I suppose it's nearly impossible for a man named after Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States for god's sake, and christened Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions III to do anything but stand up for the naming of American military bases after Confederate traitors, but it looks mighty weird at just this moment in time to do it.
Senator Doug Jones was having none of Sessions's cynical appeal to Alabama republicans who, like him, are neo-confederates themselves.
Source: CNN
Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions tussled on Twitter over a congressional proposal to strip Confederate leaders' names from military assets, with the Democratic senator defending his vote and the man vying to unseat him arguing such a move "betrays the character and decency of every soldier who fought for the South."
The GOP-led Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this week adopted an amendment to remove Confederate names and symbols from military bases and assets with the support of some Republicans, even as President Donald Trump said he's opposed to any such effort. Jones supported the proposal.
Sessions, who faces a tough Republican runoff primary election on July 14 for his old Senate seat against former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville, accused Jones in a string of tweets Friday of a vote that "seeks to erase AL's & America's history and thousands of Alabamians for doing what they considered to be their duty at the time."
Naming the military bases after Confederate soldiers, Sessions said, "was seen as an act of respect and reconciliation towards those who were called to duty by the States," and "it was not then and is not now an affirmation of slavery."
"The slavery question had been settled by the war," he said.
"Delete your account Jeff," Jones hit back in a Saturday tweet, pointing to the bipartisan vote.
"I know it's tough for you to be on the right side of history when it comes to the Confederacy, but you should give it a try," Jones continued.
Sessions doubled down later Saturday, saying, "This insane attempt to erase American history has to end."
Sessions started off Friday night in a long series of tweets, perhaps a dozen in all. Here's the first two.
Rest assured: I have never cowered from confronting the politically correct mob, and when I return to the Senate, I will boldly stand for Alabama and against the leftist radicals who are seeking to erase our nation’s history.
— Jeff Sessions (@jeffsessions) June 12, 2020
Doug Jones caught wind of them today, responding thusly.
Delete your account Jeff. This came out of a Republican controlled Senate committee on a strong bi-partisan vote. I know it’s tough for you to be on the right side of history when it comes to the Confederacy, but you should give it a try. https://t.co/Nuhl5LW9dx
— Doug Jones (@DougJones) June 13, 2020
Ok Jeff, let’s try this one more time: the vote was a bi-partisan vote of the Republican controlled Senate Armed Services Committee and dealt only with the Confederacy and the U.S. Military. https://t.co/XThvOe7De7
— Doug Jones (@DougJones) June 13, 2020
And Jeff Sessions, bless his heart, is continuing the unwinnable fight, and with some degree of irony.
Doug, you are a radical leftist, a pawn for Chuck Schumer. You voted to impeach President Trump, reject Justice Kavanaugh, voted against an end to late-term abortions, and now you join with the woke mob to erase history.
YOU are history. https://t.co/wtS63iSfGY— Jeff Sessions (@jeffsessions) June 13, 2020
Sessions is betting that the racism of the past is enough for him to win his primary next month and get him back into the U.S. Senate. Talk about being on the wrong side of history.
