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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMaggie Haberman: "I asked people close to Trump why he's tormenting Sessions instead of firing him"
@maggieNYT
I asked two ppl close to Trump why he is tormenting Sessions instead of firing him. The answer from both, paraphrased: Because he can.
5:33 AM - 25 Jul 2017
madaboutharry
(40,220 posts)Cicada
(4,533 posts)Sessions is highly intelligent. He knows Trump has deranged views. Disapproval from Trump doesn't reflect poorly on anyone. Sessions will no doubt do his job as he sees fit so long as he can, no doubt understanding Trump is highly abnormal.
DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)I've never seen him say or do anything that didn't make me think that he's dumb as a post.
Cicada
(4,533 posts)He graduated from the U,of Alabama law school. Only a smart person could do that. Then he got hired by the US Attorney office, and they only hire above average lawyers, it is somewhat selective. Then after 6 years they promoted him to run the office, so he was no doubt smarter than the average lawyer there.
He is ignorant about many things, foolish about many, mistaken about many. But he can't be dumb.
DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)You do not have to be particularly smart to graduate from law school. Dan Quayle is a "distinguished alumnus" of my law school. You can't be illiterate, you probably can't have a learning disability, but there are a lot of dolts that make it through law school. Sessions was head of the Young Republicans in college and was always active in politics and that has as much to do with getting hired as an AUSA as being "smart" does. Plenty of people become AUSAs because they are ambitious, and some are indeed great lawyers, but the idea that they are all brilliant would be an incorrect assumption. I have been dealing the Justice Department attorneys for 25 years and I can tell you that some are really sharp and some are anything but.
As far as being appointed U.S. Attorney, that is a political appointment, and no, being appointed U.S. Attorney does not indicate that he was smarter than average. It indicates that he had the right political connections.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Spot on.
Kaleva
(36,342 posts)DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)Cicada
(4,533 posts)You argue that some lawyers are dim. I'm gonna bet on the base rate absent strong proof to the contrary. The median LSAT score of those at UA law school is 90th percentile, I just read. And those who take the LSAT are generally pretty smart. I peg Jeff as in the top 5 percent of IQ, conservatively.
And again relying on base rates as the smart way to bet absent strong evidence to the contrary I would bet Quayle is smarter than is commonly thought.
And Sessions speaks properly and logically. I see no reason to change my view.
DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)Where would you peg the IQ of Orly Taitz? She is also a law school graduate and a practicing attorney.
Cicada
(4,533 posts)So she has above average intelligence. She is also a dentist. She also says obviously insane things, probably because doing that causes some people to pay her. I categorize her as a fraud, like Ann Coulter.
Alex Jones' ex wife says he is a fraud, that he knows much of what he says is false.
But again: the smart play is to bet the base rate. I used to gamble as a part time job. I filed a schedule C, always had annual profits of thousands of dollars, never had a losing month, paid income taxes, and I am pretty confident that my view about Sessions is the smart play. Even if I am wrong.
madinmaryland
(64,933 posts)She was 🦇💩 crazy then, also.
Goonch
(3,614 posts)lindysalsagal
(20,730 posts)Anyone who thinks they can work for or with him is a fool. Abusers abuse.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,198 posts)Am I right, Mitt?
Doodley
(9,124 posts)Better for Trump to create a situation in which Sessions resigns.
ck4829
(35,091 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)He enjoys toying with people and humiliating them. I don't think Trump has a decent bone in his body.
Solly Mack
(90,785 posts)Johonny
(20,888 posts)The dude could just walk away...
flamingdem
(39,321 posts)Then he can replace him and get Mueller fired.
DUH
Renew Deal
(81,871 posts)"because he can"
That will change things up
MiddleClass
(888 posts)Don the con needs to stop Mueller. If tell sessions to fire, and the answer is no, you must fire sessions.
If he fire sessions, Congress might finally grow a pair, seeing what he's doing. If not,
if he torments him enough, Jeff session redesigns, Rosenstein redesigns, Mueller, loses mandate.
The Trump criminal enterprise goes on unimpeded. The obvious action of a chickenshit child.
Simple isn't it