Liberty and Justice for All!

A little while ago I made a post showing that the Scalise campaign had no understanding about polling data. Seems like someone learned a lesson, and someone is scared.

Now we see the true colors of Steve Scalise. He now resorts to the tactics of racism in an attempt to rally the remnants of the “Duke Vote” in order to keep a firm hold to whatever power he has gained.

Notice, the clip he uses from Rev. Wright includes his statement of “God damn America for treating its citizens….”. Maybe Scalise needs to go back and study a little bit of history. It wasn’t that long ago where this country as a whole treated black people like second class citizens (and even that is being too giving to the racist attitudes our country once held). It is an unfortunate fact that there are people in Louisiana’s First Congressional District who look upon those times as “the good old days”. Are we to be surprised that someone who lived through those times would be a bit angry? (Of course, it didn’t make Rev. Wright too angry so that he wouldn’t serve his country in the military).

I am not going to sit here and say that I can even begin to understand what it must be like for a black person to have lived back then, or what it must be like today to deal with  the lingering issues of racism that still exist (especially in the south). I am also not going to sit here and defend Rev. Wright for everything he has said and done. What I can do is try and understand WHY he might feel that way… something I doubt Steve Scalise or many of his supporters have ever bothered to do.

But what does make me happy is that ads like this are not run unless the candidate feels like he is in trouble. So the fact that Scalise spent money on this ad proves that Scalise is in trouble in this election, more than he would like to admit.

Scalise lacked the integrity to stand up for what he believed in in 2004 when he dropped out of that race. He continues to show that he lacks the integrity to represent this district in Congress. No wonder why he is called the “mistake by the lake”.

Showing that Steve Scalise will go to any lengths to win an election, he is having Dick Cheney come down to speak at a private fundraiser today. (You know, Dick Cheney, perhaps the most unpopular Vice President in history).

But maybe there will be a plus side… maybe Vice President Cheney can explain to Scalise how polling works.

Update: Here is a picture of Scalise with the Emperor himself. Scalise makes some strange facial expressions. Perhaps Cheney offered to take him hunting.

The T-P reports that contributors got a picture with Cheney. I didn’t think vampires showed up in film.

As today’s party primaries come to a close, the focus on the First Congressional District race (a seat I once ran for with Steve Scalise until he chickened out of the 2004 election) is pointing to a poll released by the Jim Harlan campaign.

It seems like the Jim Harlan campaign, who has spent a  lot of money (far more than any Democrat recently), has pulled within 11 points of Steve Scalise. Jason Hebert, a spokesperson for Steve Scalise, said this:

Why should anyone believe these numbers?

Why? Let’s see. First and foremost, if you are trying to make money as a credible pollster, you better use appropriate polling methods and give good results. I doubt the Kitchen’s Group (who conducted the Harlan poll) wants to be the subject of criticism because of flawed polling data.

Then you have other reasons. Harlan has spent a lot more money than Scaise has on this election. He has paid for advertising during political shows (like the debates) and may have effectively convinced some voters that Steve Scalise is not right for LA01.

Finally, even though Harlan has a D behind his name, he has been very vocal about being pro-life and pro-second amendment.  And perhaps this is the kind of Democrat that the plurality of Democrats in the 1st Congressional District have been waiting for.

And if Steve Scalise doesn’t understand polling and how spending money in an election campaign can be effective, then perhaps Steve Scalise doesn’t quite have what it takes to be the Congressman for Louisiana’s First District.