By Editorial Board
Anniston Star
In October, after the exposure of a 2005 videotape featuring Donald Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women, U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, numbered among the Trump surrogates defending the candidate’s crude and creepy remarks.
There was hardly a more thankless task than trying to explain away Trump casually describing how he gets away with the unsolicited grabbing of women’s genitals.
Yet, Sessions gamely tried. Yes, the senator noted this was “very improper language.” But he also attempted to lawyer away what is and is not sexual assault. Here’s a handy definition from the Justice Department: “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.”
In the aftermath of the release of the videotape, Sessions let it be known he thought the reaction was “overblown.” A typical citizen might wonder if it’s possible to overblow a tape where a major-party candidate uses vulgar language to describe female genitals. Not Sessions, though, he played the good soldier for his candidate.
This week, the Senate considers Sessions’ worthiness to serve as the next U.S. attorney general. Hearings are scheduled for today and Wednesday.
We suggest senators focus on the Trump videotape episode from October, particularly Sessions’ defense of the indefensible.
If he becomes attorney general, Sessions and the Justice Department will be tested unlike any other in modern history.
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