Elizabeth Warren's Disparaging Comments About Fellow Senator Jeff Sessions Have Nothing To Do With Principles And Everything To Do With Political Advancement

TOP TAKEAWAYS

On Tuesday, the publisher for Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) announced that Warren was writing a new book.

On Tuesday evening, after attacking fellow Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) on the Senate floor and being warned that her remarks violated Senate rules, Warren was sanctioned by the chamber's members.

After apparently using the Senate floor to kick off her book tour, Warren quickly made the rounds on national TV fueling additional TV coverage of the incident and even fundraised off the violation of Senate rules.

It appears that that Elizabeth's Warren biggest priority is promoting Elizabeth Warren and last night's political stunt was about Warren turning a discussion about the nominee for Attorney General into a discussion about Warren.

ON THE SAME DAY IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT WARREN WAS PUBLISHING A NEW BOOK, WARREN CREATED - AND INSERTED HERSELF INTO - A HIGH PROFILE CONTROVERSY

On Tuesday, Senator Elizabeth Warren's Publisher Announced That Warren Is Writing A New Book That Will Be Published This April. "NEW YORK, February 7, 2017-Senator Elizabeth Warren is writing a new book about how we can win the fight to revive and expand America's struggling middle class, it was announced today by Stephen Rubin, president and publisher of Henry Holt and Company. Entitled This Fight Is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America's Middle Class, the book will be published by the company's Metropolitan Books imprint on April 18, 2017, and edited by John Sterling, editor at large for Macmillan." (Press Release, "Senator Elizabeth Warren To Write New Book On The Fight To Save America's Middle Class," Henry Holt and Company , 2/7/17)

On Tuesday Evening, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Was Sanctioned By The Senate For Remarks That Violated That The Chamber's Rules. "Sen. Elizabeth Warren has earned a rare rebuke by the Senate for quoting Coretta Scott King on the Senate floor. The Massachusetts Democrat ran afoul of the chamber's arcane rules by reading a three-decade-old letter from Dr. Martin Luther King's widow that dated to Sen. Jeff Sessions' failed judicial nomination three decades ago." (Andrew Taylor, "Warren Violates Arcane Rule, Sparking Senate Dustup," The Associated Press , 2/7/17)

Before Being Sanctioned By The Senate, Warren Was Specifically Warned By Presiding Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), Who Explained That She Had Violated Senate Rule 19. "'The senator is reminded that it is a violation of Rule 19 of the standing rules of the Senate to impugn another senator or senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a senator,' said Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, who was presiding over the Senate at the time. 'I don't think I quite understand,' responded a surprised Warren. 'I'm simply reading what she wrote about what the nomination of Sessions to be a federal court judge meant and what it would mean in history for her.' 'You stated that a sitting senator is a disgrace to the Department of Justice," said Daines, explaining what Warren had done to violate the rule." (Ted Barrett, "Warren Cut Off During Sessions Debate After Criticism," CNN , 2/8/17)

Daines "Warned Warren That Senators Cannot 'Directly Or Indirectly'" Assail The Character Of Another Senator On The Chamber's Floor. "Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, the Senate's presiding officer, warned Warren that senators cannot 'directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another Senator or to other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator,' he said." (Ali Rogin and Tom Liddy, "Elizabeth Warren Silenced In Senate After Reading Quote Calling Jeff Sessions 'Disgrace,'" ABC News , 2/8/17)

"Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, the Senate's presiding officer, warned Warren that senators cannot 'directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another Senator or to other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator,' he said." (Ali Rogin and Tom Liddy, "Elizabeth Warren Silenced In Senate After Reading Quote Calling Jeff Sessions 'Disgrace,'" ABC News , 2/8/17) Warren Had Been Warned Multiple Times About Violating Senate Rules. "'She has been warned multiple times (not just today),' McConnell spokesman Don Stewart told NBC News. 'And after additional warning today, she was found in violation of the rule. She appealed the ruling and lost.'" (Leigh Ann Caldwell, Frank Thorp V, and Andrew Rafferty, "Warren Silenced For Reading Coretta Scott King Letter At Sessions Debate," NBC News , 2/8/17)

After Warren Ignored The Warning And "Continu[ed] To Speak Out Critically Of Sessions" For Another Twenty Minutes, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Went To The Floor To Say She Was In Violation Of Senate Rules. "About 20 minutes later, with Warren continuing to speak out critically of Sessions, McConnell went to the floor and told Warren she was in violation of the rule. At that point, Warren asked for a roll call vote on her appeal of the decision but it was defeated." (Ted Barrett, "Warren Cut Off During Sessions Debate After Criticism," CNN , 2/8/17)

AFTER KNOWINGLY VIOLATING SENATE RULES, WARREN APPEARED ON NUMEROUS NATIONAL TV SHOWS

Warren Has Already Done At Least Five National TV Interviews In The Wake Of Calling Sessions A "Disgrace"

On Wednesday, Warren Was "Making The Rounds Of Media Interviews…" "At this point, though, Democrats are happy to take their gains when they can, and Warren on Wednesday was making the rounds of media interviews in a victory lap of her moment." (Lisa Mascaro, "GOP's Silencing Of Sen. Elizabeth Warren Only Raises Her Profile As Democratic Alternative To Trump," The Los Angeles Times , 2/8/17)

Since Last Night, Warren Has Appeared On ABC's "The View," MSNBC's "Live," CNN's "Inside Politics," CNN's "Tonight With Don Lemon," And MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show." (ABC's "The View," 2/8/17; MSNBC's "Live," 2/8/17; CNN's "Inside Politics," 2/8/17; CNN's "Tonight With Don Lemon," 2/7/17; MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show," 2/7/17)

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ELIZABETH WARREN'S ACTIONS ARE AN ATTEMPT TO PROMOTE ELIZABETH WARREN

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza: "Warren And Democrats Get A Boost From Their Activist Base And Wall-To-Wall Coverage On Cable TV." (Chris Cillizza, "The Uncomfortable Truth Of The Elizabeth Warren-Mitch McConnell Showdown," The Washington Post , 2/8/17)

Fortune's Claire Zillman: "The Rebuke Tuesday Night Will Help Warren Win Over Liberals Who Have Been Frustrated By Her" Vote In Favor Of HUD Secretary Designate Ben Carson. "The rebuke Tuesday night will help Warren win over liberals who have been frustrated by her committee vote in favor of Ben Carson's nomination for secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The episode will also resonate with female voters-it was, perhaps, the ultimate example of 'manterrupting'-and could help her with African American voters since Warren was cut off while reading a letter from a civil rights icon, during Black History Month, no less." (Claire Zillman, Opinion, "Why The Silencing Of Elizabeth Warren Is A Gift That Will Keep On Giving," Fortune , 2/8/17)

Zillman: "Tuesday's Saga Strengthens Warren's Progressive Platform For A Potential 2020 Run." (Claire Zillman, Opinion, "Why The Silencing Of Elizabeth Warren Is A Gift That Will Keep On Giving," Fortune , 2/8/17)

The Washington Post's James Hohmann Noted That Warren's Actions Could Be Seen As An Attempt To "Help Warren Make Inroads With African Americans" Ahead Of A Presidential Run. "This really could help Warren make inroads with African Americans: There are relatively few black voters in Massachusetts, but members of the community will determine who wins the South Carolina primary in three years (it's coming up faster than you think). Bernie Sanders just might have stopped Hillary Clinton if he had figured out a way to break through her firewall with African American voters. So there is no doubt that Warren World celebrated as groups like the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus quickly rallied behind her." (James Hohmann, "Mitch McConnell Gives Elizabeth Warren's 2020 Presidential Campaign An In-Kind Contribution," The Washington Post's Daily 202 , 2/8/17)

Warren's Decision To Insult Sessions Was Immediately Used To Bolster Warren's And Congressional Democrats' Election Funds

Warren Is Fundraising Off Of Her Violation Of Senate Rules. "The outcome produced powerful short-term gains for Democrats who are struggling to channel powerful voter unrest over Trump's agenda into common cause. Fundraising was surely robust - 'we WILL make our voices heard,' Warren dashed off in an appeal to donors." (Lisa Mascaro, "GOP's Silencing Of Sen. Elizabeth Warren Only Raises Her Profile As Democratic Alternative To Trump," The Los Angeles Times , 2/8/17)

Warren Has "Used" The Beginning Of The Trump Administration "To Help Spur Donations To Her Campaign." "Warren has used Trump to help spur donations to her campaign. She sent out a fundraising email to supporters last week saying that deep-pocketed conservative groups were already running ads against her. 'I will never stop fighting against a right-wing system hell-bent on stripping the rights of working people and tilting the law to favor big business and billionaires like Donald Trump,' Warren said in the email." (Steve LeBlanc, "Warren Raking In Millions In Campaign Donations," The Associated Press , 2/8/17)

When Asked This Morning If She Had An Issue With Democrats Trying To Fundraise Off Of Her Actions, Warren Did Not Say She Had Any Objections. CNN'S MANU RAJU: "And some of the Democrats are also trying to raise money off of this. Are you okay with that? Doing this, and how much money have you raised for your campaign?" SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): "Heavens, I have no idea. This is about trying to get people to read Coretta Scott King's letter." (CNN's "Live," 2/8/17)

The Liberal Group MoveOn Used Warren's Actions To Raise $250,000 For Her Re-Election Campaign. "The liberal group MoveOn announced Wednesday that its members have donated more than $250,000 to Warren's re-election campaign since McConnell silenced her." (Sophia Tesfaye, "'Nevertheless, She Persisted': Democrats Rally Behind Elizabeth Warren After GOP Silencing," Salon , 2/8/17)

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