OCTOBER 29, 2008
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Louisiana Representative Bill Jefferson, a study in arrogance:
With just eight days to go in the Democratic Party runoff for the 2nd
Congressional District, the embattled but increasingly confident
incumbent, William Jefferson, seems committed to a stay-away strategy,
limiting contact with the news media and largely ignoring his opponent,
former television news anchor Helena Moreno. ...Asked to distinguish himself from his challenger, Jefferson, who is seeking a 10th term, was dismissive.
"Well, it's quite obvious," he said with a laugh. "I've been a
legislator for a good long time in the state Senate and the Congress.
And she has not, and that's what the job is about. ... I don't have
anything to say about Helena Moreno. I think that that speaks for
itself, the difference between us -- me and her -- in legislative
experience."
If voters want him, they want him. But it's amazing Jefferson can't be replaced with a different Democrat, even after being indicted. It's not as though, in ousting him, Democrats would risk the Louisiana's second district, which voted 75% for Kerry.
--Eve Fairbanks
4 comments
He really is a bad, bad guy.
- WoodyBombay
October 29, 2008 at 3:27pm
Seniority is power in Congress so he can bring home more bacon than any challenger. Same reason so many old and crusty Congressmen keep getting re-elected
- Simon Greenwood
October 29, 2008 at 5:04pm
This is about the only thing I've read that makes me want to give money to a Republican.
- cspencef
October 29, 2008 at 5:35pm
I hate to break it to you, but the guy has a breadth of knowledge that makes his opponents look like amateurs. I am from N.O. and still commuted there for work till last year. I have many memories of the 2006 election--where everyone thought it was just impossible that this guy who was under indictment could get re-elected. I watched local debates where he just ran over all his opponents with his command of the facts and the legislative process as it relates to his state and district while they just spouted vague platitudes about "integrity". I am not registered to vote in La. but really wondered how I would have voted. Like it or not, Jeff is a total crook but the oppo was so lame as to be equally embarrassing, he clearly was more on the ball with the job of legislator, and he easily won re-election. In fact one of the people who ran against him in 2006--a state senator who was viewed positively by many--has just been sentenced to prison himself.
I don't know what it is about my birth state and successful politicians...even I voted for Edwin Edwards (in prison now) over david Duke. We had bumper stickers that said "Vote for the Crook--It's Important!". I still can't see why Ray nagin was re-elected Mayor--oh, wait, it's because Mitch Landrieu didn't want to be negative in the campaign after Katrina--but all he had to do was stand in the ninth ward and say "here we are, nine months later. had enough?"
I hope Jeff enjoys his family suite at the Big House someday but for now it would not surprise me to see him re-elected yet again.
- nikkiwhite
October 29, 2008 at 8:49pm