Sen. Elizabeth Warren broke the chamber's rules on purpose this week in order to boost her image within the Democratic Party, The Wall Street Journal writes.
The paper's editorial board surmises that Warren's decision to attack Sen. Jeff Sessions, who was confirmed as attorney general Wednesday night, had an alternate agenda — one that included running for president in 2020.
"Warren isn't a victim, even if she enjoys feeling she is, and Republicans aren't trying to get her to 'shut up,' as if that's possible," the paper writes. "She knowingly broke protocol and said Mr. Sessions was 'racist' and prosecuting 'a campaign of bigotry,' among other gross, false and personal insults that Democrats now feel entitled to hurl.
"Our guess is that Ms. Warren wanted to be punished so she could play out this political theater."
After being warned by Senate leaders she was in violation of Senate Rule XIX, the Republican-controlled chamber banned Warren from speaking during the Sessions confirmation debate. Senate Rule XIX states, in part, "No Senator in debate shall, 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."
Warren then took her message outside the chamber, opting to read a letter from Coretta Scott King on Facebook Live. She also appeared on cable networks and raised money off the incident.
"A question for Republicans is whether Mr. [Mitch] McConnell enhanced the Warren brand by responding to her provocations in this way," the Journal writes. "She already has a formidable platform but the story dominated Wednesday’s news. Then again, sooner or later Mr. McConnell had to send a signal that Senate rules can’t be violated with impunity."