The Man Who Broke The KKK In Alabama Is Now A Racist?

Since last week, when Jeff Sessions’ nomination for Attorney General was first officially announced, seemingly the only consistent arguments against him have been cries of racism. I addressed those claims briefly here, but now seems an appropriate time to dig more fully into the charges.

The evidence being presented of Sessions as a racist? That he allegedly made a demeaning remark about an African-American associate—which Sessions fiercely denied at the time, and does to this day—and that he has criticized the Voting Rights Act as "intrusive".

Incidentally, the Supreme Court would later implicitly side with Sessions on his assessment of the VRA when the justices struck down Section 4(b) of the law, rendering Section 5 inoperable. Those were the sections that allowed “preclearance”, giving the federal government power to review the voting laws of certain states in which Congress felt there was a significant history of racism. That issue, overall, is a discussion for another time, but by 2013, when Shelby Conty v. Holder was decided, the law was essentially punishing the citizens of several states for crimes committed by the fathers and grandfathers. (It should also be pointed out that the Court's sole black justice sided with the majority in that case.)

But back to Jeff Sessions. Among the evidence, by contrast that Sessions is not a racist: While a U.S. Attorney, he sought the death penalty for a KKK member convicted of murder. He assisted in the desegregation of Alabama schools. And in the Senate, he pushed legislation honoring Rosa Parks, and voted in favor of Eric Holder as Attorney General, a stance that seems odd in light of his other principled stands, but which make sense in context—Sessions has been generally deferential to presidential appointments, a reaction to his own unfair judicial confirmation hearing from decades ago. (The Weekly Standard has a much more thorough and well-researched breakdown of Sessions’ civil rights passed, at the above link.)

The more thoughtful critics—and there are a few—will instead accuse him of merely being a cronyist pick, reaping the rewards of being an early and enthusiastic Trump backer. But Sessions has served for years on the Senate Judiciary Committee; as Alabama Attorney General before that; and before that, nominated as both a U.S. Attorney and, later, federal judge, by Ronald Reagan. He is known in the Senate for both his principled stands and friendly relationships with members of both parties. His experience and knowledge of the issues he will face is unquestionable.

In the end, the argument that Jeff Sessions is a racist is being advanced by many of the same people who claim Barry Goldwater was a racist—despite the fact that Goldwater helped to found the Arizona state chapter of the NAACP. Ultimately, it boils down to a simple conceit, something of an open secret—many liberals, and liberal journalists in particular, believe that Southern white males must be at least a little racist at heart. A Republican who supports voter ID, whose given name is (as they keep pointing out) Jefferson Beauregard? That confirms it, evidence be damned, and the irony of judging based on names and heritage is lost on them.

May the rest of Trump's appointees be just as qualified, principled, and of strong moral character as Jeff Sessions.