Sessions met with Russian envoy twice last year, encounters he later did not disclose

[ivwshane]

Russia is the new Benghazi. I approve.

Russia!

Great! Lets hope you give it the same concern you showed for Benghazi, the eight times it was investigated.

 

[brandonbull]

Franken: CNN just published a story alleging that the intelligence community provided documents to the president-elect last week, that included information that “Russian operatives claim to have compromising personal and financial information about Mr. Trump.” These documents also allegedly say “there was a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trump surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian government.” Again, I’m telling you this as it’s coming out, so you know. But if it’s true, it’s obviously extremely serious, and if there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of this campaign, what will you do?

Sessions: Senator Franken, I’m not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians, and I’m unable to comment on it.

 

[jmagg]

There are no values left, the 1% runs the show. That being said, the working middle class may live another day to *try to aspire.

 

[pauldun170]

Session is telling the truth.
He did not have communications with the Russians.
His assistant had communications with the Russians.
He did however have sex with the Russian in his office.
At no point where words exchanged due to something in his mouth.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Franken: CNN just published a story alleging that the intelligence community provided documents to the president-elect last week, that included information that “Russian operatives claim to have compromising personal and financial information about Mr. Trump.” These documents also allegedly say “there was a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trump surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian government.” Again, I’m telling you this as it’s coming out, so you know. But if it’s true, it’s obviously extremely serious, and if there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of this campaign, what will you do?

Sessions: Senator Franken, I’m not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians, and I’m unable to comment on it.

This is a reason to have an investigation instead of a lynching as the Apologist as I love calling him yearns for. I'm playing devil's advocate not because I have any trust in Sessions but because of the roles in office that Sessions play.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Sessions#Committee_assignments

Those assignments cover a lot of territory and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Sessions met with Russians in an official but private matter. In that case Franken hit him with a catch-22. Sessions is obliged to not disclose a meeting and indeed this is has been the case in the past with others regardless of party. So Sessions has to play at wordcraft here in an attempt to disclose relevant information but not that of confidential diplomatic matters

Note I am not saying this must be what happened, but may have. An investigation could deal with matters of government properly and separate out political involvement to benefit Trump.

I want this done right and we do need an investigation, not shelve or bury the issues or "he's not our kind, hang him".

 

[fskimospy]

Then here's your noose. Hang him. Well partisans will be partisans. Rights for some, not for others. I expected as much.

While I agree that an investigation is warranted I think that calling for his resignation at this point is probably appropriate. At a minimum he misled the Senate about unilateral conversations he was having with the top diplomat of a hostile foreign power that was actively working to undermine our democratic system. There's no set of circumstances that I can even conceive of where that's not the case. If he had simply forgotten about it at the hearing he could have amended his testimony at any time but chose not to do so until the news outed his deception.

It's hard to see how the country could have faith in him acting as Attorney General after this.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

While I agree that an investigation is warranted I think that calling for his resignation at this point is probably appropriate. At a minimum he misled the Senate about unilateral conversations he was having with the top diplomat of a hostile foreign power that was actively working to undermine our democratic system. There's no set of circumstances that I can even conceive of where that's not the case. If he had simply forgotten about it at the hearing he could have amended his testimony at any time but chose not to do so until the news outed his deception.

It's hard to see how the country could have faith in him acting as Attorney General after this.

I have no problem calling him out but "throwing him under the bus" by hacks isn't right. That's what I object to. What was painfully apparent is that some missed why I brought Hillary into this. It was because someone wanted to toss her under and there were many who felt investigations were a waste of time. While one can reasonably argue that the investigations themselves were improper and politically motivated, something I mostly agree with, at least there no tire marks on her body.

 

[interchange]

What was the heat on the Trump campaign and Russian ties at the time of these meetings, and what did Sessions know about Russian hacking at that time?

If the answer isn't "none", and "nothing", then this is a big deal. If you have knowledge that your spouse is suspicious of you having an affair in the office and you're not, you don't go on a "business dinner" with your secretary and then lie about it when your wife smells perfume on your shirt. Instead, you'd be extra careful about your text messages, the times you get home from work, etc.

We can allow some naivety for Trump, Bannon, Spicer, Conway -- but not Sessions or Flynn.

 

[fskimospy]

This is a reason to have an investigation instead of a lynching as the Apologist as I love calling him yearns for. I'm playing devil's advocate not because I have any trust in Sessions but because of the roles in office that Sessions play.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Sessions#Committee_assignments

Those assignments cover a lot of territory and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Sessions met with Russians in an official but private matter. In that case Franken hit him with a catch-22. Sessions is obliged to not disclose a meeting and indeed this is has been the case in the past with others regardless of party. So Sessions has to play at wordcraft here in an attempt to disclose relevant information but not that of confidential diplomatic matters

Note I am not saying this must be what happened, but may have. An investigation could deal with matters of government properly and separate out political involvement to benefit Trump.

I want this done right and we do need an investigation, not shelve or bury the issues or "he's not our kind, hang him".

The Washington Post contacted all the other members of the Armed Services Committee and every single one that replied (most of them), including the chairman, said they had no contact with the Russian ambassador. Others have said that's not really within the scope of the ASC. If he was meeting on official ASC business it makes no sense for the Republican members of that committee to disavow his response.

 

[woolfe9998]

Pay attention not just to what is said, but also to what hasn't been said. Sessions and his spokesperson have now responded by denying that he discussed the election with the ambassador, and by saying that he spoke to the ambassador as a member of the Armed Services Committee. What is missing from Sessions' response is any comment about what specifically was discussed. Why has he not said anything about the topic of these conversations? His communication with a Russian ambassador can't possibly be classified.

So far the only statement we have about the content of this conversation was a statement to John Harwood from an anonymous White House official saying that Sessions had a "superficial" conversation with the ambassador about the election. This version identifies both of Sessions answers in Congress as lies, yet Sessions continues to obfuscate and not say anything about the conversations.

Think about it. If Sessions clarifies what was said in the conversations, it could support his claim to have been speaking to the ambassador in relation to his responsibilities on the committee and could also refute the anonymous statement to Harwood. Yet Sessions still says nothing about what was discussed and is, for the time being, permitting this anonymous statement to stand as the only public comment on the contents of these conversations.

Why?

 

[fskimospy]

I have no problem calling him out but "throwing him under the bus" by hacks isn't right. That's what I object to. What was painfully apparent is that some missed why I brought Hillary into this. It was because someone wanted to toss her under and there were many who felt investigations were a waste of time. While one can reasonably argue that the investigations themselves were improper and politically motivated, something I mostly agree with, at least there no tire marks on her body.

How is it throwing him under the bus though? There seems to be no plausible explanation where he didn't mislead the Senate. With Clinton there was never really any reason to believe she did anything wrong in Benghazi, in this case the wrongdoing seems pretty clear as it took place in public and no one is denying the facts of the matter. Also, if Sessions truly was participating in classified discussions with the Russian ambassador he could simply say that was his reason for not disclosing them but he has not.

The facts here don't seem to be in dispute by anyone. He said he didn't communicate with the Russians but he did.

 

[echo4747]

 

[fskimospy]

She was saying she had never met with him one on one like Sessions is claiming. Her claim is that the meeting referred to in that tweet was at a large meeting with lots of people that he also attended.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

She either didn't recall or is deliberately lying. She needs to resign!

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Why has he not said anything about the topic of these conversations? His communication with a Russian ambassador can't possibly be classified.

Damn quote system.

Anyway, yes they could. Any senator in his position might be dealing in sensitive matters that may not be technically classified but understood to be confidential. This is a lynchpin of diplomacy, the ability to have trust in communications that would otherwise would never happen. Imagine if Bobby Kennedy were grilled about communications with Russians during the Cuba crisis and had to spill his guts? We might have a crater where you are now. In magnitude it's not equal but in principle it is.

 

[woolfe9998]

Why has he not said anything about the topic of these conversations? His communication with a Russian ambassador can't possibly be classified.

Damn quote system.

Anyway, yes they could. Any senator in his position might be dealing in sensitive matters that may not be technically classified but understood to be confidential. This is a lynchpin of diplomacy, the ability to have trust in communications that would otherwise would never happen. Imagine if Bobby Kennedy were grilled about communications with Russians during the Cuba crisis and had to spill his guts? We might have a crater where you are now. In magnitude it's not equal but in principle it is.

If it isn't classified, then he can legally disclose it. This principle of confidentially you discuss might be a reason to not disclose the contents of such a conversation under normal circumstances. However, these are not normal circumstances. We have a POTUS who is under investigation for possible collusion with a hostile foreign power during his campaign, a revelation that his AG who was part of his campaign had discussions with an agent of this hostile foreign power, and an apparent lie told to Congress by this same AG about said conversations. These are serious allegations and they require clarification. If his purpose in speaking with the ambassador was benign, then we need to know this. He could at least say what the general topic of the conversation was. Like this: "we discussed cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation." That kind of thing.

 

[Jhhnn]

This is a reason to have an investigation instead of a lynching as the Apologist as I love calling him yearns for. I'm playing devil's advocate not because I have any trust in Sessions but because of the roles in office that Sessions play.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Sessions#Committee_assignments

Those assignments cover a lot of territory and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Sessions met with Russians in an official but private matter. In that case Franken hit him with a catch-22. Sessions is obliged to not disclose a meeting and indeed this is has been the case in the past with others regardless of party. So Sessions has to play at wordcraft here in an attempt to disclose relevant information but not that of confidential diplomatic matters

Note I am not saying this must be what happened, but may have. An investigation could deal with matters of government properly and separate out political involvement to benefit Trump.

I want this done right and we do need an investigation, not shelve or bury the issues or "he's not our kind, hang him".

You dancin' fool. If Flynn taking the axe over supposedly lying to Pence wrt such contact was a righteous act then Sessions lying to Congress on the record about the same thing should lead to the same result.

Investigation? Special prosecutor? Recusal? blah-blah-blah?

If Sessions won't resign then the Senate should demand he be fired. Lying to the Senate can't be tolerated.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Nothing to see here...they were just discussing their grand kids.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

You dancin' fool. If Flynn taking the axe over supposedly lying to Pence wrt such contact was a righteous act then Sessions lying to Congress on the record about the same thing should lead to the same result.

Investigation? Special prosecutor? Recusal? blah-blah-blah?

If Sessions won't resign then the Senate should demand he be fired. Lying to the Senate can't be tolerated.

I understand you love the law in defense of your own and take a great bloody piss on it otherwise, but here is how a non-fascist government you seem to find oh so very attractive works.

Someone is said to have done an illegal act. If warranted there is an investigation. In this case I agree we are at that point. Then after the FACTS of the matter are revealed by proper means and with due diligence then a legal process of removal begins.

In the mean time people are free to call for resignation, you, me or the Senate but that forces nothing. Oh, remember Bill Clinton lied. BUT BUT BUT! Can't wait for the explosion on that one. Should have been removed. Can't have lying! I await your entertaining reply.

 

[theeedude]

If Sessions talked to the Russians about the election, then he has committed a felony of perjury in front of the Senate.
Russians most certainly have the conversation taped, so they can use it against Sessions for blackmail if he so much as mentioned the election. Americans don't know what was talked about, but the Russians do. They have his fate in their hands, and can leak the tape at any time if he doesn't follow orders.
As a likely Russian blackmail target, Sessions should recuse him not just from this investigation, but from all investigations involving Russia, or investigations that could put our intelligence sources in danger. In the meantime, the CIA should withhold intelligence from the DOJ until proper safeguards are in place.

 

[JSt0rm]

So many ties between Russia and the current GOP.

 

[Pens1566]

So many ties between Russia and the current GOP.

And we really haven't even touched on Wilbur Ross yet. Still on the appetizers IMO.

 

[Paratus]

I understand you love the law in defense of your own and take a great bloody piss on it otherwise, but here is how a non-fascist government you seem to find oh so very attractive works.

Someone is said to have done an illegal act. If warranted there is an investigation. In this case I agree we are at that point. Then after the FACTS of the matter are revealed by proper means and with due diligence then a legal process of removal begins.

In the mean time people are free to call for resignation, you, me or the Senate but that forces nothing. Oh, remember Bill Clinton lied. BUT BUT BUT! Can't wait for the explosion on that one. Should have been removed. Can't have lying! I await your entertaining reply.

Some thoughts on lying to congress by Jeff Sessions:

"When President Nixon resigned in the face of impeachment in 1974, he said, the message was clear that officials “couldn't play games with the law and the truth.

I hope we aren't sending a message that’s not as clear. That clever people can sometimes get ahead by spinning and not telling the truth. That worries me.

I have no doubt that perjury qualifies under the Constitution as a high crime. It goes to the heart of the judicial system.”
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slat..._called_for_sessions_resignation_recusal.html

 

[HomerJS]

Nothing to see here...they were just discussing their grand kids.

People who are willing to tolerate Russia interfering in our election with help from American citizens obviously hate this country.

 

[jmagg]

Sources say.