TrumpSessions.jpg

U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, speaks during the Aug. 21, 2015, rally in support of Donald Trump's presidential campaign at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. (Sharon Steinmann/steinmann@al.com).

It's easy to spot a political hit job when you know what to look for. The telltale signs might include a steady trickle of negative information, an echo chamber focusing on the same story at the same time, or even a seemingly coordinated move from one "breaking" story to the next. Those of us who pay attention to politics have seen it whether we know it or not.

The most effective smear includes a smattering of facts, spotty allegations, and doctored quotes that fit a predetermined narrative. The "breaking" story usually comes from the biggest sympathetic media outlet that won't ask too many questions. The hook doesn't have to prove anything; it just needs to be salacious enough to gain traction. The narrative carries with other reporters and media types politically interested in affirming it. If successful, the story makes its way to our social media feeds and water cooler conversations.

This isn't anything new. Conducting opposition research and "defining" opponents is as much a part of American politics as shaking hands and kissing babies.

But we don't usually get to see a smear campaign's blueprint. WikiLeaks recently exposed the Democratic plan to attack Jeff Sessions, and most people missed it.

Several months ago, the Democratic political machine saw the Alabama Senator as a "Tier 1" vice presidential candidate and prepared the hit job. To their credit, they didn't take Sessions lightly.

Now that Sessions is Trump's nominee for Attorney General, Democrats have a pre-prepared document to damage him. It's an identity politics play that says as much about what Democrats think of Americans as how they feel towards Jeff Sessions.

According to the document, Latinos won't like Jeff Sessions because they value the Golden Rule more than U.S. immigration law. Democratic operatives assume African Americans care too much about food stamps and high levels of welfare spending to support him. Through the Democratic lens, America's youth should fear Jeff Sessions because he isn't a fan of marijuana, subsidized student loans, and increased government gun control. Democrats even planned to undermine Sessions with the middle class by appealing to the average American's love of government programs, corporate bailouts, and the Affordable Care Act.

The smears basically amount to stretching a few old accusations and emphasizing the fact that Jeff Sessions isn't a liberal.

The clearly partisan narrative uses cherry picked articles, allegations, and repetition to weave a story designed to affirm the biases of lazy reporters and leftist politicos--not exactly Sessions's biggest fans.

Confirmation hearings shouldn't be a cakewalk. Democrats will ask Sessions for his legal thoughts on president-elect Donald Trump's constitutionally suspect comments over the last year. He'll be questioned about enforcing the Supreme Court's recent decision in Obergefell v. Hodges in light of his perspectives on same-sex marriage. Many of his Senate colleagues will pepper him on his approach to issues like state marijuana and immigration policies essentially ignored by recent attorneys general.

That's all fair game, but don't expect to see a civil discussion hashing out differences in approaches to law enforcement.

Democrats might not be able to derail Sessions's confirmation, but they'll absolutely try damage public confidence in Sessions through the process. They won't deviate much from the attacks they've already prepared because Democrats appear more interested in political character assassination than an even handed vetting.

President Obama's attorneys general have used the office as a policy-making entity. Americans who share that activist perspective towards law enforcement won't be comforted by Sessions simply repeating his intention to uphold federal law.

That schism marks the greatest philosophical difference between the current Department of Justice and the direction Sessions would likely take it. Policy-making is the province of Congress. Our elected officials ought to do their job rather than having the nation's top attorney do it for them.

As we near Sessions's confirmation hearing, expect the pre-packaged Democratic headlines to increase. At least this time, you can follow along with "Jeff Sessions Top Hits" and won't have to wonder where they're coming from.

Cameron Smith is a regular columnist for AL.com and state programs director for the R Street Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C. He worked for Senator Jeff Sessions on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

DNC's Jeff Sessions Top Hits 5.20.16 from WikiLeaks by David Cameron Smith on Scribd