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Dallas Morning News � Does Pete Sessions agree that Judge Sotomayor is a racist?

It is arguable whether one politician should be held responsible for the remarks of another. Certainly, both parties have used that tactic to embarrass adversaries whose allies said something inflammatory.

This afternoon, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee challenged Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions to repudiate the allegation leveled by Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is a "racist."

Gingrich will headline a dinner next month for the Republicans' House and Senate campaign committees, chaired by Sessions and Texas Sen. John Cornyn, respectively. Yesterday on NPR, Cornyn called the allegation of racism "terrible." He went out of his way to note that, however big their megaphones, the former House Speaker and conservative talk show host aren't elected GOP officials.

As for Sessions, DCCC's press secretary, Ryan Rudominer demanded this afternoon, "Will he strongly denounce Newt Gingrich's shameful rhetoric or stay silent and just take his money? Representative Sessions needs to decide whether he agrees with Gingrich's offensive remarks or whether he will join fellow Republican John Cornyn in coming to the defense of Judge Sotomayor."

No comment yet from Sessions.

Also of note, Texas' other Republican senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison, ducked the issue during an appearance today in Dallas, saying she simply didn't want to comment on the "racism" charge.