US AG Jeff Sessions testifies publicly about Russia

Attorney General Jeff Sessions stunned the political world over the weekend by making clear he wanted to testify in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee in its investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election. And, he wanted that Tuesday hearing to be public!

"The Attorney General has requested that this hearing be public," said a Justice Department spokesperson. "He believes it is important for the American public to hear the truth directly from him and looks forward to answering the committee's questions."

That's a very, very smart decision by Sessions because closed-door hearings, by their very nature, give off a whiff of "something to hide."

Think about your own life. When someone walks into your — and their — boss's office, you assume something secret is going down. And that it's probably bad. Now, compare that to if a colleague walks into your boss's office and doesn't close the door. Your perception of what they are talking about — assuming you aren't actually listening in (if so, you should stop because that's super creepy) is totally different.

This is also Washington, where strategic leaking is basically an Olympic sport. That goes for any act by a public official but roughly quadruple so for a hearing about Russia ties featuring the sitting Attorney General.

Leaks would be everywhere the second Sessions concluded his testimony. Maybe even before he finished.

And, even if the leakers didn't have an agenda — and they will — what those leaks produced would be bad news for Sessions.