Harry Reid Told Caucus That Pete Sessions Was Behind Obama Insult, Senators Say

[mfcorey1]

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) let his Democratic caucus know last week in a private meeting that a top House Republican told President Barack Obama, "I cannot even stand to look at you," according to two Democratic senators who were present, and confirmed by two Senate Democratic aides who said they independently learned of the exchange from two other senators.

The two senators were not in the meeting where the Republican reportedly made the remark, but said a top White House aide who was there told Senate Democratic leaders about it.

The revelation from the senators sheds new light on a Capitol Hill whodunit that burst into the public sphere when Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) shared the exchange on his Facebook page on Sunday. (The two senators at the private meeting requested anonymity to talk about it; neither of them are Durbin.)

The alleged incident took place in the throes of the government shutdown, when Obama was meeting with different factions of lawmakers to try to find a resolution to the debacle. The White House aide told Democratic leaders that the lawmaker who couldn't stand to look at the president was Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Rules Committee, the two senators told HuffPost.

ww.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/harry-reid-pete-sessions_n_4156453.html

[MADem]

1. Why do I have a feeling that Congressional Dem PACS will spend money in TX next year...? nt

[Kelvin Mace]

2. So for what fathonable reason is the White House

denying the insult happened?

Let me guess, in the spirit of "bi-partisanship" Obama was cutting Sessions some slack to avoid taking "political" advantage of Sessions borderline racist insult.

If this is the case, it means Obama still has NOT learned his lesson about dealing the Republicans.

[sammytko]

6. He is going to let them fight about it amongst themselves

Why fight with a pig - you only get dirty.

[Kelvin Mace]

13. I don't see how a statement

like "In the heat of the moment some unfortunate things may have been said, but the President does not dwell on momentary lapses of temper."

This confirms Sessions is an asshole, and leaves Obama above the fray.

[Sheepshank]

25. i posted this on another thread where Durbin was still being called out:

With the intense level of continued disrespect the Reps heap on Obama

I'm inclined to believe it (the statement) happened.

Carney, (the mouth piece of Obama and realizing Obama's penchant for downplaying insults to move an agenda along rather than get stuck in a quagmire of finger pointing), would not want to draw attention and never has to these insults. I'm not surprised they won't draw attnetion to these idiots acting like idiots.

Obama has been treated very poorly and it's rubbing off on the RW constituency. They see these acts from their elected officials, and feel they may also repeat it. Hence the empty char hanging from nooses, overt personal insults and name calling on the whole family all over the web. The Reps have defined that the office of a Dem President doesn't garner any respect at all...not even the courtesy of being polite during a disagreement.

[tridim]

7. Because this thing is about what Sessions said, not the President's reaction. nt

[BluegrassStateBlues]

9. Yep. It's a brilliant strategy. nt

[Kelvin Mace]

12. Unless I misread

Jay Carney denied it happened.

[cali]

14. sure, but why not just say "no comment" instead of actually having

the spokesman lie.

[City Lights]

20. I agree.

Seems like that would have been a better choice.

[tridim]

28. It's the only way to avoid making this about The President.

"No comment" implies, yes we know about it and we've talked about it and we're still not going to say anything, RW asshole media.

The Admin is smart, they know that wouldn't work.

[cali]

31. it's dishonest. no comment can be taken any way. the admin is LYING. again.

[TBF]

29. My guess is that they want Sessions to stay in as opposed to the

teabaggers who can potentially unseat him in Waco. He is not well liked by the Glen Beck crowd ...



http://www.glennbeck.com/2013/09/30/see-the-tea-partys-scathing-response-to-texas-congressman-pete-sessions/

[Kelvin Mace]

32. First answer to make sense to me

Thank you.

[TBF]

33. No problem -

believe me there are far worse than Pete Sessions down here ...

[Atman]

3. Sounds like Sessions to me...

Wouldn't be surprised in the slightest.

As for why the WH would deny it...because Democrats STILL haven't learned how to play hardball. Calling Alan Grayson!

[4Q2u2]

4. Behavior like that shows total lack of Historical knowledge and Decorum.

You will find no greater Political Slug fest participants than the late GREAT Tip O'Neil and Regan. Neither one of them would condone Sessions behavior in a million years. Good, Clean advocation for your constants point of view is a duty, but this is just outright blinding ignorance. It is not about Sessions or the President and his personal feeling have no business in a debate. As bad as Regan was, he would have never let a member of his party disrespect the Office of the President or a political opponent in such a fashion.
This is what the Repugs call one of their standard bearers. I will choose to stand under a different flag.

[SamYeager]

5. Chairman of the rules committee

He changed the House rule to insure the shutdown would happen.

I cannot stand to even look at him.

[jsr]

8. An Eagle Scout with four generations of Boy Scouts in his family, and recipient of the Distinguished

Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America Blah Blah Blah

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Sessions

[sammytko]

16. Divorced after 27 years and married in less than a year????

[sammytko]

17. His new wife was running for congress out of florida

http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2012/08/dallas-rep-pete-sessions-marries-ex-congressional-candidate-karen-diebel-of-florida.html/

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.

On March 8, 2011, Sessions donated $2,000 from his campaign account to Diebel’s. On June 30, 2011, he donated another $5,000 from his political action committee, federal records show, though she refunded $3,500 in December after dropping her bid.

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 NRCC 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.

[calimary]

22. Can we petition the Boy Scouts to rescind his award?

Is THIS what the Boy Scouts of America want to praise and stand behind? Would they appreciate it if some Democrat behaved that disrespectfully to some (Heaven FORBID!) republi-CON president?

[Laelth]

10. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[libdem4life]

11. How about a Photo Op and a Press Release. "We're not going to protect racists anymore"

South, North, East or West...not even in private meetings in DC. Add in a clip or two of the Nobel Peace Prize winner, MLK and maybe Ghandi.

Enough pulling these little pithy epitaphs out of your pointy-hat-vocabulary directly from a lower part of your anatomy.

[B Calm]

15. Like he's something to look at, lol!

[benld74]

18. The House Rules Committee?

Per chance the House rule change, allowing ONLY Majority Leaders to decide whether a Senate bill should be brought to the House floor to vote on, was ushered thru by Him?

[Octafish]

19. Racist son of a bitch...

...has got competition from teabaggers.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/pete-sessions-katrina-pierson-tea-party-texas-96728.html

Once the shit hits the fan, all the free publicity will probably save his pimply arse from having to get a real job.

[kath]

21. For a member of the Congress to show such disrespect to the President is utterly unconscionable.

I don't care which political party is involved.
Sessions should be subject to censure before the full House and Senate.

[DFW]

23. My very own lowlife gerrymandered Rep.

Our part of Dallas was represented by the very competent Martin Frost for 13 terms until DeLay gerrymandered in some Bible Belt country outside town, and thus gerrymandered Martin out.

With a garden slug like Sessions representing us, no wonder people think Texas is populated by people with IQs in single and double digits, and put bandaids in their hotel rooms to protect the injuries incurred on their knuckles during the course of the day.

[Coyotl]

24. K&R

[magical thyme]

26. huh?

...according to two Democratic senators who were present,

...confirmed by two Senate Democratic aides who said they independently learned of the exchange from two other senators

...The two senators were not in the meeting where the Republican reportedly made the remark,

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

27. For a minute I thought it was this

Keebler Elf looking dickwad.



But it turns out it was this creepy looking jagoff.

[colsohlibgal]

30. A Mini Man With An Attitude

And....I'm not positive he's cracking 3 digits IQ wise. One big inferiority complex bringing out high pitched bluster.

He needs to get back in that tree house and back to making cookies.