Corruption Gets Louisiana Congressman Re-elected
If you are a Incumbent from Louisiana, a Democrat, and accused of corruption, that apparently gets you re-elected:
It also doesn't hurt that Jefferson is black and his constituents are poor. They are particularly vulnerable to a candidate that plays the race card. It also helps that you get a free pass. If you are the press you don't want to be accused of being racist for pursuing the story of Jefferson's corruption the same way you did with Foley. If you are a Republican, and are accused of corruption, racism, or sexual depravity, you resign or are forced out. Democrats don't get the same scrutiny. It doesn't matter that the Democratic parties establishment did very little to help the beleaguered Louisiana Congressman.
Mr. Jefferson obviously got his inspiration from Congressman Alcee Hastings, from Florida, who was impeached by the Congress by a margin 413 to 3. Although that was while he was a judge, he nevertheless used the impeachment to get himself elected to Congress in largely black district. Now Hastings in considered a power broker within
the House. Then there is Robert Menendez. Despite camapaign commercials by his opponent accusing the Senator of corruption, he was re-elected with 53 percent of the vote in New Jersey.
Exit polls during the November election showed that corruption was a major factor in giving Democrats the control of Congress. What we don't realize is that both parties were up to their necks in malfeasance. The only difference was that the Republicans were the majority, and the press doesn't give both parties equal treatment. If you don't believe that just read a biography of Congressman Gary Studds and compare that to Mark Foley, the man given much of the credit for the Republican parties defeat on November 7th.
Brushing past months of unflattering headlines about a federal corruption investigation, Representative William J. Jefferson was elected to a ninth term on Saturday, with a decisive runoff victory that again emphasized this city’s sharp racial divisions.
It also doesn't hurt that Jefferson is black and his constituents are poor. They are particularly vulnerable to a candidate that plays the race card. It also helps that you get a free pass. If you are the press you don't want to be accused of being racist for pursuing the story of Jefferson's corruption the same way you did with Foley. If you are a Republican, and are accused of corruption, racism, or sexual depravity, you resign or are forced out. Democrats don't get the same scrutiny. It doesn't matter that the Democratic parties establishment did very little to help the beleaguered Louisiana Congressman.
Mr. Jefferson obviously got his inspiration from Congressman Alcee Hastings, from Florida, who was impeached by the Congress by a margin 413 to 3. Although that was while he was a judge, he nevertheless used the impeachment to get himself elected to Congress in largely black district. Now Hastings in considered a power broker within
the House. Then there is Robert Menendez. Despite camapaign commercials by his opponent accusing the Senator of corruption, he was re-elected with 53 percent of the vote in New Jersey.
Exit polls during the November election showed that corruption was a major factor in giving Democrats the control of Congress. What we don't realize is that both parties were up to their necks in malfeasance. The only difference was that the Republicans were the majority, and the press doesn't give both parties equal treatment. If you don't believe that just read a biography of Congressman Gary Studds and compare that to Mark Foley, the man given much of the credit for the Republican parties defeat on November 7th.
posted by End The Duopoly at
10:48 AM | | |
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