From Dallas Morning News: Dallas Rep. Sessions marries former Florida congressional candidate Excerpt:

Politico reported in March 2011 that Sessions “raised eyebrows” by bringing Diebel to a meeting of the House GOP Conference, meetings to which candidates in contested primaries are not usually invited. Days before the August 2010 primary, a rival who ended up running third, Craig Miller, the former CEO of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, sent voters a mailer accusing Diebel of being “unstable” and “bizarre.” He cited a spate of 911 calls Diebel had made, including one in which she alleged that a political opponent had placed a snake in her pool, and public arguments she was involved in on the city commission. Sessions, in his role as National Republican Congressional Committee chairman, sought to referee the nastiness. In particular, he took issue with an allegation of Diebel’s “erratic behavior” drawn from a quote by a Democratic official.

Unstable and bizarre, huh? She's perfect for him.

Pete Sessions and wife are separating

Well, this is sad. I've been hoping that Pete Sessions would leave Congress "to spend more time with my family," but, apparently, I'm out of luck. Pete Sessions and his wife of 27 years are separating.

From NBC/DFW:

The 56-year-old Texas Republican issued a statement Friday:

"After a great deal of thought and discussion, a decision has been made that my wife and I are separating. I am grateful for many years of marriage, and the blessing of two wonderful sons. I ask for respect for my privacy and for that of my family, and I do not intend to comment any further."

Of course, he can't be reached for comment, and he dumped this news on Friday night. So there's no news on what's behind this--maybe she got tired of him running off to fundraisers at strip clubs or just got tired of him being so damned stupid.

Or maybe he's leaving her for Alan Stanford.

Whatever the reason, he's got some splainin' to do--like it or not--to his right-wing followers who've been lapping up his "family values" message all these years.

112th Congress gets off to unethical start, thanks to Pete Sessions

On Wednesday, Pete Sessions got back to business as usual, embarrassing his own party with a lapse of judgement. Seems he attended a fundraiser instead of the swearing-in ceremony, and cast votes before he was officially sworn in. From Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON -- Two House Republicans have cast votes as members of the 112th Congress, but were not sworn in on Wednesday, a violation of the Constitution on the same day that the GOP had the document read from the podium.

The Republicans, incumbent Pete Sessions of Texas and freshman Mike Fitzpatrick, missed the swearing in because they were at a fundraiser in the Capitol Visitors Center. The pair watched the swearing-in on television from the Capitol Visitors Center with their hands raised.

"That wasn't planned. It just worked out that way," said Fitzpatrick at the time, according to local press on hand, which noted that he "happened to be introducing Texas Congressman Pete Sessions while glad-handing his supporters in the Capitol Visitor Center that he secured for them when the House swearing in began."

House ethics rules forbid fundraising in the Capitol.

But no matter--even though John Boehner made everybody read the Constitution aloud (costing taxpayers $1.1 million), promising more transparency and so forth, the new GOP House had to pass a "fix" to cover for one of their own. H. Res. 27 threw out all the votes Pete Sessions cast before being sworn in, but leaves in tact anything that happened during meetings he attended--as a member of the Rules Committee. The text of H. Res. 27 is available at Scribd.

For related articles, see They Don't Say Pete Sessions is Bright from The Atlantic, and Rep. Sessions' office explains big goof:

Republicans think their legislative fix will solve the problem, but it also will bring yet another embarrassment.

The resolution to correct the record is the same one that will set debate rules for the signature Republican legislation next week: repeal of the new law that changed health care insurance coverage in the nation. Democrats can now mix in the question of improper Republican voting with their vigorous opposition to the repeal.

We at Sessions Watch would just like to remind the GOP that "we told you so," and would like to remind voters in TX-32 that we're no longer interested in hearing from Republicans who want him out of office. Y'all voted him in again at 60%--the first time he's ever gotten over the 50% mark, so he's yours. You own him. So quit yer bitchin' and if you really don't like him, hope for a good outcome at redistricting time.

Pete Sessions seeks 2nd term as NRCC Chair

From Politico:

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) announced Monday that he’s not seeking to be House majority whip in the new Congress and would angle instead for another term as head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, clearing the way for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to ascend to majority whip.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), the presumptive speaker, also is tasking Sessions to lead a group that will help develop the newly elected House GOP freshmen. The news was first reported by ABC News.

“Our Republican Conference needs Pete Sessions’s steady hand of leadership next Congress, and I am very pleased that he has decided to seek another term as NRCC chairman,” Boehner said in a statement. “Additionally, I’ve asked Pete to take the lead for new-member development.”

So, once again, Pete Sessions will be in charge of throwing the annual Las Vegas strip club fundraisers, recruiting Nazi sympathizers and, on top of that, he'll be in charge of instructing the new crop of teabagger insurgents in the ways of Congress. Break out the popcorn--it's going to be an entertaining couple of years.

Pete Sessions' best winning strategy: doing nothing

He didn't campaign, he didn't debate, he didn't put many signs out, he didn't open his mouth once this time, and finally hit the over 60% mark that's eluded him his whole career.

Pete Sessions slid under the radar and claimed 62.61% percent of the vote, climbing over the 60% mark for the first time ever, aided, no doubt, by the Keep Fear Alive brigade.

The results, from Dallas County Elections:

Pete Sessions (REP 62.61% 79,181
Grier Raggio (DEM) 34.90% 44,134
John Jay Myers (LIB) 2.50% 3,159

Our 2010 PSA: "Don't Vote for an Idiot"

This year's PSA is a video mashup of the trailer for "Dinner for Schmucks" mixed with Pete Sessions on "Meet the Press." The final titles say it all--don't vote for an idiot, vote for somebody else in 2010.



A reader in Park Cities also suggests that Republicans review the PSA from 2008 called Bailout. Apparently, some people who are struggling with impending foreclosure are blaming the Obama Administration for bailing out the banks instead of helping people like themselves. Remember, it was Bush who asked for the bailout of the banks, and Pete Sessions was one of only 65 Republicans who voted for the bailout. He got booed for blaming the financial crisis on "community organizers,"--and that was in Richardson at an event packed with Republicans.

Early Voting Starts Today!

Starting today, you can cast your vote against Pete Sessions at any one of the early voting locations listed at Dallas County Elections.

In response to the Dallas Morning News' endorsement, there was only one letter in response, in favor of Grier Raggio:

In the editorial board's biennial endorsement of Pete Sessions, it called opponent Grier Raggio "too far to the left," then proceeded to list a number of things Raggio opposes -- like the 2008 bailout -- with which constituents agree.

All facets of the political spectrum phoned, faxed, emailed and gathered at Sessions' office asking him not to support the bailout, but our efforts were ignored; his letters in reply gave the usual canned Washington-insider rhetoric without acknowledgement of our point of view.

Grier Raggio, on the other hand, believes that big business should be just as fiscally responsible as small business, rising or falling on its own merits, without asking the government for a handout.

Raggio will bring fiscal sanity to the district and the nation, and he'll work for us instead of the lobbyists.

So far, there have been no other letters published in favor or against any of the candidates, except for candidate John Jay Myers letter expressing dissatisfaction with the editorial board's exclusion of third party candidates:

Is The Dallas Morning News a source of journalistic integrity, or is it just a shill for the establishment? I ask after learning of my exclusion from the interview when the newspaper chooses which candidates to recommend.

I can't imagine why Libertarians lack electoral success when media have already chosen to marginalize them. Meeting challenging ballot requirements should be sufficient for the media's consideration -- it is for voters. But I have done even more, as evidenced by my television ads, fundraising, press releases and appearances throughout Dallas.

A Dallas Morning News columnist recently wrote that Americans want to "decrease the size and scope of government, cut spending and taxes, balance the budget, reduce the federal debt, reduce the power of special interests and unions, repeal and replace the health care legislation, and decrease partisanship." I am the only candidate who will do any of this, and yet I am the only candidate in my race excluded from consideration.

A big-government Republican or a big-government Democrat is no choice at all. Why even bother interviewing when you aren't interested in evaluating true alternatives? The News should interview all candidates or none of them.

Sessions Watchers can vote Libertarian or Democratic in early voting through October 25, or on Election Day, November 2.