AWKWARD: Dem critics of Jeff Sessions spent 20 years praising him.

A growing number of key Democrats raising questions about Attorney General-nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions have spent 20 years praising his character and bipartisanship, leading to a potentially awkward and hypocritical challenge at his upcoming Senate confirmation hearing.

A review of past public statements that show support and admiration for the Alabama senator includes words from Labor Secretary Thomas Perez who plans a spirited bid for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee.

Consider: During his 2009 confirmation hearing as assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Perez called Sessions a “wonderfully welcoming person.”

At his hearing Perez said: “I had the privilege of serving as a first-line supervisor in the criminal section. I traveled the country. My first travel was to Mobile, Ala., where we were treated with great dignity by then-U.S. Attorney and now Sen. Jeff Sessions, the first trial that I participated in, and he was a wonderfully welcoming person, a wonderfully welcoming U.S. attorney, and I am very grateful for that work.”

Now that he has been chosen as President-elect Trump’s attorney general, however, top Democrats are challenging Sessions on gay, racial and other issues and the attack would be led by potential leaders like Perez.

They’ll flip positions as fast as Lillian Hellman did on Germany.