Sessions Opponent Raises Cash Off 'Smoker' Remark

Last week, during a Rules Committee meeting on the health care bill, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) angered a lot of people when he implied it's OK to charge women more for health insurance, comparing them to smokers. Now, his Democratic challenger is trying to cash in on the outrage.

First, what happened: At the meeting, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) had been railing against gender discrimination in insurance pricing when Sessions interjected, "But that's not against the law."

"No, but we would make it against the law," Pallone responded. "Why do you have a problem with that? Why should a woman pay more than a man?"

"Well, we're all different," Sessions said. "Why should a smoker pay more?"

Sessions' comment has, not surprisingly, touched off backlash from various circles, especially women's groups.

Now his Democratic challenger, attorney Grier Raggio, as well as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, has seized the opportunity to raise money off the comment, blasting out emails to supporters attacking Sessions' comments.

The campaign sent out a plea from Raggio's mother, Louise Raggio, a well-known Texas lawyer who fought for women's rights in the state.

"When I first became a lawyer in the 1950s, Texas women could not buy or sell their own property, could not sign contracts, and could not have control over their own paychecks or open their own bank accounts without their husbands' permission," the email reads.

"We have to send a message to Pete Sessions and his allies in Congress when they try to turn the clocks back on women's rights - we can't let this stand."

As of last night, Raggio had pulled in $25,000, according to a DCCC spokesman. Numbers for today weren't readily available.