SESSIONS SCRAPES THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL…. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) has adopted a rather embarrassing approach to attacking Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan: throw as much garbage as possible at the wall, and hope something sticks. The latest effort was cheap, even for Sessions.
Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions stepped up his challenges against Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan on Wednesday by criticizing Harvard University’s acceptance of a $20 million donation from a Saudi Arabian family while she served as dean of the law school.
The donation, the Alabama Republican said in a floor speech, funded the creation of an Islamic studies center at the university. […]
“Ms. Kagan was perfectly willing to obstruct the U.S. military, which has liberated countless Muslims from the hate and tyranny of Saddam Hussein and the Taliban,” Sessions said. “But it seems she sat on the sidelines as Harvard created an Islamic studies center funded by — and dedicated to — foreign leaders presiding over a legal system that violates what would appear to be her position.”
First, Kagan didn’t “obstruct the U.S. military.” Sessions should know better than to lie about something like this.
Second, when the Islamic Studies program was created, it was for Harvard, and had nothing to do with the law school Kagan led.
Third, there’s nothing wrong with an Islamic Studies program.
Fourth, the school’s program offers a wide variety of cultural, historical, and sociological courses, and is not and was not “dedicated to” a foreign legal system.
And what of the Saudi family that donated the money to start the program? That would be Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal — the largest stockholder in Fox News outside of the Murdoch family. Is Sessions really prepared to make Bin Talal controversial? If so, the Republican news network has a problem.
If this is the best Sessions can do, it’s no wonder Kagan is expected to be confirmed.
