Congressman compares women to smokers

By Raw Story
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 -- 8:46 am

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Rep+Pete+Sessions Congressman compares women to smokers What do women and cigarettes have in common?

Higher healthcare premiums.

Therefore, being a woman must be a pre-existing condition, right?

Not exactly. But a Republican congressman from Texas got caught with his foot in his mouth during a late-night meeting of the Rules Committee last week.

"Why should a woman pay more than a man?" Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) reportedly asked the congressman.

Story continues below...

"Well, we're all different," Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) explained. "Why should a smoker pay more?"

The Texas Republican was interrupted, and Democrats latched on to what they saw as political gold.

“The NRCC and extreme right wing of the Republican Party are totally out of step with women," said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokeswoman Jennifer Crider and former press secretary for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

"First, the NRCC says that a man ought to put the first woman Speaker of the House ‘in her place,'" Crider added. "I don't know what's scarier, whether NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions actually believes women are second class citizens or whether he believes it's political beneficial for the NRCC to say so."

Hat tip: Huffington Post, Politico.

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Story comments are below...

falconium

Dear Old Atlantic, Here's some math for you:

Reagan+Bush 1+Bush 2=$10 trillion National Debt (and counting)

edwards_com

Amen. It took Clinton 7 years to get the budget nearly back in the Black regardless of what the Conservatives say. Obama is stuck with two very complex wars & a Depression (started 9/15/08 at midnight...Lehman, Merrill Lynch, et collapse & a Recession starting last quarter of 2007...Source: GOA Office) .

farang

Actually, according to the Times 2000 Almanac, Clinton's budget was in the black in 1998 and 1999, and actually paid DOWN on the National Debt.

of course, he DID sign the repael of the Glass-Stegal regulations that lead directly to the 2008 financial meltdown, and carried Bush1's NAFTA abomination to legislative fruition....which led directly to the Depression-era level of unemployment in the US now.

edwards_com

Thanks,
I had read so many conflicting reports (opinions) that I wasn't dead sure. To this day many on the right deny it ever occurred. As for that Glass-Stegal repeal, I will never understand that action.

Savantster

.
maybe he was trying to avoid impeachment over a blowjob? and I'm sure it was one of the only ways to get anyone to let him balance the budget, even if just for a short time..

either way, he did a lot of structural harm to our country in the name of helping the upper middle class (a minority) have a better standard of living (that they didn't need).

Hooker

We should all receive the same kind of Health Care as the members of Congress. Simple, fair, democratic - it seems an argument impossible to refute. They are our servents, after all, why should the servents have better health care than their masters?

gr0o

It's almost unseemly that people who will never, ever have to worry about receiving healthcare are in charge of determining what the rest of us will ultimately have the privilege of paying an arm and a leg for.

marthamitchell2

Conservatives chose Palin for her looks, legs and their ability to control her, because they're strongly preoccupied with compliance and control. "Women are just tokens in the corporate world. They can't cut the mustard," said one conservative executive. "But, we have to place them in executive positions because of the laws." When Bullies-Against-Mothers, like Sessions are dealt with, and removed from public positions, then the world will be a happier, safer, and more peaceful place––

edwards_com

I agree. It must have been quite a surprise when the control aspect of Palin went haywire & McCain didn't have the organization to keep her on a very short leash.

dollars4dullards

Actually, Ole Lantic, the math of the higher order does not mesh with the math of the lower order unless yoy math factor in the secondary principles of middle math.

That's pretty much what your "post" sounds like to people who don't have to take anti-psychotics.

thomas jefferson

I love watching repukes self implode in the morning, it smells like victory. :)

edwards_com

Did you see that in Florida a new party called the "Tea Party' or some such has been registered? I wonder if it will get any traction.

jimco

We already have a new conservative party , it's called the democratic party .

edwards_com

We do? Hows that?. Nearly 41 Democratic Senators refuse to have Federal Assisted Abortion stripped from the house version of the health care bill. Is that Conservatism?

edwards_com

..

georgehilborn

The anus is a part of the human anatomy with Olde Lantic it's interchangeable with his mouth

rickpetes

Geez. Can we just go ahead and start the new conservative party, 'cause the republican party is in the act of committing political suicide and soon will cease to exist. Not a bad thing, mind you, in and of itself, but the country can't survive with just the democratic idiots in charge. In fact, can we start a party that represents smart people? Maybe one where you had to have read at least one book in your life to be a member?

WJM51

We already HAVE a conservative party in this country. It's called the DEMOCRATIC party. And we have a fascist party, it's called the REPUBLICAN party.

What we need is an actual LEFT leaning party. The dems are, at this point, as far to the right as the republicans before Nixon ever were. The repubs went off on their "punish the middle class' game right after Nixon was made to leave office, and the dems followed right along, lurching themselves further to the right than the repubs were at that time.

Screw the conservatives. They are the ONLY people getting ANY representation in this country, anymore, and they need to give some of that back. Or should I say, WE need to TAKE some of that back.

Some of us know what is in OUR best interests, and it's NOT kissing the asses of the conservatives who wish to conserve NOTHING but destroy EVERYTHING so they can be on top. The rest of us are getting damned tired of holding them up all the time. It's time they paid their share, and realized that there are a LOT more of us than there are of them.

kucinich2012

A "We the People " party is already started. It just needs more INTELLIGENT conservatives and progressives to find it:

http://www.dsausa.org/pdf/widemsoc.pdf

DownriverDem

No way would progressives join repubs.



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Congressman compares women to smokers

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