Senate votes to shut up Elizabeth Warren

Almost instantly, social media propelled the episode into a national storyline.

In her letter, first reported by the Washington Post, King urged the Senate three decades ago to reject Sessions’ bid to become a judge.

“Mr. Sessions has used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens in the district he now seeks to serve as a federal judge,” King wrote in her letter back then, which Warren read on the Senate floor Tuesday night. “This simply cannot be allowed to happen.”

But as Warren said those words, Republicans took offense. First, she was warned by the presiding officer — at the time, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) — that she was violating Senate rules against impugning another senator.

Warren protested, saying she was merely repeating the words of King. But she was allowed to continue to talk, so she did, and Warren finished reading King’s letter.

“Mrs. King’s views and words ring true today,” Warren said. “The integrity of our Justice Department depends on an attorney general who will fight for the rights of all people. An honest evaluation of Jeff Sessions’ record shows that he is not that person.”

But a little while later as Warren continued to speak, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) came to the floor.

“The senator has impugned the motives and conduct of our colleague from Alabama,” McConnell said, referring to Warren’s recitation of the part of King’s letter that warned Sessions would “chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens.”

.. Warren insisted that she was “surprised” that reading King’s letter would not be appropriate debate in the chamber and asked for permission to continue speaking.

McConnell objected to that request from Warren, which was upheld in the GOP-controlled chamber. Warren immediately appealed that ruling so she could finish her speech against Sessions, but the Senate voted along party lines to shut down that appeal.

Now, she can no longer talk until the floor fight over Sessions’ nomination is over. His confirmation vote is expected Wednesday evening.

Why This Election Terrifies Me

Last weekend a man who was getting a head start on Halloween attended a University of Wisconsin football game in a costume that depicted Barack Obama with a noose around his neck.

.. He has modeled contempt for civilized norms and even the rule of law, endorsing violence against protesters, expressing admiration for a Russian autocrat, pledging a clampdown on the press, suggesting that Second Amendment enthusiasts might want to take a shot at Clinton, and promising to throw her in jail.

.. But I can’t identify a single issue like that, domestic or foreign, in 2016, because no campaign in my adult lifetime has turned so little on policy and so much on character.

.. it feels as if we’re coming out of this election with four parties:

  1. the Paul Ryan Republicans,
  2. the Freedom Caucus,
  3. the establishment Democrats and
  4. the Elizabeth Warren/Bernie Sanders brigade,

which is raring to use the muscle that Sanders flexed during the primaries for legislation more progressive than anything that the House would ever approve.

.. Trump prophesies a “constitutional crisis.” Republicans raise the specters of “impeachment” and “indictment.” And Rudy Giuliani demands an assurance from Obama that he won’t pardon Clinton, who is favored to win even though only 47 percent of the people who are planning to vote for her can muster any considerable enthusiasm about it.

Liberals Hope Elizabeth Warren Will Serve as Clinton’s Scrutinizer in Chief

And few surrogates have been able to rattle Mr. Trump like Ms. Warren, who has called the Republican nominee a “thin-skinned bully who thinks humiliating women at 3 a.m. qualifies him to be president.”

On Monday, Ms. Warren took furious aim at Mr. Trump’s comments about women and the sexual assault allegations against him.

“He thinks that because he has a mouthful of Tic Tacs that he can force himself on any woman within groping distance,” she said, alluding to Mr. Trump’s mention of the breath freshener in a 2005 recording in which he boasted about forcing himself on women.

.. “She’s a very powerful ally to have on your side, but it’s well known that she’s a very formidable opponent to have working against you,” said Adam Green, a co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee

.. “Obama had a very lengthy honeymoon when there wasn’t much pressure on him from the left,” said Dan Cantor, the national director of the Working Families Party. “That won’t be the case with Hillary Clinton.”