Jeff Merkley reads Coretta Scott King's letter about Jeff Sessions on Senate floor

[TexasTowelie]

Source: The Oregonian

Hours after GOP leaders blocked Sen. Elizabeth Warren from reading a letter critical of Sen. Jeff Sessions during his confirmation hearing for attorney general, Jeff Merkley picked it up and read the document uninterrupted.

Coretta Scott King, the widow of Martin Luther King, Jr. and a Civil Rights activist herself, wrote the letter on March 19, 1986. It was an indictment of Sessions as he was up for an appointment to the U.S. District Court.

The letter was originally addressed to Sen. Strom Thurmond, then on the Senate Judiciary Committee, against Sessions' confirmation. He was not recommended to the Senate on a 10-8 vote.

Fast forward to Tuesday, when Warren attempted to read the letter aloud but was censured by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/02/jeff_merkley_reads_coretta_scott_king_letter_about_jeff_sessions.html

[Laurian]

1. Whimpy Republican men threatened by a strong, competent woman.

Assholes.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

8. +1000 nt

[djg21]

19. My sense is

That the refusal to allow Warren to read the letter was determined to be a strategic failure resulting in unforeseen blowback. Even the douchebag quasi-fascists on Morning Joe thought that McConnell had made a huge tactical mistake, and that the rule used to shut Warren down was misapplied because Sessions was not before the body as a Senator.

[Ligyron]

23. That's what I think.

But sexism may have played a part also.

[Skittles]

33. a heart for you, for that accurate assessment

yes INDEED

[KewlKat]

2. I'm glad it was read, but why was he allowed to continue without interruption and

Sen Warren was shut down? Were those members that previously objected not present for his reading?

[TexasTowelie]

3. It might be because Warren voted against Turtle's wife

when her Cabinet nomination came up for a vote.

[Turbineguy]

15. Elaine Chao

is actually quite competent.

God knows what she saw in Turtle McFucklips.

[TomCADem]

22. Nope. Senate Rule 19 Was the Given Reason.

Unless Mitch publicly says that he was being petty, I will take Mitch on his face that he is applying a senate rule to silence a woman senator while allowing a male senator to do the exact same thing.

[MurrayDelph]

27. Or he was afraid to compound the mistake

by continuing to disallow Coretta Scott King's words during Black History month.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Stupendous. Sen. Jeff Merkley stepped up to address this dirty racism. Thanks, TexasTowelie.

Hoping many more people will take the time to read copies of the letter now that they know these dirtbags tried to censor it.

[TexasTowelie]

5. You're welcome.

While I've heard a portion of the letter I still have not read it completely.

[watoos]

6. Maybe, just a guess,

that Dems were going to take turns trying to read the letter which would have required all of them to be censured which would have created too much M$M attention? Just a flyer on my part.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. I think it's a case of

"Impudent women ought to know their place"

McConnell's America, iow

[Volaris]

9. Have balls, will travel. But it's ok, there's no misogyny, or anything.

Just like there's no climate change.
I live in St Loius. It was 70 degrees yesterday. IN FEBRUARY. 20 years ago, there was a foot of snow on the ground, for most of this month.

[Raster]

10. Thank you, Senators Warren and Merkley!

Two BRAVE PATRIOTS amidst a sea of cowardice and treachery.

[msanthrope]

13. Warren is Stalin? Analogy fail! nt

[Tom Rinaldo]

12. I suspect if he got censured another Democrat would have risen to read it

And another after that. While I agree that McConnell felt comfortable initially censuring a woman, at this stage the Republicans had a fiasco on their hands if they stopped another male or female Senator from doing so. The potential spectacle of Democratic Senator after Democratic Senator being censured for reading that letter until none were left to even participate in a debate would have amplified the fall out to what they did to Warren another hundred fold. It would have played out dramatically live on television.

[barbtries]

14. would that be sexist? ya think?

what i think? republicans are afraid of her. so they bully her. motherfuckers.

[DesertRat]

16. Sen. Udall just did the same.

[Rene]

17. mcconnel/turtle read that rule19 info from a prepared document.

they were laying in wait for Senator Warren. had prepared that callout and use of rule.

btw....I don't think mcconnell deserves the same title as she...ever since his statements the evening President Obama was first sworn in and his refusal to hold hearing for President Obama's scotus nominee.

[ananda]

18. Good!

Is he barred from speaking now?

[AlexSFCA]

20. Unfortunately

Sessions will be confirmed precisely for his racist and bgoted views. In 1986 he was rejected by the senate also precisely because of those same views.

[PatrickforO]

21. You cannot silence truth!

[riversedge]

24. Udall recites Coretta Scott King Video...

Seems we have two Senators reading the letter.




Daniella Diaz Verified account
‏@DaniellaMicaela

Udall recites Coretta Scott King
CNN Politics

Link to tweet

[Paladin]

25. Fuck you where you breathe, McConnell.

God bless Senator Warren, Merkley, and the sacred memory of Ms. King.

[MFM008]

26. Wasn't about letter

Was about Warrens attacks on maggot in chief during campaign.

[tclambert]

28. I'd like to see a whole stream of Senators get up and read that letter.

Just as a Fuck You to Mitch McConnell.

[orleans]

29. sanders, brown, udall & merkley read the letter

they didn't get shut down like warren did.

WHY IS THAT???

[snort]

35. The opponent was a woman.

BM waters his nickers when faced by a man.

[pdxDem]

30. Who was the Senator who actual told Warren to sit down?

So McConnell brought up the rule but who was residing over the Senate. McConnell brought up the rule but who was the dude who actual told her to take her seat?

[TexasTowelie]

31. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana

Welcome to DU!

[pdxDem]

36. ugh.

that makes sense

[Maru Kitteh]

32. Daines of Montana

and that mother-trucker is about to get a full-on blow-horn from me at all of his offices, Washington AND local, every fax # I can dig up, his Twitter, his FB, AND a hand-written letter; with my MONTANA address.

[neverforget]

37. My brother and sister in law sent him a nice letter

telling him fuck off in a nice manner.

[snort]

34. Glad He's my Senator.

And now for everyone else...

[ailsagirl]

38. Excellent