Wednesday was the second and final hearing in regards to the attorney general nomination of Alabama Senator Jeff Session, and it was marked by strong opposition from his African-American colleagues on the hill. And later that night, NBC News seemed to relish in their smears of racism towards the Senator who defeated Alabama’s Ku Klux Klan. “No less drama in this fight as African-American members of congress spoke out today against the nomination,” hyped anchor Lester Holt on NBC Nightly News.
Justice correspondent Pete Williams seemed ecstatic that New Jersey Senator Cory Booker was the first to break a long-standing tradition of the Senate during the hearing. “Senator Cory Booker, Democrat of New Jersey, became the first ever to testify against a colleague's nomination,” Williams reported.
“Joining him, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia who survived police beatings and civil rights marches,” he continued, effectively qualifying his stance against Sessions. “It doesn't matter how Senator Sessions may smile, how friendly he may be, how he may speak to you,” Lewis warned the committee, while NBC creepily played video of Sessions turning around and smiling.
According to Williams, there was testimony from people vouching for Sessions to become the next attorney general of the United States, with three of them being African-American. But Williams failed to share any video from their testimony, only their images. From there, he again jumped into accusations of racism, “But the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus said putting the all-black panel at the end was a snub.”
House Representative Cedric Richmond, a Democrat from Louisiana, ridiculously claimed, “To have a Senator, a House member, and a living civil rights legend testify at the end of all of this is the equivalent of being made to go to the back of the bus.”
While wrapping up his report, Williams sounded disgruntled, stating, “Still, Sessions appeared headed for confirmation with a Senate vote likely early next month.”
NBC’s eagerness to paint Sessions as a bigot is disgraceful. Especially after the first day’s hearing where they failed to report how Sessions had a hand in getting an Alabama KKK member the death penalty for killing an African-American teenager. Or how, in the fallout from that case, the Alabama KKK was left penniless and basically in shambles.
Transcript below:
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NBC Nightly News
January 11, 2017
7:13:15 PM EasternLESTER HOLT: A very busy day in Washington that also included day two of the confirmation hearing for attorney general nominee Senator Jeff sessions of Alabama, and no less drama in this fight as African-American members of congress spoke out today against the nomination. Our justice correspondent Pete Williams has details.
[Cuts to video]
PETE WILLIAMS: Senator Cory booker, Democrat of New Jersey, became the first ever to testify against a colleague's nomination.
CORY BOOKER: I want an attorney general who is committed to supporting law enforcement and securing law and order but that is not enough.
WILLIAMS: Joining him, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia who survived police beatings and civil rights marches.
JOHN LEWIS: It doesn't matter how Senator Sessions may smile, how friendly he may be, how he may speak to you. But we need someone who gonna stand up, speak up and speak out for the people that need help.
WILLIAMS: A former Republican attorney general, Michael Mukasey, praised Sessions, so did the president of the Fraternal Order of Police and two men who worked with him when he was U.S. Attorney in Alabama. But the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus said putting the all-black panel at the end was a snub.
CEDRIC RICHMOND: To have a senator, a house member, and a living civil rights legend testify at the end of all of this is the equivalent of being made to go to the back of the bus.
WILLIAMS: Still, Sessions appeared headed for confirmation with a Senate vote likely early next month. Pete Williams, NBC news, Washington.
