Medical marijuana advocates up in arms over Jeff Sessions
The head of a medical marijuana advocacy group is criticizing President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Jeff Sessions for U.S. Attorney General. Steph Sherer, executive director of Americans for Safe Access, said in an email Friday that the Republican Sessions “has criticized the morality of cannabis users and has stated that cannabis is more harmful than alcohol.” Sessions, a former federal prosecutor, once “rebutted (President) Obama’s observation that marijuana is safer than alcohol by citing a renowned expert on substance abuse: ‘Lady Gaga says she’s addicted to it and it is not harmless,’” according to Forbes. On the other hand, Sherer said, Trump “repeatedly said he supports medical cannabis and that he believes states should be able to set their own policies in this area.” The president-elect “needs to reassure the more than 300 million Americans living under some sort of medical cannabis law that his attorney general will honor his campaign pledge to respect state medical cannabis programs,” Sherer said. “Plain and simple, medical cannabis is a critical therapy used by millions of patients to alleviate symptoms of epilepsy, chemotherapy, HIV/AIDS, chronic pain, and more,” she added. Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have decriminalized medical marijuana under state law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. A ballot initiative giving Floridians a state constitutional right to medical pot passed earlier this month with 71 percent of the vote. But marijuana is still outlawed by the federal government. The Obama administration has given states a pass, saying federal prosecutors should not charge those — particularly “the seriously ill and their caregivers” — who distribute and use medical marijuana under a state law.
Martha Roby: Jeff Sessions is the right pick for Attorney General
Alabama got the news many were anxiously anticipating late last week when President-elect Donald Trump announced he would nominate our own Senator Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General of the United States. There is no one more capable and qualified to serve our country as Attorney General than Senator Jeff Sessions. While he is mostly known for his conservative record in the Senate, Senator Sessions also brings significant prosecutorial experience to the job. He served as a United States Attorney in the Southern District of Alabama for 12 years and was Attorney General of Alabama before being elected to the Senate. President-elect Trump has selected a leader with remarkable depth of knowledge and experience who cares deeply about Americans and will fight for what’s right. I’m very proud for Senator Sessions on this achievement. He’s been a kind mentor to me, and I have valued his guidance and leadership over my six years in Congress. Senator Sessions has been a dedicated fighter for the conservative cause for many years now, and no one deserves this honor more. I do hate that we will lose him in the Legislative Branch, but I’m confident that this new role will enhance his ability to change our nation’s course for the better. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, critics started attacking Senator Sessions’ record and character even before his nomination was confirmed. These attacks are unfair and without merit. It’s really a shame that anyone would attempt to tarnish the name of such a good man. We’ve seen these attacks before. Washington liberals kept Senator Sessions from an appointment to the federal bench during the Reagan Administration using these same tactics. I’m reminded of former Senator Arlen Spector who said that in all his years of service the vote he regretted most was the one he cast not to confirm Jeff Sessions for the bench. He said that because he came to know Jeff Sessions and understand his character. I’m also reminded of how Senator Sessions made it a point to be in Selma for the 50th Anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” joining arms with Rep. John Lewis and other leaders to cross the Edmund-Pettus Bridge. That was an important day for Alabama, and he knew how meaningful his presence and participation were. I doubt many of his critics know him or have even met him. I do know Jeff Sessions, and I know him to be a man of the highest character and integrity. He probably has a better understanding of the rule of law than anyone in elected office. He’s going to make a tremendous Attorney General, and I believe that in time his critics will be proven wrong. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband Riley and their two children.
Jeff Sessions replacement — who will Robert Bentley choose?
Pending acceptance of the position and a Senate confirmation hearing, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions is poised become the United States’ next Attorney General in President-Elect Donald Trump‘s administration. Should that happen, Sessions will leave behind a coveted U.S. Senate seat in the Yellowhammer State. According to Alabama law Gov. Robert Bentley would be tasked with appointing his replacement in the short term and setting a date for a statewide election to fill the vacant Senate seat. Already, names of potential replacements are being thrown around. From Alabama U.S. Rep. Martha Roby and Robert Aderholt, to Ala. Attorney General Luther Strange, to state senators Trip Pittman, Dick Brewbaker and Cam Ward. For a state as red as Alabama, there’s no shortage of conservative names for the Governor to choose from. Leaving only one question — who will he actually select? Bentley gave some insight into what criteria he’s using to make his decision in a Friday-morning statement following Sessions’ job offer. “[Sessions] has served our state and our people with dignity and has been a bright example for conservative values,” said Bentley. “I will choose an appointee who shares those values and will work to further the agenda of President-elect Trump, all while keeping Alabama first in his or her mind. This person must uphold the Constitution, value the rights of the Second Amendment, the rights of the states, support pro-life issues, implement a strong national security policy, and support domestic job creation.” Tell us, who would you like to see Bentley choose? Loading…
Donald Trump taps conservative Kansas congressman for CIA
Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump‘s pick to be director of the CIA, is a hard-line Republican congressman who shares the president-elect’s pugnacious worldview and, like Trump, spent years as a businessman before becoming a politician. Pompeo has heavily criticized the landmark Iran nuclear deal, blasted Hillary Clinton over the attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Libya and her use of a private email server, and believes Edward Snowden is a traitor who deserves a death sentence. He also supports restoring the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of telephone metadata, a contentious terror-fighting tool Congress eliminated after Snowden’s revelations. Before taking over the spy agency, the Kansas lawmaker has to be confirmed by the GOP-led Senate. One issue that could dominate the confirmation hearing is Pompeo’s view on using harsh interrogation techniques on detainees. Trump has backed these techniques, saying, “We should go tougher than waterboarding,” which simulates drowning. During the campaign, Trump suggested that he would push to change laws that prohibit waterboarding and other harsh techniques. He said that banning those methods puts the U.S. at a strategic disadvantage against Islamic State militants. Pompeo two years ago rejected accusations that U.S. intelligence and military personnel were “torturers” for harshly interrogating terror suspects captured after 9/11. “These men and women are not torturers, they are patriots,” Pompeo said in 2014 after the Senate released its report on the enhanced interrogation techniques used by the CIA. In a statement Friday, Pompeo said he was “honored and humbled” to accept Trump’s nomination. He called the decision to leave Congress difficult but said the “opportunity to lead the world’s finest intelligence warriors” is a call to service that he could not ignore.” Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, who will be the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence committee beginning in January, said in a statement that he would vigorously oversee the CIA to ensure it adheres “to America’s principles and international obligations.” Michael Hayden, former director of the CIA and the National Security Agency, said Friday he was “heartened” by Trump’s decision to pick Pompeo, calling him a “serious man.” Pompeo, 52, was elected to Congress during the tea party wave of 2010. He served on the House Select Benghazi Committee to probe the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. The panel’s final report this summer sharply criticized the Obama administration for a series of mistakes but produced no new evidence pointing to wrongdoing by Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time. Pompeo and fellow Republican Jim Jordan of Ohio, however, issued a separate report slamming Clinton and the administration. Pompeo called the former first lady and senator “morally reprehensible.” He also has been a fierce critic of the nuclear deal with Iran that President Barack Obama has championed. The accord granted Tehran sanctions relief for rolling back its nuclear weapons program. Pompeo has said Muslim leaders are “potentially complicit” in terrorist attacks if they do not denounce violence carried out in the name of Islam. “They must cite the Quran as evidence that the murder of innocents is not permitted,” he said in a 2013 House floor speech. A member of the House intelligence committee, Pompeo denounced Snowden, a former NSA contractor who stole and leaked highly classified documents to journalists, revealing the agency’s program for gathering the phone records of millions of Americans. During an appearance on C-SPAN in February, Pompeo said Snowden should receive the death penalty for his actions. “He should be brought back from Russia and given due process and I think the proper outcome would be that he would be given a death sentence,” Pompeo said. Snowden, who spoke Friday from Moscow via a video link during an event of the Norwegian chapter of PEN in Oslo, Norway, criticized Pompeo’s selection to lead the spy agency. “In my country, the new CIA director believes dissidents should be put to death,” Snowden said. Pompeo also has fought against Obama’s attempts to close the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and opposed moving prisoners to the U.S., including Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. He has maintained the detainees at Guantánamo are well taken care of and in May 2013 downplayed the extent of a hunger strike by prisoners. Pompeo, appearing on MSNBC, said it looked to him like they had put on weight. Pompeo was born in Orange, California, and lives in Wichita, Kansas. He enrolled as a teenager at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and graduated first in his class in 1986. According to biographical information on his House website, Pompeo served as a “cavalry officer patrolling the Iron Curtain before the fall of the Berlin Wall.” He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and was editor of the Harvard Law Review. After college, he set up Thayer Aerospace and was its chief executive officer for more than 10 years. Later he was president of Sentry International, a company that sold equipment for oil fields and manufacturing. Republished with permission of The Associated Press
Head of NATO talks to Donald Trump
The Latest on President-elect Donald Trump‘s transition activities (all times EST): 2:15 p.m. — NATO says its secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg spoke with President-elect Donald Trump for the first time to congratulate the businessman on his election victory. The military alliance says both leaders agreed during a telephone call on Friday that progress has been made on making sure member countries are sharing the defense burden, but that there is more to do. NATO became a debated part of the presidential election after Trump suggested that the U.S. might abandon its NATO treaty commitments and pull out of the alliance if other countries don’t contribute more. The alliance statement says Stoltenberg looks forward to welcoming Trump to Brussels for next year’s NATO summit. 1:20 p.m. — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says last week’s election could be called “the revenge of flyover country.” In his speech at the conservative Federalist Society Friday, the Republican senator said the “utter astonishment” of Democrats is a result of not listening to the American people. He said voices were crying, “leave us alone.” Cruz lost the GOP primary to President-elect Donald Trump, and didn’t endorse him until late in the race. Without mentioning Trump by name, Cruz said Republicans should move forward by being honest and trustworthy and remembering they serve a cause greater than themselves. When asked if he might be a candidate for the Supreme Court’s open seat, Cruz said “history is long and can take unexpected paths,” but he looks forward to continuing his time in the Senate. 12:40 p.m. — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says Donald Trump won election as president by running against both political parties. Haley is telling conservative lawyers who are meeting in Washington Friday that Trump’s victory offers Republicans a chance to regain the public’s trust, but only if the party restrains spending and returns power to the states. Haley says voters rejected “the political class of all stripes, Republicans included.” She says now Republican control of the White House and Congress offers the party a rare opportunity, and that it’s important that Trump and Republican leaders in Congress take action quickly and “we don’t stop.” Haley acknowledges that she was not Trump’s “biggest cheerleader.” But she said she voted for him and was thrilled that he won. 12:30 p.m. — Among the people meeting with the president-elect this weekend: the man who marshalled more outside money than anyone else to help Donald Trump win the White House. Todd Ricketts, a co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, helped raise at least $66 million for outside groups called Future 45 and the 45 Committee – a nod the incoming 45th president. Ricketts is emblematic of what a topsy-turvy election it has been. Before helping Trump, Ricketts was part of a super PAC that spent more than any other trying to stop him from winning the Republican nomination. Ricketts lives in Chicago and is a small business owner and board member of TD Ameritrade, which his billionaire father founded. Trump’s team is turning its attention to economic positions in the administration, including the Department of Commerce. 11:55 a.m. — Donald Trump is stoking speculation about his future cabinet picks as he continues holding meetings behind closed doors. Trump aides say the president-elect will be meeting Saturday with retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis. Mattis is a potential contender to serve as Trump’s defense secretary. Trump is also meeting with Michelle Rhee and Betsy DeVos, two well-known education activists. Trump aides have cautioned that not everyone meeting with the president-elect is under consideration for an administration position. They say Trump is meeting with experts to hear their thoughts and advice. Also expected to sit down with Trump on Saturday are 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts, anti-poverty advocate Bob Woodson, and restaurant executive Andy Puzder. 11:20 a.m. — A Democratic House member says attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions is the right pick “if you have nostalgia for the days when blacks kept quiet, gays were in the closet, immigrants were invisible and women stayed in the kitchen.” Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., says no senator has fought harder “against the hopes and aspirations” of Latinos, immigrants and people of color. Gutierrez is a member of the House Judiciary Committee. While the Senate, not the House, will decide if Sessions should be confirmed, the comments by Gutierrez suggest the process will likely be contentious. Sen. Sessions, R-Ala., is one of the more conservative members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and has said the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division should not be used as a “sword” to promote political agendas. The Senate denied him a federal judgeship in 1986 after he was accused of making racially charged remarks while U.S. attorney in Alabama. 10:50 a.m. — Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley says he is confident his panel would approve the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions as attorney general. Sessions would still face a vote by the full Senate, but a committee endorsement would be a critical first step. Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, says Sessions is a respected colleague who “has worked across the aisle on major legislation.” Grassley added that as a former U.S. attorney, Sessions has the right background. 10:40 a.m. — Mike Pompeo, a conservative Republican congressman from Kansas, says he accepts President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to nominate him to lead the CIA. In a statement on Friday, he said that while he has loved representing Kansans in Congress, the opportunity to lead a top U.S. intelligence agency is a call to service he can’t ignore. Pompeo still must be confirmed by the Senate. The 52-year-old was elected to Congress during the tea party wave of 2010. Pompeo has been a harsh critic of the Obama administration. He denounced the Iran deal, which granted Tehran sanctions relief for rolling back its nuclear weapons program, and was a member of the congressional committee that blasted Hillary Clinton over the attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Libya.
Robert Bentley confirms Rebekah Mason not returning to his administration
The Robert Bentley administration has “no plans” to re-hire former top aide Rebekah Caldwell Mason. Bentley spokeswoman Yasamie August made the clarification Thursday following a question from a reporter as to whether or not Mason was returning to the Bentley administration. “She [Mason] has not been rehired by the Bentley Administration since her resignation, and there are no plans to hire her,” August told AL.com via email. Mason resigned following a scandal that stemmed from a recording of sexually charged conversations between Bentley and Mason going public earlier this year.
Robert Bentley thinks ahead to conservative replacement for Jeff Sessions
Should U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions become America’s next Attorney General, Gov. Robert Bentley would want to replace him with another conservative. “[Sessions] has served our state and our people with dignity and has been a bright example for conservative values,” said Bentley. “I will choose an appointee who shares those values and will work to further the agenda of President-elect Trump, all while keeping Alabama first in his or her mind. This person must uphold the Constitution, value the rights of the Second Amendment, the rights of the states, support pro-life issues, implement a strong national security policy, and support domestic job creation.” Bentley made the statement Friday following the announcement Sessions was appointed to a cabinet position with the Trump Administration. Should Sessions be confirmed, according to Alabama law Bentley would be tasked with appointing his replacement in the short term and setting a date for a statewide election to fill the vacant Senate seat. According to Bentley, he’s spoken with with ALGOP chairwoman Terry Lathan and asked that members of the executive committee submit names of those they feel are most qualified to serve as U.S. senator. “In the near future, I look forward to personally considering qualified candidates,” Bentley concluded.
Alabama leaders react to Jeff Sessions Trump-Administration appointment
Alabama’s junior senator, U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions has been offered the attorney general job by Donald Trump. A member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sessions was an early supporter and endorser of Trump, and over the past several months has become a close and trusted adviser. In a statement released Thursday, the Trump transition team hinted at Sessions’ appointment: “[T]he President-elect has been unbelievably impressed with Senator Sessions and his phenomenal record as Alabama’s Attorney General and U.S. Attorney. It is no wonder the people of Alabama re-elected him without opposition.” Sessions served as the Alabama AG from from 1995 – 1997, when he entered the United States Senate. Here’s what Alabama leaders have to say about his appointment: Gov. Robert Bentley: I wish to congratulate Senator Sessions on his appointment as United States Attorney General. I look forward to having conservative leadership in our Justice Department. Alabama enjoys strong representation in Congress and I want to ensure that continues upon the confirmation of Senator Sessions. He has served our state and our people with dignity and has been a bright example for conservative values. Sen. Richard Shelby: President-elect Trump has made an outstanding decision in selecting my friend and colleague Senator Jeff Sessions to serve as our next U.S. Attorney General. Jeff is a man of integrity who has been a trusted and valued partner of mine in the Senate as well as an unwavering voice for Alabamians in Congress. With decades of experience in the legal field and an impressive tenure on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Jeff will bring expertise to President-elect Trump’s cabinet and the Department of Justice. I am confident that Jeff will continue to stand up for the American people, our Constitution, and the rule of law in this new role. My wife Annette and I wish him, his wife Mary, and his family the very best during this exciting time. Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne: I have known Jeff Sessions for almost 40 years, and he has always been a person of the highest level of integrity. As a U.S. Attorney in Mobile, Senator Sessions led the charge to clean up corruption in our local government. He earned respect from everyone in our community by always conducting himself in a professional and fair way. In the Senate, Senator Sessions has a clear track record of defending the law and advocating for a smaller, less invasive federal government. Just as important, he has always been willing to partner with other members of our Congressional delegation to support Alabama projects and priorities. The people of Alabama will miss the service and leadership of Jeff Sessions, but I have no doubt he will be an excellent Attorney General for the United States. Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby: There is no one more capable and qualified to serve our country as Attorney General than Senator Jeff Sessions. President-elect Trump has selected a leader with remarkable depth of knowledge and experience who cares about Americans and will fight for what’s right. I am very proud for Senator Sessions on this achievement. He has been a kind mentor to me, and I have valued his guidance and leadership over the last six years. Although I hate to see him leave the Legislative Branch, I am confident this new role will enhance Senator Sessions’ ability to change our nation’s course for the better. Alabama 3rd District U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers: Jeff Sessions is a man of the greatest integrity and character. He will do an outstanding job as the Attorney General of the United States. He has served Alabama with the utmost distinction, boundless vigor and endless determination. He will bring those same qualities and more to the Department of Justice to enforce the law. Alabama has every right to be extremely proud. I also want to congratulate President-elect Trump on this exceptional choice. Alabama 4th District U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer: Today President-elect Trump made an excellent choice for United States Attorney General by nominating Senator Jeff Sessions to serve our nation in his Administration. As a former U.S. Attorney in Mobile and Alabama’s Attorney General, as well as a United States Senator, Senator Sessions defended the Constitution and held firm to our founding principles. Over the past 20 years, Senator Sessions has proven himself to be an intelligent, trustworthy conservative in the Senate becoming a voice for millions of Americans who felt ignored by Washington. His track record of success and sound decisions make him the best possible candidate for the job. I truly believe that Senator Sessions is the right man to restore the public’s confidence in our justice system. Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange: Today I want to congratulate Jeff Sessions on his nomination to be our nation’s Attorney General. Senator Sessions is a credit to our state and to our nation, and I know that he will make us all proud in his new role where he will be a champion for the rule of law. From the day Jeff Sessions stepped foot on the floor of the United States Senate, he has never forgotten where he came from or who he represents. He has worked tirelessly for the people of Alabama, fighting to bring home jobs and economic development, to secure our borders, and to ensure that our military men and women receive all the support they need to succeed—whether on the battlefield, in a veterans’ hospital, or in their civilian lives. He leaves very big shoes to fill. There will be a time to decide who will try to fill those shoes, but that is for another day. Today is about Jeff Sessions, the legacy he leaves behind, and the good work for our country we know he is yet to achieve. In his new role, I join all Alabamians in wishing him good luck and Godspeed. Senator Sessions, you make us proud.
Barack Obama urges European leaders to work with Donald Trump
President Barack Obama used a meeting with key European leaders Friday to urge them to work with the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump and to discuss steps necessary to resolve the conflicts in Syria and eastern Ukraine, the White House said. Obama’s meeting with the leaders of Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Spain was likely his last in such a setting before he leaves office. The session expands on lengthy talks he held the day before with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Obama didn’t speak with reporters before departing for Peru on Air Force One. The White House said Obama thanked his counterparts for their cooperation during his two terms in office. He urged them to work on common challenges with a Trump administration on the “basis of the core values that define the United States and Europe as open democracies.” Since Obama’s arrival on Wednesday on his sixth and last trip to Germany as president, he and Merkel have focused several meetings on issues of globalization and trans-Atlantic cooperation. The talks come largely in the context of what the election of Trump will mean to efforts to seek peace in Ukraine and Syria, the strength of the NATO alliance, trade agreements, efforts to fight climate change, and other pressing matters. The White House said in a summary of the meeting that the leaders expressed grave concern about the humanitarian situation in Aleppo. They agreed that increased attacks by the Syrian regime and its supporters, including Russia and Iran, should be immediately halted. They also are calling for humanitarian access to the city to be restored. On Ukraine, the White House said the leaders agreed that sanctions against Russia must remain in place until it meets its commitments to resolving the conflict. Obama also briefed his counterparts on the progress made in Iraq in liberating Mosul from Islamic State militants. The White House said the leaders agreed on the need for stability after the city is liberated. Obama also encouraged leaders to continue efforts to expand information sharing throughout the European Union to help disrupt terror attacks. At a news conference with Obama on Thursday, Merkel diplomatically said she was approaching the incoming Trump administration “with an open mind.” Around the world, many are looking to Merkel – one of the longest serving leaders of a major world power, leader of Europe’s largest economy and one of the biggest U.S. trade partners with the U.S. – for leadership as Obama leaves office. Obama seemed to underscore that reality as he effusively thanked Merkel for her “deep friendship.” He said he couldn’t “ask for a steadier or more reliable partner on the world stage,” while adding that if she chooses to run again for a fourth term next year, he’d vote for her – if he could. Joining the two leaders Friday were the heads of countries at the center of many of the European Union’s coming challenges. British Prime Minister Theresa May is preparing her country for negotiations to leave the trade bloc. Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy faces economic woes in his country that have contributed to financial instability in the EU. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi‘s already shaky economy has been rocked by tens of thousands of refugees. And French President Francois Hollande’s socialist government faces a major challenge from the far-right in elections next year. Trump has applauded the British decision to exit the EU, or “Brexit,” and has had meetings with Nigel Farage, leader of the U.K. Independence Party and a key player in the British decision to leave. For his part, Obama said Thursday his hope was that the Brexit negotiations be “conducted in a smooth and orderly and transparent fashion and preserve as closely as possible the economic and political and security relationships between the UK and EU.” Still, Obama noted that he considered the EU “one of the world’s great political and economic achievements.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Jeff Sessions, Mike Pompeo, Mike Flynn picked by Donald Trump for top jobs
President-elect Donald Trump is announcing his choices for three key administration jobs Friday, naming Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general, Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo to head the CIA and former military intelligence chief Michael Flynn as his national security adviser. All three have been fierce critics of President Barack Obama and current U.S. policy. In tapping Sessions and Flynn, Trump is also rewarding a pair of loyalists who were among his most ardent supporters during the presidential campaign. Trump planned to announce the picks Friday, according to a senior transition official. The official insisted on anonymity in order to disclose the decisions ahead of Trump’s announcement. Sessions and Pompeo would both require Senate confirmation before assuming their designated roles; Flynn would not. There could be some hurdles for Sessions, even with Republicans in control of the chamber. When Sessions was nominated to be a federal judge in 1986, he was dogged by racist comments he was accused of making while serving as U.S. attorney in Alabama. “Mr. Sessions is a throwback to a shameful era, which I know both black and white Americans thought was in our past,” the late Massachusetts Democrat, Sen. Edward Kennedy, said during the 1986 confirmation hearing. “It is inconceivable to me that a person of this attitude is qualified to be a U.S. attorney, let alone a U.S. federal judge.” During the hearing, a former assistant U.S. attorney, Thomas Figures, who is black, said Sessions referred to him as “boy,” and told him to be careful what he said to “white folks.” Sessions said he never called Figures “boy,” but Kennedy produced a letter from an organization of black lawyers that said Figures made the allegation about Sessions to the organization’s investigators at least twice. Sessions told the committee that he told Figures to be careful what he said to “folks.” Sessions later withdrew from consideration, though he went on to become state attorney general and won election to the Senate in 1996. Pompeo is a conservative Republican and a fierce critic of President Barack Obama‘s nuclear deal with Iran. Flynn was a fierce critic of President Barack Obama’s military and foreign policy long before he began advising Trump on national security issues during the presidential campaign. While the position of national security adviser doesn’t require Senate confirmation, Flynn would work in the West Wing and have frequent access to the president. Flynn, who turns 58 next month, had built a reputation as an astute intelligence professional and straight talker when he became the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2012. After retiring two years later, he made clear he took issue with the Obama administration’s approach to global affairs and fighting Islamic State militants. Flynn has called for Washington to work more closely with Moscow, echoing similar statements from Trump. But his warmth toward Russia has worried some national security experts. Flynn traveled last year to Moscow, where he joined Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials in a celebration of RT, a television channel funded by the Russian government. He later explained that he had been paid for taking part in the event, but brushed aside concerns that he was aiding a Russian propaganda effort. Trump is a foreign policy novice and his early moves on national security are being closely watched both in the U.S. and overseas. He’s said to be considering a range of officials with varying degrees of experience to lead the State Department and Pentagon. Trump has also consulted with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and sat down with South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a potential contender to lead the State Department. In a separate gesture of reconciliation with establishment Republicans, Trump planned to meet with 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who lambasted Trump as a “con man” and a “fraud” in a stinging speech in March. Trump responded by repeatedly referring to Romney as a “loser.” The two began mending fences after Trump’s victory when Romney called with congratulations. They are to meet this weekend, a transition official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss Trump’s schedule publicly. Campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said they were still “working on” the meeting. Trump’s actions Thursday aimed to show that he could soften his rhetoric, offer pragmatism in the White House and reaffirm long-standing American alliances. Since his stunning victory over Hillary Clinton last week, Trump has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister Theresa May and nearly three dozen other world leaders by telephone. Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, also visited the Trump Tower and called the billionaire businessman “a true friend of Israel.” He specifically cited as another “friend” Trump campaign CEO Steve Bannon, whose selection as a top White House adviser has created a backlash among Democrats. Bannon’s news website has peddled conspiracy theories, white nationalism and anti-Semitism. “We look forward to working with the Trump administration, with all the members of the Trump administration, including Steve Bannon, in making the U.S.-Israel alliance stronger than ever,” Dermer said. Trump, a reality television star, business mogul and political newcomer, also rolled out new teams that will interact with the State Department, Pentagon, Justice Department and other national security agencies as part of the government transition before his Jan. 20 inauguration. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
In Donald Trump’s transition, the jockeying for jobs goes public
Want a top job in Washington? Saying less is usually the way to get more. But contenders – and wannabe contenders – for spots in President-elect Donald Trump‘s administration are upending that tradition. They’re touting their qualifications in public appearances and chatting openly about their interactions with Trump’s team. They’re handicapping their rivals. Some of those who appear to be under the most serious consideration are conspicuously strolling by the pack of journalists gathered in the Trump Tower lobby on their way to meetings with the president-elect and his team. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani set the tone. After declaring that he wouldn’t serve as attorney general, Giuliani was asked whether there were better choices for secretary of state than some of names being bandied about. “Maybe me,” Giuliani said with a grin. Shortly after, a senior Trump official confirmed Giuliani was indeed under consideration to become the nation’s top diplomat. So, too, is Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker – at least according to the senator. “I know my name is in the mix,” Corker said, adding that he nevertheless expected the State Department post would go to someone more deeply involved with the Republican’s presidential campaign. In some ways, the more free-flowing discussion is a refreshing shift from the usual Washington parlor game, where job candidates publicly dismiss their chances with faux modesty, then use emissaries to ensure their name stays in the conversation. The current approach is also a reflection of the man whom the job hopefuls are trying to impress. Trump held what amounted to a public audition process when he was picking his running mate, inviting top contenders to appear with him at rallies and speak to his enthusiastic crowds. That approach had echoes of Trump’s reality television show, “The Apprentice,” where contestants competed for a job in one of the host’s businesses. But for much of the past week, Trump has uncharacteristically stayed out of the public fray as lawmakers, business leaders and others jockey for jobs in his administration. He’s made only a handful of public comments since winning the election and has largely avoided speculating on who could end up in the White House and Cabinet agencies. “I am the only one who knows who the finalists are!” Trump wrote on Twitter, which has served as his main form of communication this week. Kellyanne Conway, who managed Trump’s campaign, suggested the president-elect finds the public wrangling counterproductive. “These conversations are always best in private, particularly when you’re forming a Cabinet and a senior staff,” Conway said Thursday on MSNBC. “Which is why I don’t say too much about myself.” Moments earlier, Conway had confirmed that Trump offered her a job. “Mr. Trump asked me immediately if I would serve with him, come to the White House with him,” she said. It’s unclear what job Conway was offered or whether she plans to accept. Others have been more specific about how they hope to serve the newly elected president. Scott Brown, the former Massachusetts senator, volunteered himself to run the Department of Veterans Affairs. He told New England Cable News that if Trump offered him the VA post, “I’d do that in a second.” And if the Veterans Affairs job isn’t an option? “Then housing, I’m very passionate about housing,” Brown said. “I’d be honored to work at HUD.” Kansas Rep. Tim Huelskamp has floated himself as a possible agriculture secretary. He told reporters Wednesday that someone “close” to Trump’s transition team had reached out to discuss the post. Some potential Cabinet secretaries have preferred to go the more traditional route, bashfully brushing aside questions about the future. Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, a loyal Trump ally who has been discussed for multiple posts, wouldn’t bite Thursday when he appeared before reporters. In this one instance, however, Trump himself decided to stoke the speculation. His transition team released a statement Thursday that appeared to tee up Sessions to be nominated for attorney general. “While nothing has been finalized and he is still talking with others as he forms his cabinet, the president-elect has been unbelievably impressed with Sen. Sessions and his phenomenal record as Alabama’s attorney general and U.S. attorney,” the statement read. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
