Texas Ins
ider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Primary races can be interesting but like most college football games, they’re often blowouts, with the incumbents on the winning end. Exceptions are hard to predict but challengers are always heartened by prominent endorsements, media attention, and an ad or two that resonates with a wide swath of voters.
Speaking of football and political ads, Katrina Pierson, who is challenging Republican incumbent Pete Sessions (TX-32), has released an ad that incorporates a football reference with an effective attack on Barack Obama that is catching some attention:
Ben Jacobs of the left-leaning Daily Beast has taken notice of Pierson’s campaign and he seems to imply that Sessions might be the better choice, via his article’s subtitle:
Rep. Pete Sessions is one of the most conservative members of the House. Now he’s being challenged by Tea Party activist Katrina Pierson in a race that may show just how far right the Lone Star state will go.
After subtly painting Pierson as an extremist, referring to her allusions to Reagan as a ‘verbal tic’, Jacobs wrote the following about Sessions:
In contrast to Pierson’s ideological purity, Sessions was far more pragmatic. In his opinion, the differences between him and his Tea Party opponent were mostly “stylistic.” It’s “whether you vote no on everything or whether you recognize you’re in the majority and if you vote no, you don’t change Barack Obama [and] you don’t change things. You have to be for something.” Whereas Pierson attacked House Republicans for “capitulating” since retaking the majority in 2010, Sessions seemed reasonably proud of Speaker John Boehner’s accomplishments. “Our agenda is what got us sequestration,” he said. “Our agenda is what got us and will get us billions of dollars cut in welfare and food stamps and other things, [and] our agenda is the one [that] moves our country forward.” The Texas congressman conceded that “nothing is perfect.”
In contrast to Pierson’s attacks on “Republicans who failed to keep their promises” and “wave the white flag,” Sessions seemed to have friendly words even for Democrats. During the interview, the Texas congressman greeted Gregory Meeks, a liberal African-American congressman from Queens, who was walking by. Sessions joked, “I was endorsed by a Democrat from New York yesterday.” Meeks responded jocularly, “Whatever you need, I’ll endorse you or run against you, whatever helps.”
Earlier this month, Rafael Cruz, the father of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), joined conservative blogger Michelle Malkin and endorsed Tea Party favorite Katrina Pierson in the latter’s race against Sessions (TX-32) in North Dallas.
As we all know, money is the mother’s milk of politics and cash is king in elections. Despite Pierson’s appeal to the conservative base, Sessions is currently winning in a route when it comes to fundraising.
Ben Barrack is the author of Unsung Davids and co-author of The Case FOR Islamophobia. He writes frequently for Shoebat.com, is a radio talk show host on 1400 KTEM and executive producer of the Lynn Woolley Show.
