Differences aside, Sessions' small-town upbringing resonated with me

There is no surprise here. You go around claiming that white people are discriminated against, or that local police departments that are under consent decrees for violating people's civil rights should no longer be monitored, or that we should limit legal immigration -- most of which comes from Africa, Asia and Latin America -- and, well, people are going to call you names.

But now that I've met Sessions, I understand why so many Americans appreciate and admire the man. For folks who live south of the Mason-Dixon Line, or in the Midwest, he's a hero for going as far as he did in life given his humble beginnings.

Born in 1946, Sessions was raised in the tiny town of Hybart, Alabama, where his father owned a country store. He's not a product of the Ivy League but of Huntingdon College in Montgomery and the University of Alabama School of Law. After becoming a lawyer, and then serving as U.S. attorney, he was nominated for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama -- only to have his nomination scuttled amid accusations that he had made racially offensive remarks. Sessions then ran for Alabama attorney general and won. Then he ran for a U.S. Senate seat and won that, too. Finally, in 2017, Sessions got the position he always wanted when he became attorney general. Unfortunately, the person who gave him his dream job turned out to be a nightmare.

I've always had my beefs with Sessions, and I still do. Meeting him didn't change that.

However, I hail from a small farm town in Central California, where they grow everything -- except high expectations for the people who live there. So Sessions' journey resonates with me.

When we met, Sessions put out his hand and joked: "Is this the famous Ruben Navarrette?"

I smiled, and I thanked him for his service.

"Well," he said. "We've had an interesting ride, haven't we?"

Yes, sir. We have.

Now that the Mueller investigation is done, the country is owed an explanation for how this debacle was possible. And Trump owes Sessions an apology for putting him in a position that was impossible.

========

Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.