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Sessions: The Institutional Collapse of the US

March 14, 2017

Published in La Jornada
(Mexico) on 3 March 2017
by (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Tom Walker. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.

The situation with the attorney general of the United States, Jeff Sessions, has reached a level of scandal and absurdity that a short time ago would have been unimaginable in that country. To begin with, Sessions, now confirmed as attorney general, met with the Russian ambassador in Washington, Sergey Kislyak, in secret on two occasions when Sessions was part of the Donald Trump campaign team. This occurred just when the country was being rocked by the scandal involving the electronic interception of emails belonging to Trump’s Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. It was subsequently revealed that Sessions lied to the Senate to hide those meetings.

Now, paradoxically, as attorney general this right-wing radical would have to lead the investigation into serious crimes that he himself allegedly committed: the meetings with a diplomatic representative of a country accused by Washington of launching a massive cyberattack on a wing of the country’s political system, as well as his false statement—given under oath—before the United States Senate.

Clearly, Sessions’ actions not only disqualify him from heading the inquiry into the alleged interference by Moscow in the recent U.S. election process, but his actions have also destroyed his personal credibility with the public and with the members of the political class, whether Republican or Democrat, in Washington. In any other political circumstances, the attorney general in a case like this would have had to resign immediately or be removed by his boss, the president.*

However, through the uncertain and bizarre start of the new administration, Trump has been trying to keep his disgraceful colleague on board. By doing this, the Republican magnate runs the risk of uniting the Congress and government bureaucracy, as well, of course, as the bulk of public opinion, in opposition to him.

Trump’s stubbornness on certain controversial topics remains an enigma. In the case of Sessions, however, it is clear that, after having had to sacrifice several of his colleagues who were shown to be unsuitable for the jobs he gave them, or tried to give them, or who in a matter of days came into conflict with the White House, the Republican president has decided to entrench himself, not in his strength, but in his weakness.

However, the logic of the balance of powers argues that the president from New York will not be able to keep his attorney general for long. Even less will he be able to divert the investigations of alleged Russian interference that would have tipped the electoral balance in his favor and to Clinton’s disadvantage. In the meantime, not only has Trump seriously damaged himself politically with his clumsy and unscrupulous maneuvering, he has in the process caused a deterioration in the institutional framework of Washington that can’t be hidden. We have to ask ourselves: how far, and for how long, will Democrats and Republicans be inclined to go along with this obvious project of destroying their institutions?

*Editor’s note: Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on March 2 that he will recuse himself from investigations into matters related to Russia’s alleged role in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Sessions: destrucción institucional de EU

La jornada (México)
Editorial
3 de marzo de 2017

La situación del secretario de Justicia (o fiscal general) de Estados Unidos, Jeff Sessions, alcanza un grado de escándalo y desfiguro que hasta hace poco tiempo habría sido inimaginable en ese país. Para empezar, el ahora funcionario se reunió en secreto en dos ocasiones, cuando era parte del equipo de campaña de Donald Trump, con el embajador de Rusia en Washington, Sergei Kislyak, justo cuando el país se veía sacudido por el escándalo de las intercepciones electrónicas de los correos de la candidata rival, la demócrata Hillary Clinton. Posteriormente se dio a conocer que Sessions había mentido ante el Senado al ocultar esos encuentros.

Ahora, paradójicamente, en tanto que secretario de Justicia, este radical de derecha tendría que encabezar la investigación de presuntos ilícitos graves cometidos por él mismo: tanto los encuentros con un representante diplomático cuyo país era acusado por Washington de lanzar un ciberataque de grandes dimensiones sobre un ala de la institucionalidad política del país como su declaración mendaz –realizada bajo juramento– ante la cámara alta del Capitolio.

Evidentemente, estas conductas de Sessions no sólo lo inhabilitan para hacerse cargo de las pesquisas en torno a la supuesta interferencia de Moscú en el reciente proceso electoral estadunidense, sino que han demolido su credibilidad personal ante la sociedad y los miembros de la clase política de Washington, independientemente de su filiación republicana o demócrata. En tal circunstancia, en cualquiera otra coyuntura política, el aún fiscal general habría debido separarse de inmediato del cargo o ser removido por su jefe, el presidente.

Sin embargo, en el incierto y grotesco arranque de la nueva administración, Trump se ha empeñado en sostener en el puesto a su impresentable colaborador. Con ello, el magnate republicano corre el riesgo de unificar en su contra al Congreso y a la burocracia del aparato estatal, así como, por descontado, al grueso de la opinión pública.

La tozudez de Trump en ciertos tópicos polémicos sigue siendo un enigma, pero en el caso de Sessions resulta inocultable que, después del obligado sacrificio de varios de sus colaboradores que se revelaron como no idóneos para los empleos que se les asignó o pretendió asignar, o que en cuestión de días entraron en conflicto con la Casa Blanca, el mandatario republicano ha decidido atrincherarse no en su fortaleza, sino en su debilidad.

Las lógicas del contrapeso de poderes indican que el magnate neoyorquino no podrá, sin embargo, mantener por mucho tiempo a su secretario de Justicia, y menos distraer las investigaciones en torno a la alegada injerencia rusa, que habría inclinado la balanza electoral en su favor y en detrimento de Clinton. Por lo pronto, Trump no sólo se ha infligido un severo daño político, sino que, de paso, ha provocado con sus manejos torpes e inescrupulosos un inocultable deterioro en el tramado institucional de Washington. Cabe preguntarse hasta dónde, y por cuánto tiempo, demócratas y republicanos estarán dispuestos a tolerar esta manifiesta obra de destrucción de sus instituciones.

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