BRAVO, MICHAEL!

From an opinion column by Michael Gorman in the Daily Comet in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

The Nov. 2 Election Day is still months away, and already the name-calling between U.S. Senate candidates has become the hot topic on some news websites.

I haven’t heard many people talking about the race outside of the newsroom here, but the contest between U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-L.a, and U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, is going to be bitterly fought to the end.

Vitter will be scratching and clawing to hold onto his seat in the Senate even as other Republicans throughout the nation are expecting an easier time of it.

Melancon, meanwhile, will be trying desperately to oust Vitter from the Senate and claim the seat for himself.

If Vitter had been content to sit back, contribute his normal sound bites to the hate-mongering GOP crowd and unleash a torrent of anti-Obama ads this fall, he would probably be assured re-election.

After all, here in Louisiana, Obama is immensely unpopular, a fact that will only be worsened by his ongoing attempt to shut down much of the Gulf oil-and-gas activity.

Vitter wasn’t content with doing his job. Several years ago, he fessed up to being involved in a prostitute ring in Washington, D.C.

The prostitute in the center of the case has since died, hounded to her grave by federal prosecutors for her part in what is, if nothing else is, a two-party crime.

Vitter, who has acknowledged his involvement, went free with no prosecution and is now trying to continue representing our great state.

Even if his admitted sins had stopped years ago, Vitter would probably be assured of re-election.

Louisiana has never been very hard on its politicians. Just tell us what we want to hear and behave any way you like. We’ll keep sending you back to D.C.

Another scandal that some female voters might understandably find offensive has rocked Camp Vitter.

Brent Furer was a trusted aide to Vitter in 2008 when Furer pleaded guilty to holding a girlfriend at knifepoint and stabbing her in the hand.

People who might be willing to look the other way and forgive Vitter’s embarrassing sexual exploits might find the issue of domestic violence a bit more unappealing.

Vitter says now that he knew about Furer’s crimes and disciplined him. However, Furer kept his job working for the gentleman from Louisiana.

Even women who find Vitter’s disgusting brand of hate-based politics engaging might be turned off by his continued support of a victimizer of women.

Two years after the violence conviction, the incident finally cost Furer his job. A change of heart on the part of his boss? Nope. Did Furer mend his ways and decide that he had not been sufficiently punished for his crime? Nope.

What drove him out of the Vitter fold was that news about his conviction made it into the news.

So, as long as it’s just between you and Mr. Vitter, everything’s OK. Once it makes the news, all bets are off.

For his part, Melancon is making hay while the sun shines.

Read the rest here.

Bravo, Michael!

Let me tell you my friends, it takes courage to write such an opinion column in Vitter country, but I'm thankful that our local editorial page editor stepped up to tell the truth about our senator. Folks need to know. Vitter may still win the election, but he shouldn't. Any senator who knew that a member of his staff had held his girl friend captive and slashed her with a knife, and permitted the person to continue in his position for two years, does not deserve his place in the US Senate.