Ted Cruz accused Senator Al Franken of lying about Jeff Sessions  record on civil rights. On Wednesday, Franken fired back.Just before the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to confirm Sessions as Donald Trump s Attorney General, Franken took the Texas senator to the woodshed for disparaging his character and integrity. Cruz claimed that 1986 testimony about Sessions making racist remarks was  recanted,  which is a complete lie. Let s talk about who is trying to impugn the record of another senator,  Franken said.  I think Senator Cruz is trying to impugn mine. Republican Senator John Cornyn, of course, objected to Franken s remarks, complaining that Cruz was not in the room to respond in his own defense. You know, any excuse to try and shut down a Democrat telling the truth about a Republican snake.But Franken was ready for such whining and reminded Cornyn that he did not object when Cruz did the exact same thing to him. Senator Cruz did the very thing Senator Cornyn is accusing me of doing. In my absence  he personally went after me, he personally impugned my integrity. You didn t object then, did you? Chuck Grassley let Franken continue but warned him to  leave personalities out of it  because apparently only Republicans are allowed to personally attack the opposition during hearings.Franken was then interrupted again by a still complaining Cornyn, who insisted that Franken wait for Cruz to be in the room. Well get him here, but he ll have a tape of it,  Franken shot back.Here s the video via YouTube.If Ted Cruz did not want Franken to lambaste him during a Senate hearing he shouldn t have lied about the facts and insulted Franken in the first place.Jeff Sessions has a record of racism going back decades and his nomination to head the Justice Department is an insult to every person who fought hard for civil rights and voting rights in this country. Republicans should be ashamed of themselves for confirming him.Featured image via Nation of Change