takes part in by refusing to hide his temper or temper his impatience; no one can say he's not authentic. The committee he now sits on voted down his appointment by Ronald Reagan to a federal judgeship in 1986, chiefly on allegations that he had made racially insensitive comments, including a joke that he was OK with the Klu Klux Klan before learning that some of its members smoked pot.
Sessions also gave the weekly radio address for his party this morning – and expressed concerns about President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor: "I am troubled by President Obama's use of the 'empathy standard' when selecting federal judges...I fear that this "empathy standard' is another step down the path to a cynical, relativistic, results-oriented world.'' So, enough already with the empathy? Given his reputation and record, Sessions was not the best messenger for his party on this one.
Melinda Henneberger is the editor-in-chief of PoliticsDaily.com. She spent 10 years as a reporter for the New York Times, in the paper’s Washington and Rome bureaus... more
We can now see why Sessions was voted down in 1986....
RATE THIS COMMENT: (6)
Keith
11:26AM Jun 6th 2009
Another example of GOP politics. Yet they all claim that there is no racism in the party.
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middleclass
11:32AM Jun 6th 2009
I have a 12 year old, and I have no doubt this kid was TOLD to make a fuss. Unless the kid is retarded, this was a total set-up to gain sympathy for a woman who is an "Illegal Alien."
It is also very disrespectful to allow a child to disrupt any situation such as this. It was appropriate to ask if the child should go into a room!
This is more BS Obama garbage.
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wyrdotter
11:40AM Jun 6th 2009
"I have a 12 year old, and I have no doubt this kid was TOLD to make a fuss. Unless the kid is retarded, this was a total set-up to gain sympathy for a woman who is an "Illegal Alien."
So, Middleclass, you're saying if someone told your 12 year old that you were being deported, he wouldn't cry? Seems to me that says more about you as a parent than it does about the kid in the courtroom. I'm 47 and I'd cry if someone told me half my family was being deported.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-4)
Mike McKibben
11:47AM Jun 6th 2009
I'm by no means a fan Senator Sessions, but this hearing was not the place for a crying child. These hearings are for fact gathering, and should not involve theatrics of this nature. wlhalh, if you so appose abortions...........don't have one. In the same breath, don't interfere with the right of those who seek one. It's the law.........get over it!
RATE THIS COMMENT: (4)
Redman
12:08PM Jun 6th 2009
Typical Liberal "histrionics".
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rdsbobby
12:46PM Jun 6th 2009
Agree that the democratic agenda ia pervase in this issue. I too do not agree with Sessions, but what about the likes of Kennedy spewing his trash Where is the media on the bile tha comes out of his mouth speaking against those of us that have middele to conservative ideals. I guess it is ok to spew acid out of your mouth as long as it is left.
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Mary
12:57PM Jun 6th 2009
I agree......Sessions is a dusgusting human being, and I use the term lightly. He has no business being in politics, let alone being a position where he can even come in contact with people. I find him repulsive.
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Jim
1:12PM Jun 6th 2009
Whoaa, you are as ignorant as the Senator.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (2)
nursepaula2
1:50PM Jun 6th 2009
I FEEL THAT IF YOU ARE ILLEGAL HERE IN THIS COUNTRY THEN YOU AR SIMPLY ILLEGAL. YOU SHOULD BE SENT BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY AND DEPORTED' BECAUSE YOU HAVE BROKEN THE LAW. ALSO WOMEN WHO CHOOSE TO HAVE BABIES JUST TO BECOME CITIZENS ILLEGALLY
RATE THIS COMMENT: (6)
Susquatch
11:16PM Jun 6th 2009
Remember this is a Seanotor from Alabama. Being an ahole and reactionary is a requirement for election. Richard Shelby comes to mind.
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Debby
3:33PM Jun 7th 2009
Ms.Henneberger is a true left-wing propagandist.None of those accusations are true and they areblown way out of cotext. Why don't u discuss what he actually said concerning the bill,instead of maligning his character u allinskiite,stalinist.I wish we had more congressmen with sessions' demeanor.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (2)
draperandco
10:46AM Jun 8th 2009
Sessions continues to be an embaressment not only to those of us in Alabama, but to the nation as a whole.
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Timothy
11:20AM Jun 8th 2009
Get real if the parent were worth five cents they would not have brought the child in; it put the child in an emotional situation that it should not have been in for the opportunity to play on the heart strings. If you are an illegal immigrant and you are caught you should be deported and we should not give citizen status to an illegal who crosses the border and has a child in our country period! It is the law people get over it and learn to obey it it is there for a good reason to protect our nation and it's people from terrorism and the immense bill that has been rung up treating illegals free in our health care systems, giving them welfare and free education.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (6)
Powitch
1:14PM Jun 8th 2009
Slap the brat and shut him up! A 12 year old kid should be better behaved!
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ANNETTE WILT
1:22PM Jun 8th 2009
Give me a break. This kid was 12 years old not 12 months old. A kid that age crying like a baby in public does it to get attention. When a 12 year old kid is actually emotionally hurt they leave the room where they won't embarrass themselves.
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dgrandder
4:29PM Jun 8th 2009
I am shocked this can happen In the United Socialist States of America!
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Tom
6:21AM Jun 6th 2009
Figures... another heartless Republican. Gotta love them.....being out of power, that is!
RATE THIS COMMENT: (8)
cashman7323
8:37AM Jun 6th 2009
When I was doing trial work loopy broads would regularly bring their kids to court to go for sympathy. All it ever did was annoy judges and everyone in the room. I guarantee all the Senators were just as annoyed. This was a typical liberal propaganda piece and.
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jjamie76
8:50AM Jun 6th 2009
Typically you have to bring Republicans inthis why dont you just say it is another rude and racial human being because obviously we noticed there are democrats out there that are racist the new supreme court nominee for example and I am Hispanic and neither Republican nor Democrat!!!!!