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Pete Sessions Is Going to Get Primaried

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  November 6th, 2009 at 10:00 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

I am not really advocating we throw Pete Sessions out of Congress, just the NRCC. Nonetheless, I think it is hiliarous that he is going to get primaried by a corporate financial analyst. The disgraceful conduct of the Sessions’ led NRCC up in NY-23 has a lot to do with it. But Sessions’ TARP vote is the primary motivator.

Again, I’m not really an advocate of tossing Sessions out of Congress, but maybe a stiff primary challenge will teach him a few lessons he clearly missed along the way.

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  • TxCon

    with an incumbent. In an open race it could get a little dicey….in a year other than 2010.

  • jackbenimble

    I am not really advocating we throw Pete Sessions out of Congress

    You repeated that thought twice and it falls well short of a ringing endorsement of Session’s continued Congressional career. It seems that while you may not be pushing for him to be thrown out in the primary, you would not shed a lot of tears if that were the outcome.

    I’d like to see him gone just for the rather shallow reason that everytime I hear his name, it makes me think people are disparaging Jeff Sessions who along with Jim Demint is one of my heros.

  • RedBeard

    …that a spanking awaits if they don’t start behaving.

    Wayward politicians need a similar reminder from time to time.

  • Composer_Man

    While I am very disappointed with the Scozzafava debacle, I’ve generally been very pleased with his representation. I’m not sure what to think of this challenger yet, but I know I don’t want anything to jeopardize this district remaining Republican.

  • Richard Mullins

    but since I live in TX-02(safe Republican District), I can’t. I sure who ever win a primary up there is a sure bet(Since when is NW Dallas,Irving,Farmers Branch and whatever else going to vote Democrat). If TX-32 had same situation that we did here, I’m sure that the Democrats don’t even care to run a candidate.

  • texas214

    I live in the district and yes it is a safe GOP district. The two reasons you give for primarying him are a little loose.

    No question the Scozzafava incident is a problem, however as the head of the NRCC (a thankless job I might add) he was given the candidate by the local Party members. Sure he could/should have done a more thorough background check on her, but as NRCC head it is not a good thing to be second guessing local party members. Always remember the shoe could always be on the other foot thats why we want the NRCC and NRSC to stay out of local party politics (see Florida senate seat).

    Secondly the TARP vote is a problem, not because of the initial vote to allow the first $350 mil (of which the first moneys that went out will almost assuredly be repaid with interest and did wonders for the banking industry at that critical momont), it is the second $350 that Obama requested Bush ask for as he was leaving office. That money became nothing more than a slush fund for Obama supporters; GE, GM/UAW, SEIU….

    You/we may have our differences with Sessions, but to consider him the problem with the Republican Party is misguided.

  • Scope

    so that we don’t waste time or money on allowing the people in that district to make the choice of candidate? You seem to believe that the 10-11 party members in NY 23rd through some names in a hat and Scozzafava was the winner, and, poor NRCC was innocent. What about those of the 10-11 who have apparently stated that they had input for the choice from the NRCC. I understand that Republican committees have little choice but to back the person with an R after their name, however, they should have NO say in local candidate choice. And, they should not be spending money on the candidate they pushed. Because of the fact that Scozzafava was backed by ACORN, The Working Families Party and the AFL-CIO should have been more than enough reason to run from the race like rabid dogs. It makes me wonder just how many other races they interjected themselves into that gave us an even bigger swamp to clean. Her associations and affiliations were not a secret, they knew. That is why it makes the million dollar loss, the massive public outcry against scozzafava and her endorsement of the Democrat even more painful for the Conservatives, and heck even moderate Republicans. Their involvement was like a sword to the throats of those that want to redirect the party away from being Dem-Lite.

    Secondly- Your statement as to TARP “The first monies that went out ($350 billion) will almost assuredly be repaid with interest, and did wonders for the banking industry at that critical moment.” Have you bothered to read anything other than the Obama Progressive talking points? That statement is beyond stupid, it is on the scale of the village idiot.

  • JoeG

    had better well not be voting for crap like TARP.

    I’m all for tossing out any of then so long as they are from a safe district.

  • becolt

    a change in party leadership is Massachussettes. Stumbled across this quote this morning…
    MA Republican Party spokesman Barney Keller – “We did not recruit Mr. Sholley to run for office, Barney Frank has been at the center of the financial meltdown and it’s important for voters to know he’s now trying to fix what he had a hand in breaking.”
    http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/12/sholley_presses_lonely_battle_against_frank/?page=2

  • texas214

    I did not defend Scozzafava or the process by which she was selected, only that Sessions as NRCC head was handed here by the local Republican Party, which is what we are asking to be done in the Florida senate primary.

    Secondly, the facts are that most all of the original money’s given to the initial traunch to the 19 large banks will be repaid with interest.

    If you would have read my post you would notice I didn’t defend Scozzafava or TARP, as it was inacted. The only “village idiot” as you like to use, is one who doesn’t use logic, think for himself, or look into the facts of the matter that they are discussing. All you’ve done is to repeat talking points you’ve heard. It okay to be against something as long as you can back it up logically and with facts. As a Republican who doesn’t like being in the minority we are going to have to use those facts, logic, and fairness to sell our beliefs not hardline name calling. If Reagan is our example of who we want to emulate, then name calling is not the answer; he won with facts, logic and a sense of fairness, not name calling.

  • mschmitt

    “facts are that most all money’s… will be repaid with interest” and “All you’ve done is repeat talking points you’ve heard” in the same post?

    Maybe I’m the village idiot, because you sound bat**** nuts to me.

  • ReaganConservative3

    I moved a little north of his district, but lived in it and walked door to door for him when he beat that total jack___ martin frost.
    He committed 2 MAJOR errors in judgment, and for that he has earned a primary challenge.

    He has been a fairly reliable Congressman, but he messed up and he and others need a message sent to them.

  • Oz

    Totally a waste of money when we need to be spending it on about 50 districts to win the 40 that we need to reclaim.

  • itrytobenice

    It may not work, but I’m betting on getting something of a deterrent effect. Those rat turds think they are safe because they’ve gerrymandered their districts to the party, but we need to teach them that voters get to pick within the party too.

    If we shoot a few of them down in the primary and still keep the district, we can call a little come to Jesus meeting with the rest of them and convince them that one election does not equate to lifetime tenure.

    And for insurance, I still want to move the capitol (on a rotating basis) to N. Dakota (in the winter), Kansas (summer or winter), New Mexico (summer), etc. And eliminate any and all pensions. And throw a few of them off the rotunda occasionally. :)

  • Nicky

    I’ve lived in TX-32 since the district lines changed, and conservative Republicans have been trying to find someone to challenge Pete Sessions for at least the past 2 election cycles.

    Rumor has it that any Republican to challenge him will win the primary.

    There are a couple of reasons: first of all, his Las Vegas fundraisers don’t sit too well with our members in Texas Eagle Forum. We want to know why he doesn’t hold fundraisers at one of the many upscale banquet rooms in the district and hold fundraisers that are more in keeping with his image as a family values Republican.

    Secondly, there are his ongoing ethical issues; this election cycle, he’s accepted quite a lot of money from casino owners and professional poker players. He’s also trying to loosen regulations for online gaming, which does not fit in with our district’s interests.

    He’s also given a rather large earmark to a Chicago dirigible company, which, apparently, has never made a dirigible before. We want to know why he did that, and how it benefits our district–if it does at all.

    There are many, many more moral and ethical problems with Pete Sessions, and we’re long overdue for a primary challenger. David Smith will probably win the primary and go on to represent us in Congress, which will be quite a good change, having someone who works for us instead of for lobbyists that don’t represent our district’s best interests.

  • Nicky

    Republican AND Democrat activists camped out on his office doorstep demanding that he vote “no” to TARP, and he voted yes, anyway. We had a bipartisan push for email, calls, faxes and personal visits and he was not moved. It’s the biggest thing the two parties ever got together on, and he totally ignored us.

    I don’t know who he’s working for, but it’s not his constituents.

  • smagar

    I’ve defended Sessions on these boards from the prospect of a purge…but he did goof big time in NY 23.

    If that earns him a primary challenger, so be it. Any Congressman should be ready to deal with a primary challenge.