Pete Sessions

In Far North Dallas, an Obama-Like Campaign Sign Might Get Doors Slammed in Your Face

From a purely aesthetic point of view, Ori Raphael is dominating the District 11 City Council yard sign war. His opponent, former park board member Lee Kleinman, went with blocky, mustard-colored letters superimposed on a blue background, his enormous first name partially obscured by a silhouette of ... More >>

Mike Rawlings is Drowning in Cash, Bobby Abtahi Laps the Field, and Campaign News

Yesterday was the deadline for state and local candidates to report their fundraising totals for the last six months of 2012, which meant a flurry of last-minute clicks on the City Secretary's website. The reported figures first real glimpse at candidates' fundraising prowess and a suggestion of whi ... More >>

The Food Policy Report Card Was Released. Here's How North Texas Congress Scored.

Food Policy Action is a group of "healthy food advocates, animal welfare and anti-hunger champions," who have designed a platform for grading members of congress on their overall food policy record. Today, October 24, the group released their first order of business, a National Food Policy Scorecard ... More >>

U.S. House Gives North Texas Municipal Water District the OK to Import Zebra Mussels Into Texas

The North Texas Municipal Water District, which serves 1.6 million people in Plano and a dozen northern and eastern suburbs, took a major hit in 2009 when zebra mussels were discovered in Lake Texoma. It's a federal crime to transport the highly invasive bivalves across state lines and, because seve ... More >>

Next Week, Pete Sessions Explains Why Giving Facebook Money is Good for You

While some in Congress have raised concerns about Facebook's privacy policies and others are already grousing about the company driving the "biggest Mack truck ever driven through the stock option loophole" with a $16 billion tax deduction, a pair of local congressmen are liking Facebook very much. ... More >>

Friday Flashback: When They Broke Ground on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in December '05

​Strange timing that one of my last tasks for the Observer will be covering the opening (but not really opening) of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. Shame I can't get Schutze to be my date this weekend, so instead I'll just have to schlep along my son, who wants to get a few last photos on Unfair Pa ... More >>

Facing SOPA, Dallas Calmly Tells Reps, "DON'T STOP ADVANCEMENT OF HUMAN RACE"

​As you may have noticed, Wikipedia, the world's leading purveyor of pretty accurate information, was offline yesterday, one of thousands of websites blacked out in protest of Congress' SOPA and the Senate's PIPA anti-piracy bills. Giants such as Facebook, Google and LinkedIn issued letters of ... More >>

A Few More Details About Three-Day Long Wingding Set to Open Margaret Hunt Hill

Photo by Jay Pritchard​Just heard a little-girl yelp coming from Schutze's office; he must have received the same email I just did concerning the opening-weekend ceremonies scheduled March 2-4 for The Santago Calatrava Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge to Ray's. We've known this was coming for a while now ... More >>

Ex-Channel 5 Reporter Stinchfield Now Out to Expose the "Idiocracy" in D.C. ... As a Politician

This morning, MediaBistro directs our attention to Uncle Barky's item from yesterday about former KXAS'er Grant Stinchfield, who, after seven years on the job, left the NBC owned-and-operated in April so he could run for the U.S. House of Representatives. Stinchfield, whose wife Amy Vanderoef co-hos ... More >>

One Expert's Take on State's Redistricting. And: DISD's About to Begin Drawing Its New Lines.

​Speaking of redistricting ...Had an awfully long talk with Dallas County Commissioner Maurine Dickey this afternoon, which I'd post now if she didn't mention a few things worth tracking down. So that'll have to wait till tomorrow. But while we're on the subject, I see here that Nate Silver and re ... More >>

Veterans, Families Skip the BBQ and Beer to Carry the Load Around White Rock Lake

Photos by Leslie Minora​Yesterday, at 4 p.m. sharp, men wearing weight belts and camouflage pants lined up next to young families pushing baby strollers as nearly 400 people bearing backpacks, weights, logs and photos of loved ones set out along the 9.3 mile loop around the White Rock Lake. It was ... More >>

What Did SEC Learn After Failing to Take Down Stanford Earlier? Um, It Did the Best It Could?

Spencer Barasch​We mentioned this morning that Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro was in town speaking to business journalists gathered on the SMU campus. Turns out, during her speech she mentioned something that rings a bell: The failure of the Fort Worth office to shut dow ... More >>

As Commission Begins Redrawing Dallas's Districts, Barton and Smith at War Over State's

Congressman Joe Barton​The Redistricting Commission, charged with redrawing city council district boundaries, meets tomorrow at 6 p.m. at City Hall, at which time commission members Domingo Garcia, Donna Halstead and Gary Griffith and chair Ruth Morgan will present to the public early-look maps an ... More >>

Oh, and Happy 100th Birthday, Ebby Halliday

As I was heading out, a Friend of Unfair Park wondered if I was going to that Ebby Halliday wingding underway at the Meyerson. No, hadn't planned on it. Too fancy. Nevertheless, it reminded me: Pete Sessions stopped down the U.S. House of Representatives and C-SPAN today to wish the Dallas real-esta ... More >>

Now, Dallas Attorney Says PGA Tour Got $13 Million From Allen Stanford. He Wants It Back.

Ralph Janvey​A dip into the downtown federal courthouse grab bag this morning comes up with two interesting filings. Let's begin with this one.You probably recognize the name Ralph Janvey by now. For a long while, the partner at the Ross Avenue law firm of Krage & Janvey has been the court-app ... More >>

Take a Sip of the Early Election Results

​I'm about to head over to the Palomar for the Republicans' cash-bar shindig, while Sam's pulling pay-as-you-go drinking duty at the AAC with the Dallas County Dems, and Ex-Intern Elliot's eating free pizza with Stephen Broden in Uptown. But before the short pour on this long night (at least, for ... More >>

Pete Sessions on Why He Voted Against Stimulus Bill, Then Asked for Stimulus Funds

​A Friend of Unfair Park forwarded along this Center for Public Integrity round-up of Republicans and conservative Democrats who railed against the the $787-billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ... then asked for stimulus dough anyhow. For our purposes, the piece begins with none other t ... More >>

A Few Do's and Don'ts Learned During the 2010 Republican Party of Texas Convention

Photos by Patrick Michels​Happy Sunday, Friends! While you were out having a nice, relaxing weekend full of neighbors and sun and beers and loveliness, I was at the 2010 Texas Republican Party Convention having a blast talking about 'Murka and stuff. It was a fun- and camo-filled two days, but I'v ... More >>

If Joe Barton Knows Who Shouted "Baby Killer" Last Night, He Ain't About to Say

​[Updated: Below, you'll find an update, from Taking Points Memo, in which Rep. Randy Neugebauer of Lubbock fesses up to being the shouter last night. As TPM also points out, he was also the co-sponsor of the so-called Birther Bill.] Last night, Gawker wondered, "Who Is the American Hero Who Yelle ... More >>

When an Art Project Turns Into a Political Statement Turns Into a Web Site Ad

Patrick MichelsWe did catch a glimpse of the posters outside Pete Sessions and Eddie Bernice Johnson's Monday health care jam.Haven't yet seen those Obama-Joker posters -- then again, I clearly haven't been downtown in a few days. At least some members of the Alex Jones street team have been posting ... More >>

Outside a Quiet Two-Party Town Hall, Health Care Demonstrators Take To the Streets

Patrick MichelsDemonstrators on both sides of the debate shared space outside this morning's town hall meeting with Rep. Pete Sessions and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson.​Update: Check out our slide show for more photos from the meeting and the protest.Walking up to the health care reform protest outs ... More >>

Senators Take Scalpel to Local Medical Equipment Providers' Cost of Doing Business

​Six years ago, Cynthia Fitzgerald filed in Dallas federal court a complaint that The New York Times predicted in 2007 "could become one of the largest whistle-blower lawsuits on record." The suit stemmed from Fitzgerald's tenure at Novation -- a company HQ'd on John Carpenter Freeway that sells m ... More >>

Last Night, Pete Sessions Turned Health Care Debate Into an Easy-to-Swallow Pill

Kimberly Thorpe​The debate surrounding the proposed health care bill can seem distant. The bill is some 1,000 pages. Those who claim to have read it become experts either for or against the legislation. But last night, a cherry-faced, white-haired politician successfully tied this unwieldy documen ... More >>

Pete Sessions to Fly His Dirigible to Richardson Tomorrow Night for Town Hall Meeting

Pete Sessions​Few days back, Politico ran a piece about how politicians' town hall meetings have gotten a little out of control. Such phrases as "house of horrors," "angry, sign-carrying mobs," "disruptive behavior," "pointless" and "boiling anger and rising incivility" crop up throughout, often i ... More >>

Pete Sessions and His Lead Zeppelin

​In a lengthy piece published early this morning, Politico notes Pete Sessions's public stance on earmarks: "a symbol of a broken Washington to the American people." Except, see, there was this one time, in 2008, when the Congressman from the Fightin' 32nd "steered a $1.6 million earmark for dirig ... More >>

Wade Emmert Emerges as Party Favorite in GOP Effort to Take Back County Judge Seat

flickr member: cedarhillchurchofchristEmmert is charged with helping the local Republican Party rebound by jumping from a council member in Cedar Hill to Dallas County Judge.At the Dallas County Republican Party's annual Reagan Day Dinner in February, we described Cedar Hill City Council member Wade ... More >>

Fairmont Hotel To Turn Its Lights Out Next Week

Take a dim view of the Regency BallroomOn Thursday, April 2, the Foundation Fighting Blindness will hold its second annual Dining In The Dark at the Fairmont Hotel (1717 N. Akard St.) in honor of donors Margot and Ross Perot.The event begins with cocktails at 6 p.m. followed by recognition of honore ... More >>

Stephen Colbert (Ahem) Supports (Wink Wink) Pete Sessions's "Insurgency" Remarks

Last week, Rep. Pete Sessions had to be interrupted by an aide during an interview with the National Journal when he just couldn't stop putting the words "insurgency," "Republican Party" and "Taliban" in the same sentences. Which is how Sessions, makin' the 32nd District proud, wound up as the subje ... More >>

With Dallas Republicans in Pain, One Local Leader Believes He Has the Cure

How County Chair Jonathan Neerman Plans to Ease the Dallas GOP's Woes

Dallas County's Early Birds See Blue

GOP Kisses Sheriff’s Race Goodbye

Esquire Endorses: A Sneak Peek at the Local Races (and Restaurant)

Put Out

If Dallas doesn't give the boys their road, they want the jewelry back

The Lie is Now in Sessions

The China Syndrome

You, Snooze. We Lose.

Isenberg, Back from China, Now Taking on "Child Prisons"

Shopping at Foley's

Gary Griffith Opens the Books. Has To, Really.

Drug Money

Waiter, Waiter!

Letters

Stop the Presses

Martin Frost is a Democrat?

Houses Divided

A fight over public housing pits working-class East Dallas homeowners against their poorer neighbors in a battle tainted by claims of racism

The Lost Girl

Haifa Bale has spent three years trying to get her daughter back from an abusive ex-husband. Not even the Queen of Jordan can make it happen.

Swing Vote

Think all politics is local? In the 5th District, think again.

Battle for the barrio

Dallas Hispanic Republicans fight historic allegiances -- and a few slashed tires

The girl can't help it

Laura Miller says she'd "love" to run for mayor

Buzz

How can we miss you...; And take Julio with you; Penny pinchers; Bad timing; Turnabout is fair play

Out of bounds

GOP congressional candidate Sessions crosses lines to get son into prized school