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He left, after a period of "talking people off the walls and off the ledges," preparing to do battle with another New Yorker, Donald Trump -- again.

In the weeks since, Schneiderman -- who led the Trump University fraud lawsuit -- and the nation's other Democratic attorneys general have leapt to the forefront of the anti-Trump resistance, taking on his executive order banning immigration from seven majority Muslim countries.

It's the first round in what's certain to be a years-long series of battles with the Trump administration over enforcement of labor, environmental and consumer protection rights, as well as health care and immigration laws.

"There's a sense of urgency and a real sense that we are now the guardians of the rule of law in the United States," Schneiderman said in an interview.

"That's the kind of thing that's tough to accept," he said. "But we appear to be confronted by an administration where you question if you take the rule of law seriously."

The attorneys general described to CNN a decision-making process on who would take on Trump based on which offices have budgets large enough to afford to do battle with the Justice Department, and based on which issues resonate most clearly locally.

Schneiderman, in a separate interview, told CNN's Erin Burnett on Wednesday's "OutFront" his legal antagonism toward Trump isn't personal.

"No, not at all. Again, I represent the people of the state of New York and I represent a lot of people who are hurt by this ban," he said. "I represent people who had to make a choice between keeping their jobs and getting back to their families who were separated by this ban ... I have no choice but to go and pursue this."

In the less than two weeks since Trump signed his travel ban, what had been semi-regular conference calls with Democratic attorneys general and, at times, their staffs, have become almost daily.

"We're going to be on the front lines of some of the most important battles for economic and social justice," said Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring.

In the wake of the election, Schneiderman offered guidance to states and counties that want to become "sanctuaries" that do not deport undocumented immigrants who abide by the law.

Noting a spike in hate crimes, he also issued updated guidance immediately after the election to law enforcement agencies on hate crimes.

In Virginia, Herring recently asked state lawmakers for more authority to prosecute hate crimes -- and to broaden the state's definition of hate crimes to more closely match federal law -- because, he said, he fears a less active Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department.

"Given what I heard during the campaign, I'm not optimistic," he said. "It's probably not going to be a very high priority."

"That's an example," Herring said, "of where I have adjusted some of the work that we're doing and trying to make sure that we can keep a president in check if we need to."

Many Democrats' eyes are on Schneiderman -- a dean of sorts among the group, in his second term in one of the nation's largest states -- and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who is now just weeks onto the job and is expected to take on a bigger role in the coming months.

Schneiderman's office has bureaus devoted to labor, civil rights and to appeals and opinions. It also has the advantage of being situated in a state where the headquarters -- or major operations -- of a number of major companies.

Should federal agencies -- including the Labor Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which liberals fret the Trump administration will gut -- fail to enforce regulations, Schneiderman said his office is prepared to sue to force those rules' enforcement.

"Our office has been not shy about taking on federal agencies about not doing their job," Schneiderman said.

Right after Trump's election, Schneiderman also immediately warned Trump against withdrawing support of President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan. And he urged New York lawmakers to guarantee free contraception -- a backstop against GOP-led efforts to repeal Obama's Affordable Care Act.

The strategizing and coordination among the 22 Democratic attorneys general began at a conference in Fort Lauderdale hosted by the Democratic Attorneys General Association.

"It was a moment where we all looked around and realized, this is real," said Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin. "President Trump being elected is a very real fact, and we need to start thinking about what we're going to do about that. He needs to be aware that as a group, we're going to be incredibly vigilant and assertive."

They already had a model: Republicans during President Barack Obama's tenure.

Greg Abbott of Texas -- now the state's governor who served as its attorney general during most of Obama's administration -- led many of the GOP's legal battles against Obama's immigration orders. And Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, Trump's pick for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, had regularly sued to block its regulations.

"In some ways, they created -- or maybe I should say they perfected -- a model of going to court and really standing against the presidential administration," said Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

Democrats had done it before, too. During President George W. Bush's second term, Massachusetts led a group of 12 states and several cities that sued to force the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases.

The galvanizing moment, the Democratic attorneys general said, was when Trump signed an executive order banning travel to the United States from seven majority Muslim nations.

"As the hours went on, we literally had chaos at the Philadelphia airport," said Josh Shapiro, the newly-elected attorney general of Pennsylvania.

Several states rushed into court to try to block the implementation of Trump's travel ban -- but it was Washington state's attorney general Bob Ferguson who was most successful in a lawsuit joined by Minnesota.

After a judge halted the implementation of Trump's travel ban, the offices of Schneiderman, Shapiro and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey led the drafting of an amicus brief in which 16 additional states backed Washington's case.

The most recent group phone call between the AGs came Tuesday afternoon, when Schneiderman and his staff, as well as the Democratic Attorneys General Association, led a discussion of the travel ban challenge just hours before oral arguments before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

"It was only like 80 years ago that a president's executive order based upon national security authorized citizens of Japanese ancestry, regardless of their backgrounds," Chin said. "It became very important that this was going to be the battle I was going to fight."

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The Democrats fighting the legal battles against Trump - CNN

In a near-party line vote of 52 to 47, former Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions was confirmed as United States Attorney General.

By Alex Wong/Getty.

Following an unusually acrimoniousand at times, racially charged debateAlabama Senator Jeff Sessions was confirmed Wednesday night as United States Attorney General in a near party-line vote. With only one Democratic senator, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, breaking ranks to vote for his colleague, and the procedural silencing of Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren the day before, Sessionss nomination united a party that, until recently, was divided over how to respond to the presidency of Donald Trump.

After his unexpected victory over Hillary Clinton in November, it remained an open question whether Democrats would seek to work with Trump, whose populist pledges on the campaign trail left some on the left optimistic that they might find areas of agreement with the new president. Few made their willingness to work with the New York real estate mogul more apparent early on than Chuck Schumer. I hope on the promises he's made to blue-collar America on trade, on carried interest, on infrastructure, that he'll stick with them and work with us, even if it means breaking with the Republicans who have always opposed these things, the Senate minority leader said on NBCs Meet the Press less than two weeks after the election. Bernie Sanders, too, expressed fleeting openness to working with Trump, particularly on initiatives aimed at helping the declining middle class. To the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him, the Vermont senator said the day after Clintons loss.

But since Trumps inauguration last month, any willingness Democrats once had to cooperate with the new administration has been displaced by the partys open hostility toward the fledgling administration. Amid a flurry of controversial executive ordersnotably, a travel ban on immigrants from seven majority-Muslim nations that sparked a massive, grassroots protest movement on the leftSenate Democrats focused their efforts on presenting a united front in opposition to a number of the presidents most contentious Cabinet nominees. Chief among the targets of Democrats ire: Betsy DeVos, Trumps pick to lead the Department of Education, and Sessions.

Backed by a legion of teachers unions, civil rights organizations, and parent associations, Senate Democrats launched a 24-hour debate earlier this week, during which they lambasted DeVos and painted the billionaire philanthropist as an enemy of the public school system. Two RepublicansSusan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaskavoted against DeVos, forcing Vice President Mike Pence to cast a historic tie-breaking vote in her favor. And while Democrats failed to derail the nomination, they certainly managed to send a unified message to the new administration. The fact that we had to get to the point where the vice president had to be pulled in to overcome the Democrats historic and partisan logjam of the presidents qualified nominee, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said during Tuesdays daily press briefing, is another glaring reminder of the unprecedented obstruction that Senate Democrats have engaged in throughout this process.

The partys opposition to Sessions, a longtime Senate colleague, sent an even stronger message to Trump that Democrats are prepared to hold the party line in opposition. Denied a federal judgeship during the Reagan administration over allegations of past racist comments, Senate Democrats had argued for months that Sessions, an early Trump supporter, is unfit to lead the Justice Department. Georgia Congressman and civil-rights icon John Lewis and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker testified against Sessions during his confirmation hearingthe latter breaking with Senate tradition to do so.

But the partisan divide over Sessions reached a fever pitch late Tuesday when Warren was silenced while reading a letter written by Coretta Scott King, in opposition to Sessions 1986 judicial nomination, that criticized the then U.S. attorney of using the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens. (Sessions name was later withdrawn from consideration.) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell objected to the Massachusetts senators reading, arguing that she was violating floor rules by impugning a Senate colleague, and the Republican-controlled chamber voted to formally silence her. But the decision to censure Warren backfired, turning her, briefly, into a social media celebrity, while McConnells condemnation of her actionsShe was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persistedrapidly emerged as a battle cry for Democrats. In an act of solidarity, Senators Sanders, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and Tom Udall of New Mexico, finished reading the letter on the Senate floor.

While the protests of DeVos and Sessions ultimately proved futile, they serve as a harbinger of the opposition Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration can expect from Democrats on Capitol Hill. On simple party-line votes, the remainder of Trump's Cabinet picks are likely to sail through their confirmations, but down the road, when the G.O.P. needs 60 votes and cooperation across the aislenotably, on issues like Obamacare and tax reformthings won't be so easy.

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With the Confirmation of Jeff Sessions, Democrats Become the Opposition - Vanity Fair

House Democrats opened their annual issues retreat in Baltimore on Wednesday by vowing to aggressively fight President Donald Trump, slamming his first weeks in the White House and suggesting there would be little room for compromise.

In a barrage of criticism, Democratic leaders meeting at an Inner Harbor hotel used "illusionist" and "authoritarian regime" to describe Trump. Based on his actions so far, they said, they did not envision many areas of agreement.

The strong rhetoric from Democrats who have little real power in the House appeared to reflect a leftward lunge by the party following Trump's temporary travel ban on seven predominantly Muslim countries. The lawmakers are under increased pressure from the party's liberal base to push back.

"We're not irrelevant at all. We represent the views of the majority of citizens," said Rep. Steny Hoyer of the Southern Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat in the House. "We don't have to have our head bowed. We don't have to retreat in any way."

The gathering of House members at the Hyatt Regency is the first of two Democratic meetings in Baltimore this week as the party searches for a strategy to deal with the new president. On Saturday, candidates running to chair the Democratic National Committee will appear at a forum at the Baltimore Convention Center to discuss their vision for the party's future.

Trump defended the temporary travel ban, now pending before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, as important for national security. He told a group of police chiefs including Baltimore Police Chief Kevin Davis that his immigration order was "done for the security of our nation."

He said it was written "beautifully" and was within his executive authority.

"A bad high school student would understand this," he said.

Despite the Democrats' tough talk Wednesday, the party remains divided over whether to orchestrate a unified opposition to Trump the approach the tea party-driven Republican Party took against President Barack Obama or look for some areas of common ground.

Some Democrats are concerned a more strident approach would further distance the party from the blue-collar swing voters who helped clear Trump's path to victory and allowed Republicans to keep their majorities in the House and Senate.

That concern is acute as Democrats look ahead to the 2018 midterm election, when 10 seats now held by Democrats are up in states Trump won.

House Democrats have frequently held their annual retreat in Baltimore, a heavily Democratic city in a state that gave Hillary Clinton one of her largest margins in the country. In addition to discussions about policy and strategy, lawmakers will hear from NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and comedian Chelsea Handler.

Outside the increased security around the Hyatt Regency, there was little indication Wednesday of the lawmakers' presence. The caucus meetings are closed to the public.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, a Baltimore native, offered particularly sharp criticism of Trump during the retreat's opening press conference. The California lawmaker reiterated her call for the FBI to investigate any connections between Trump and Russia.

"As long as the president continues down this path, there is nothing Democrats can work with him on," Pelosi said.

Later this week, Sen. Ben Cardin and Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh are among a list of Democrats who will speak at the forum Saturday to help party insiders choose their next party chair. The race includes former U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez of Maryland, Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota and several others.

Hoyer said Wednesday that he will support Perez, of Takoma Park, for the job.

"The most important role of our next chair will be to rebuild our state and local parties so Democrats can compete up and down the ballot," Hoyer said. "I believe Tom is best equipped to deliver on that challenge."

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who appointed Perez to his administration in 2007, endorsed 35-year-old South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg for the job on Wednesday.

"The Democratic Party of the past became very good at telling millennials to wait their turn. But the future cannot wait," O'Malley wrote in a social media posting.

"We must call forward the goodness in the hearts of young Americans if we are going to save our country and overcome the darkness of Trumpism."

john.fritze@baltsun.com

twitter.com/jfritze

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House Democrats, in Baltimore, vow to fight Trump - Baltimore Sun

New York Times

Texas Democrats Angered by Trump's Remark on Destroying Senator's Career New York Times HOUSTON A comment President Trump made on Tuesday in which he spoke of destroying the career of a Texas state senator has angered Democratic lawmakers in the state and cast a spotlight on the issue that set off the remark the seizing of ... Trump offers to 'destroy' Texas senator to help Rockwall sheriffDallas News Twitter - T.coT.co Trump invites speculation after offering to "destroy" Texas senatorTexas Tribune all 131 news articles »

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Texas Democrats Angered by Trump's Remark on Destroying Senator's Career - New York Times

Pushing back against Republican President Donald Trump, one Democratic state lawmaker is sponsoring legislation aimed at protecting Illinois women's access to abortion services.

The plan from State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, would eliminate a so-called trigger provision in state law that automatically would make abortion illegal in Illinois if the abortion rights ruling Roe v. Wade is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. The proposal also would allow women with Medicaid and state employee health insurance to use their coverage for abortions.

Feigenholtz said her effort is a direct response to Trump, who has said he would appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade.

Before the court decision, abortion in Illinois was illegal unless the mother's life was at stake. A law passed in 1975 two years after the case says that while abortion is now legal, the state would return to its former policy if the decision is ever reversed or modified.

"We really have to protect Illinois women and make an affirmative statement as a General Assembly that says Illinois is going to be a state where abortion is safe and legal no matter what happens with the Supreme Court and Donald Trump," Feigenholtz said.

The legislation is part of a broader agenda announced Wednesday by House and Senate Democrats that represents resistance to Trump in the legislature their party controls. Democrats detailed their fears that he'll push to weaken women's rights, and they protested the president's executive order banning immigrants and refugees from some Muslim-majority countries.

The abortion legislation cleared an Illinois House committee Wednesday despite concerns from some Republicans that the plan would remove a section of the 1975 law that says an unborn child is a human being from the time of conception and has a right to life.

"I think we have the responsibility to recognize that even an unborn child is a human being," said Rep. Sheri Jesiel, R-Winthrop Harbor. "We have that responsibility as a culture. We have that responsibility as a state. By striking that from the language, we do not do that."

The proposal has far to go before becoming law. It still needs a full House vote, Senate approval and a signature from Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Rauner avoided talk about social issues while campaigning but has since signed off on legislation that requires doctors who refuse to perform abortions for moral reasons to give patients information on where they can get the procedure elsewhere. That law is now before the courts.

Other efforts announced Wednesday call for paid sick time, paid family medical leave and access to free feminine hygiene products for students in grades 6-12. The group emphasized that more legislation could come up during session as it discusses other issues and the impact of the state budget impasse on women.

Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, said she is hoping to build on momentum from last year, when she successfully rolled back the sales tax on feminine hygiene products. Her new focus centers on legislation that seeks to prevent tailors, dry cleaners, hair salons and barbers from charging men and women different prices for the same services.

"I want to make sure that women are not being discriminated against for services," Bush said.

Under the proposal, businesses would be required to display a price list for their 15 most popular services, along with a sign informing customers about the state's anti-discrimination policy. Sellers would also have to provide a complete written price list to customers upon request. Businesses that violate the policy could wind up with a $1,000 fine.

"Women have had the vote for 100 years, and there are still pieces of women's rights that we just have to be paying more attention to," Bush said.

hbemiller@chicagotribune.com

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Illinois Democrats push back against Trump on abortion - Chicago Tribune