Jeff Sessions lied to Congress again today, at length and in obvious denial of known facts, common sense, or even his own earlier words under oath. Everyone there knew that’s what he was doing as he lied, and they accepted it.
How can I say that? Easy. Everyone knew the questions they were going to ask Sessions. They’re easy to predict, most especially for AG Sessions himself, but just in case, Congress sent Sessions a summary of what they wanted ahead of time. For Congressional testimony, if there were events Sessions couldn’t remember off the top of his head, he was expected to look it up ahead of time.
And yet all of the Republicans listened to his endless “I don’t recall” nonsense with a straight face. Did they think Sessions accidentally stumbled into the hearing mysteriously but completely unprepared? This wasn’t exactly a pop quiz. When Congress gives you a homework assignment — for the third time! — they usually expect you to do a better job. Apparently not, at least if you’re another Republican.
For sworn testimony, you have a few options about what to do. You can always tell the truth, I suppose, if you want to surprise people. You can lie, which seems popular despite being hugely illegal. Or you can say you can’t answer, but that only works for one of the protected reasons like the fifth amendment. That’s about it.
The “I can’t recall” thing is a lie, something Sessions said to avoid speaking the truth. Everyone there knew that. Congress has the power to compel his testimony, but, they didn’t. Instead, our modern Republican party, the party of patriotism and good, honest Americans, the party of god and country, accepted that idiocy and returned Sessions to his government job of high trust and national importance after he spent all day plainly and openly lying through his teeth.
Republican don’t care that Sessions was not just untruthful, but he was lying in stupidly obvious ways. They don’t care that he was lying about collusion with enemies of the United States against the interests of our country, our government, and our people. Those super-patriotic Republicans only care that Sessions hasn’t been caught yet — not for anything big — and that’s it.
So don’t fool yourself about how McConnell “trusts the women.” He has no more honor now than last week. Republicans are liars, perjurers, criminals, and, potentially, traitors.
They depend on the rest of us acting like complete morons. It’s been a good bet so far.
