Check out the police report on Pete Sessions
Tuesday, August 17, 2004 at 4:10 PM
This from Martin Frost's campaign:
Today, Congressman Martin Frost's Campaign Chair, Marc Stanley, said the following at a press conference where Pete Sessions' Dallas Police Department was revealed that, as a sitting member of Congress, Pete Sessions was caught stealing his opponents' campaign yard signs:
"Yesterday, Pete Sessions called for people to bring forward evidence that would suggest his campaign would be involved in immature political tricks, like stealing yard signs. Here is evidence that not only suggests that Pete Sessions' campaign would condone this type of immature prank; it is proof that he has participated in this foolish behavior.
"District 32 deserves more from their Congressman than impulsive, immature political stunts. It is normal for parents to worry about their teenagers getting hurt or caught doing something silly; they shouldn't have to worry that their Congressman is going to engage is such childish behavior. These pranks have been conducted by a sitting member of Congress, and Pete Sessions himself must respond to his actions and apologize immediately. It's time for Pete Sessions to start acting like an adult.
"I remember when I was a kid, there used to be an announcement that said, 'It's ten o'clock, do you know where your children are?' The people of North Texas shouldn't have to ask, 'It's 10:19, do you know where your Congressman is?' He's out stealing signs."
They also provide the following gems from Mr. Sessions:
"Noting that character does matter, Pete believes that no elected official is above the law and must be accountable for his actions." [Pete Sessions Website]
"What evidence does he have to suggest that...?" [Pete Sessions 08/16/04 reply to Frost charge that stolen signs was the work of his campaign]
"Both Chris Homan, the Sessions campaign manager, and Justin Kitsch, the Frost spokesman, say their respective campaigns direct their campaign staffers and volunteers to never steal or tamper with opposition signs." [Dallas Morning News August 17, 2004]
Get your Rep. Sessions Police Report here!
(pdf, but worth it, ta ha ha)
Here's an excerpt:
R/O WAS DRIVING DOWN NORTHWEST HIGHWAY AT SKILLHAN LOOKING FOR AN ACCIDENT SCENE, R/O OBSERVED LISTED TRUCK PULLED OVER ON THE SKILLMAN SERVICE ROAD AND SUSP1 OUT OF THE TRUCK PULLING UP ELECTION SIGNS. R/O THOUGHT THIS APPEARED ODD SO TURNED AROUND AND STOPPED LISTED VEHICLE AT SKILLMAN AT NORTHWEST HIGHWAY. SUSP1 WAS THE DRIVER AND SUSP2 WAS THE PASSENGER, BOTH SUSPS WERE ASKED FOR IDENTIFICATION. R/O LOOKED IN THE BED OF THE TRUCK AND THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 10 POLITICAL SIGNS WITH THE NAME "PAULINE DIXON" ON THEM. SUSP1 WAS ASKED IF PAULINE DIXON WAS AWARE THAT HE WAS PULLING UP HER SIGNS AND SUSP1 REPLIED, "NO". SUSP1 WAS THEN ASKED IF SHE WAS WHO HE WAS RUNNING AGAINST AND SUSP1 STATED, "YES".
This is all very interesting, because just this morning Sessions was trying to cook up a scandal regarding political signs...
The race between two North Texas congressmen heated up Monday morning when one man took his son to the first day of classes at Lakewood Elementary School in Dallas.
Rep. Pete Sessions (pictured, left), R-Texas, and his son were greeted with "Martin Frost For Congress" signs posted across the school grounds.
The signs were on the playground, fences and hanging from the school roof. Sessions said the blanket display of political messages was improper.
"I think it was inappropriate," Sessions said. "Obviously, something targeted at my family."
Sounds bad, but strange, right? It's agreed that plastering political signs all over an area densely packed with people 12 years short of voting age sounds sketchy, but would Frost's campaign really try to intimidate Sessions' family, knowing that he would immediately go to the press with it? But wait...
"Our signs were stolen over the weekend," Frost said. "Our people had nothing to do with this."
Frost also said the signs were taken by Sessions' campaign workers and placed across the Lakewood Elementary grounds in a well-orchestrated publicity stunt.
"This is the worst kind of dirty trick being run by a campaign," Frost said. "The worst kind you can imagine."
Sessions said the accusation of his supporters posting another candidate's campaign signs is counterproductive.
"That is ridiculous," Sessions said. "There is no reason why I would do that to myself."
Well, he did get a bunch of press out of it this morning, and he has already lodged a meritless campaign fundraising suit against Frost that was quickly dismissed. But who's telling the truth? Consider the above pdf People's exhibit A.
This race is as tough as it gets. Pay Frost a visit.
Update: From comments...
I am the immediate former Chairman of the Democratic Party of Collin County, Texas, currently ranked in the top 10 most Republican counties in the US of A. This sign stealing thing is not new to us; it has been going for years with impunity, despite legal complaints and police reports that went uninvestigated. You'd think that the local Republican party would be satisfied with a 75/25 advantage, but no... they have an entire group committed to nothing less than routinely removing Democratic Party candidate's signs, often within mere hours of placement. And they have the temerity to brag about it in the local media! This is only Texas Dixierepublican politics as usual.
Morton "Jeff" Graham
Plano, Texas
