Louisiana Congressman and Republican Majority Whip Steve Scalise may have just seen the meteoric rise of his political career come to an abrupt end.
On Monday, a number of news organizations, including the Washington Times, reported that in 2002, Mr. Scalise spoke to a white supremacist group in Louisiana led by David Duke.
Mr. Scalise was first elected to Congress in 2008 and since then had risen to be the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee and in June was elected Majority Whip, the number three Republican in the House leadership. Now at the very least his rise within Republican leadership is coming to a halt and this could even cost him is Congressional career.
According to multiple reports, in 2002, Mr. Scalise spoke to a convention of the European-American Unity and Rights organization. The Southern Poverty Law Center calls this a hate group. That’s not much of a denouncement since the SPLC considers any group that is not to the left of Karl Marx a “hate group.”
Much more damning for Mr. Scalise is the fact that this group was founded by Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke and was reported to be primarily a group to promote Duke and his writings.
His office, confirmed that Mr. Scalise, then a state representative in Louisiana spoke at the event but claimed ignorance of the group’s beliefs.
In criminal law, the insanity defense is used by criminals when the proof against them is overwhelming and they have no other defense.. In politics, the ignorance defense is used when politicians have no other defense.
Mr. Scalise’s claim of ignorance is almost as plausible as the belief that the moon landing was faked. At the time, Mr. Scalise was a state representative in Louisiana. David Duke and his beliefs were and still are very well known in his home state of Louisiana.
The Republican Party has huge problems with leadership in the House of Representatives and this only makes it worse. Conservatives such as Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Joseph Farah and Eric Erickson have all ripped Boehner’s leadership. John Boehner needs to be replaced as Speaker by a real conservative but Mr. Scalise needs to step down from leadership as well.
For Democrats, association with hate groups, such as groups that support Islamic terror is not a career impediment. It is a resume enhancement. Republicans claim to be better than Democrats. It is time for them to prove it.
Mr. Scalise cannot remain in leadership. No one believes Mr. Scalise’s ignorance defense. Mr. Scalise’s continued presence in leadership sends a terrible message and if the Republicans hold themselves to a higher standard, now is the time to prove it.
If the GOP re-elects John Boehner to the Speaker and Mr. Scalise is allowed to remain the Majority Whip, the number three man in the Republican leadership, they are sending a message to America that nothing matters other than business as usual in Washington.
Whether Mr. Scalise stays in Congress is a decision that is ultimately to be made by the voters of his district. But he cannot stay in Leadership.
Congressman Mr. Scalise needs to resign as Majority Whip immediately.
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