Thursday, July 31, 2008

"Family Values" Minnesota Republicans got strip club money

The blog Dump Michele Bachmann reports that Pete Sessions' strip club money is helping finance the re-election campaign of "family values" candidate Michele Bachmann, as well as the 3rd District Republican candidate, Erik Paulsen:
Not only did Bachmann receive some of this stripper money, 3rd District Republican candidate, Erik Paulsen received $5000 from PETEPAC. In an election where Minnesota Republicans are faux outraged about satirical comments made by Al Franken, it appears as though they are concerned primarily with comments and not with instances in which women are actually exploited and in which they benefit from said exploitation. Between the erotic elixirs of William Hudlow and stripraiser money from PETEPAC, it might be safe to say that the sex industry is throwing its support behind Michele Bachmann, Erik Paulsen, and the Republican Party of Minnesota. I guess I had never realized that family values meant strippers and horny goat weed.

Sessions' strip-club story goes national

From Washington Post:
We had never heard of a member of Congress holding a fundraiser at a Las Vegas burlesque nightclub... until now.

And the culprit is card-carrying conservative Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tex.). The same Pete Sessions who scolded Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake for forcing "their liberal values upon the rest of the country" after their infamous 2004 Super Bowl halftime striptease.
The article goes on to tell (again) about how Pete Sessions was a streaker in 1974:
Sessions himself has been known to have an exhibitionist streak -- streak being the operative word.

In 1974, as a college freshman, he participated in a mass streaking rampage across the campus of what was then called Texas State University. As the Sleuth, in a previous incarnation, reported in this subscription-only Roll Call newspaper column in 2004, Sessions bragged about his streaking abilities to the San Antonio News. At the time, he was two weeks shy of his 19th birthday.

"Just taking off your clothes and running around is kind of a free spirit thing," Sessions said.
Okay, I'm old enough to remember streaking. Here's the way it's supposed to happen--you take your clothes off, run like hell, and disappear without getting caught. Hence, the "streak." It defeats the purpose to give interviews afterwards, using your real name! That's what I've always loved about Pete Sessions' streaking story, that he was actually quoted in the paper afterwards saying, "Just taking off your clothes and running around is kind of a free spirit thing."

Americablog has pictures of the "tasteful strip joint" where Pete Sessions held his fundraiser. Good lord--is that an American flag behind the stripper pole?

This year's Las Vegas fundraiser was held at a much more family friendly venue, the 40/40 Lounge, owned by hip-hop artist Jay-Z, who happens to be an avid supporter of Barack Obama!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Dallas Conservatives "Shocked" by Sessions' Strip-Club Party


Well, it looks like the saying isn't true after all that "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."Dallas Morning News just reported the story of Pete Sessions' Las Vegas strip-club fundraiser and the right-wingers are "shocked":
Aides to Mr. Sessions, a self-described conservative, and others said the act was a mild burlesque show, but some conservative activists were aghast that the event was held at an adult club.

"What's the difference?" asked Cathie Adams, president of the Texas Eagle Forum. "I don't think that it's representative of the constituents of the district. I'm in shock."
Texas Eagle Forum's mission is to "enable conservative and pro-family men and women to participate in the process of self-government and public policy-making" and are all about promoting "conservative and pro-family policies through the media."

They also claim to in favor of "individual liberty" and "private enterprise," but apparently, they draw the line at the adult entertainment industry.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Pete Sessions says "no" to foreclosure prevention, road and bridge safety

Pete Sessions was one of only 55 House members to vote against H.R. 3999, to "improve the safety of Federal-aid highway bridges, to strengthen bridge inspection standards and processes, and to increase investment in the reconstruction of structurally deficient bridges on the National Highway System." (See Congress.Org) The bill passed 367-55,12 Not Voting (See Roll Call 530.

Pete Sessions also voted against a Senate amendment to H.R. 3221, to prevent homeowners from going into foreclosure. The bill passed 272-152. (See Roll No. 519).

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Pete Sessions fundraiser in Vegas strip club

When the "family values" crowd wants to party, they call Monica Notzen. She's a Republican consultant whose job it is to invite lobbyists to parties, like the one she threw for Pete Sessions at the Las Vegas strip club, Forty Deuce.
Sessions: That's right, we do a Las Vegas fundraiser every year and not only raise money, but see Las Vegas. It's a beautiful town.

Henn: Forty Deuce is a strip club.

Sessions: You know, I've never seen that. It is what I would call a burlesque show where there's a woman who comes out and has a dress on... Uh, she never gets naked. There's no nudity, there's no nudity in there...
Yeah, right. This is how the club's owner, Ivan Kane, describes his brand of burlesque.
Ivan Kane: The key component would be to have girls who were dancers taking their clothes off, not just girls taking their clothes off.
According to Marketwatch, Pete Sessions spent $5,000 at the strip club and another $2,100 at his hotel. Pete's PAC explains that the evening was "tame" and that "none of it violated a single law."

Hmmmm...not to cast aspersions on Pete's "tame" evening, but I know of at least one activity that's legal in Vegas but would get you thrown in jail if you were caught doing it in Dallas!

I thought this part was interesting, too:
Officially, Pete Sessions' leadership PAC picked up the tab, but just days before the party at Forty Deuce, casino interests donated $5,000 to his PAC. Payday lenders threw in another $2,500.
So, if you're wondering why Pete Sessions votes against the interest of his constituents most of the time, just remember who he really works for--people like the casino lobbyists and predatory lenders who bought him $7,500 worth of fun in Las Vegas.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Pete Sessions votes "no" on responsible drilling

Pete Sessions and House Republicans helped sink a bill designed to require energy companies to explore and drill on land where they've already obtained leases. H.R. 6511 passed 244-173, but failed to attain the 2/3 necessary to override a veto. (See Roll No. 511).

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Sessions breaks with Bush to support Medicare

In a rare break with Bush (and his own previous vote), Pete Sessions voted to override the president's veto of the Medicare bill. See Roll Call 491.

Pete Sessions joins Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn and many other Republicans who decided just this once to vote with the constituents instead of the President.

But then, Pete Sessions demonstrated his loyalty to Bush by voting "no" to H. Res. 1345, to investigate Bush's rationale for starting the war in Iraq. The resolution passed 238 - 180 (See Roll Call 492)

A panel will now conduct hearings on whether or not Bush mislead the nation into war.

Funny that Pete Sessions would vote no to an impeachment inquiry against Bush, when he was so doggedly determined to impeach Clinton for...what was it again? Lying about having sex? Maybe one day Pete Sessions will remind us how many thousands of military personnel died when Clinton lied to us.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Pete Sessions votes no to preserving presidential e-mail

From Congress.Org:
The House passed H.R. 5811, to amend title 44, United States Code, to require preservation of certain electronic records by Federal agencies and to require a certification and reports relating to Presidential records, by a yea-and-nay vote of 286 yeas to 137 nays.
Pete Sessions was among the majority of Republicans who vote no. (See Roll No. 477).

Friday, July 11, 2008

Pete Sessions votes against Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail

I heard this on the news, that Congress amended the National Trails System Act to include an historic route "taken by the armies of General George Washington and Count Rochambeau between Newport, Rhode Island, and Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781 and 1782." This is one of those votes I consider to be a "no-brainer" vote, one agreeable to most patriotic Americans. The majority of Republicans voted "yes," as did Democrats. The bill passed 345 - 69, with Pete Sessions as one of the nay-sayers.

Doesn't it seem odd that Pete Sessions, who is so involved with the Boy Scouts of America, would vote against a national trail?