I see Sessions's page with his defense is no longer online.
As most everyone has hear Sessions made this comment about a federal judge's decision regarding an executive order by Trump regarding immigration.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/04/20/jeff_sessions_is_amazed_that_some_guy_in_hawaii_can_tell_trump_what_to_do.html
Sessions said, “I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the President of the United States from what appears to be clearly his statutory and Constitutional power.”It is somewhat concerning that the Attorney General of the United States doesn't understand the concept of the division of powers in our federal system of government.
Sessions's statement in reference to Hawaii tends to confirm the criticisms of Sessions during the U.S. Senate confirmation process that he was a racist.
However, what has really amazed the public is Sessions's dismissive attitude towards Hawaii, as if it isn't a real US state. I can't imagine him making this type of remark about Arkansas or Vermont or Utah or Maryland or any of the other 48 contiguous states. This comment isn't coming from some fringe element but the Attorney General of the United States of America.
This of course is very harmful to the Republican Party in Hawaii, but I don't think they have much influence there. It is a statement which will alienate persons of Pacific Island ancestry on the United States mainland. However, a lot of those votes are in California and the Republican Party does poorly there. As for Asian Americans Sessions's comments send a clear message that they will always be seen as the alien other. Again a lot of those votes are concentrated on the East and West coasts where the Republican Party isn't winning anyways.
Still Sessions's comments are adding another long term obstacle to presidential victories when the demographics for the 2016 Trump victory are fading away with time. The Republican Party can't always depend of the Democrats selecting and trying to foist a candidate for president who just isn't that electable. Also, in Hawaii and on the East and West coasts there are elected Republicans who are attempting to have some influence and elect candidates and Sessions's comments damage the Republican Party's prospects there.
Also, Asian Americans are distributed across the country and in a lot of states currently dominated by Republicans Sessions's comments will be an acceleration of the slow shift that is occurring of these states to a more progressive politics.
HOWEVER, ....
Sessions's comment is a tremendous boost for the Hawaiian secessionists. The Attorney General of the United States of America has made it very clear, loud and clear, that to him Hawaii isn't part of the United States of America. Sessions really couldn't have been more insulting if he tried. It is the casual way he said it as well as what he said that shows that he really doesn't consider Hawaii part of America.
Sessions's comments are an endorsement of the central core concept of the Hawaiian secessionist movement, that Hawaii is really a foreign nation under American occupation.
The impact of this comment is still in play. What will Trump say? What will the national leadership of the Republican Party say? Will the conservative movement rebuke Sessions? It will be observed to what extent the Republican Party and the conservative movement respond to Sessions's comments and to what extent they reject them.
Then their has been the Boycott Hawaii movement by Trump supporters which is already an antagonizing factor. http://www.kitv.com/story/34943719/attorney-general-doug-chin-reacts-to-boycotthawaii
The press is focusing on the outrage of Hawaiian leaders, but what will be really interesting is what Hawaiian secessionists do with it and I think they certainly will use Session's statements.
Of course there are all those other islands in the Pacific which the United States possesses as colonial possessions. Maybe they also will suddenly develop secession movements. I suggest Mr. Sessions not visit any Pacific Islands ever. It would energize any potential secession movements.
For the territorial integrity of the United States of America Jeff Sessions should resign.
UPDATE:
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/21/jeff-sessions-hawaii-judge-remark-237456
Sessions denies that he made a disparaging remark about Hawaii.
It might be that Sessions thinks he is in Alabama where some people are predisposed to accept these type of excuses or that excuses that he made during his confirmation hearing will work now. And they might work now. I don't think they will work in Hawaii though.
Sessions didn't say, "a lone judge out of hundreds," or something similar. Sessions felt it was essential to mention it was "an island in the Pacific" to emphasize how reasonable it was. The only people who are buying Sessions's excuse are people with a racial attitude anyways.
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