Rick Klein: “Keep an eye on Sen. Cory Booker. Not that he’s making himself easy to ignore, with his decision to break Senate precedent to testify in opposition to his colleague, Sen. Jeff Sessions, in confirmation hearings for attorney general. This is not really about blocking Sessions from joining the Cabinet. (Sen. Susan Collins’ participation in favor of Sessions sends a more important signal, about the minimal chance of GOP defections.) For Booker, this is more about early markers for a Democratic Party looking for new leaders. The Justice Department will be at the forefront of critical issues regarding race, law enforcement, criminal-justice reform, and drug policy – issues where President Obama’s legacy is acutely in the balance. Who will be seen standing up for those values in a dark season for Democrats? It might not be too hard to imagine actions taken this week being filtered onto a Democratic debate stage in 2019.”
Jim Geraghty: “It looks like New Jersey Senator Corey Booker is interested in running for president in 2020. That’s the easiest way to explain a guy whose initial reputation in politics was ‘Mr. Bipartisan’ throwing himself onto the tracks of an oncoming train of an all-but-certain confirmation.”
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