Rivals agree that independent groups shouldn't speak for them (Texas)

[Judi Lynn]

Frost, Sessions may team up to halt ads

Rivals agree that independent groups shouldn't speak for them


10:40 PM CDT on Wednesday, April 14, 2004


By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News



For a pair of political enemies who rarely agree on anything, Congressmen Pete Sessions and Martin Frost may unite in telling political interest groups to get out of town. The rivals – independently – said Wednesday that they're willing to negotiate a joint statement demanding that such groups stop purchasing television advertisements that attack either candidate. Such an agreement is effectively unheard of in Dallas.

"Mr. Frost and I are very capable of campaigning, raising money and running our own races," Mr. Sessions said. "No one else speaks for me, just me."

Mr. Frost said: "I would like for us to jointly contact all the groups that have been advertising nationwide. We should settle this mano a mano, Pete Sessions and I. It'd be healthy; it would be good for Dallas."

Mr. Sessions, a Republican, and Mr. Frost, a Democrat, say they have yet to contact one another regarding the joint statement but plan to have their campaign staffs contact the other within the next week. An agreement between the two congressmen wouldn't be binding on political interest groups.
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http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/local/stories/041504dnmetdirtyads.985ed.html
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