U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, announced Thursday he will challenge Sen. David Vitter in 2010. The announcement comes as little surprise to most political watchers; the congressman representing Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District has been the presumed candidate for much of the summer, although Melancon remained coy about his political future throughout. The Blue Dog also remained in idle while Shaw Group CEO Jim Bernhard mulled a run as a Democrat. Bernhard recently opted out, and with Melancon’s re-election prospects in an increasingly conservative 3rd CD dimming, Thursday’s announcement was anticipated.
“Louisiana needs a different approach,” Melancon says in a press release issued Thursday morning. “More bi-partisan. More disciplined. More honest and with a whole lot more common sense,” adding that Louisiana “deserves better” than Republican Vitter. “I’m a pro-life, pro-gun, Southern Democrat. I have an “A” rating with the NRA, and I have been an avid hunter and fisherman my entire life.”
Pundits acknowledge that Melancon has a daunting task ahead: While Vitter seemed all but a goner a year ago following his scandalous brush with the DC Madam, the August recess has been good to the Metairie lawmaker, who, at nearly two dozen town hall meetings across the state, has basked in the commotion wrought by health care reform and has used the meetings as a forum to attack his presumed challenger. Vitter also has nearly $4 million in his war chest at last count, and he polls well against heretofore unnamed Democratic challengers.
... written by Jackson , August 27, 2009 - 11:07 am
It's been a very long time since the Republican party did more than give lip service to anything like family values. All the party does is stir up the basest emotions and passions in people, and ride that wave of nausea into power. Bush was the natural outcome of such strategies.
... written by LAman09 , August 27, 2009 - 12:44 pm
“More bi-partisan. More disciplined. More honest and with a whole lot more common sense,â€......and Meloncon is running???? what a joke. This is the man that refused to sign onto legislation requiring Congress to participate in the government option of health care. If Charlie is scared to have a townhall meeting as a Representative, how is he going to face the whole of Louisiana citizens?
... written by Phil , August 27, 2009 - 02:00 pm
And don't forget Charlie's whirlwind "Global Warming factfinding" tour around the world, at largely the taxpayers expense. And the DC Madam stuff is old news, Vitter seems to have his wife's forgivness. And he paid the Madam himself, not with the taxpayers money. And he likes girls. Isn't that refreshing.
... written by nolapragmatist , August 27, 2009 - 02:28 pm
I am amazed how the so-called "family values" wing of the GOP keep getting caught with their "values" in the nookie jar. If you have lowered the bar so low that "he likes girls" qualifies him to be a US Senator, then you have really screwed up ethics. You do realize that even with the bar that low, you have eliminated GOP Senator Larry Craig. You would think law & order Conservatives would demand Vitter be brought to justice for breaking the law numerous times over the years he was a Representative & Senator. I guess hypocrisy is a family value the GOP welcomes as it permeates the party & their supporters. What Vitter supporters are really thinking is that as long as Diaper Dave remains a right-wing lapdog pushing the neo-con agenda while paying lip-service to religious fanatics, they could care less what crimes he committed as their desire to denigrate the federal government's ability to help the working and middle class over-rides any feelings of being a responsible citizen supporting any and all efforts to make our nation great for more than just the few elite corporate special interests that keep the GOP in their pockets. So vote for Vitter and continue to watch Louisiana remain at the bottom of the barrel of all of the quality of life metrics.
... written by LA Taxpayer , August 27, 2009 - 03:06 pm
First off, do you have any proof that Sen. Vitter broke any laws? Did he use the "escort" service merely to have a date and a few kisses, or did he use it for sex? If no sex was ever purchased, then no crime was committed. Remember, he only admitted to a "serious sin". That could merely be going on an intimate date with a woman other than his wife.
If you have solid proof, then ok, prosecute. If not, then your "broke numerous laws" argument holds no water.
Second, do you know what a "neo-con" is? Vitter does not fit that description with all his votes, as obvious his votes against both bailouts and against CAFTA. Do you even know what principles dictate a neo-conservative, or are you just some mindless MoveOn mouthpiece who can only repeat talking points received in an e-mail?
... written by Claude , August 27, 2009 - 07:57 pm
Vitter is the ultimate example of Republican soi-disant Christian scum. Go Charlie!
... written by Myrick6 , August 27, 2009 - 08:43 pm
I don't care if Vitter broke laws or not, he broke his marriage vows and lied about it and wants to pretend it didn't happen. Anyway, he's done nothing of any value for the people of Louisiana, except embarass them, and his self promotion is grating on my last good nerve. I'm ready for a new person, one who might accomplish something of improvement for the citizens he represents. Oh, and I notice his wife isn't on the road with him on his little small town meetings! I do feel sympathy for his children.
... written by Little Miss Sunshine , August 27, 2009 - 08:45 pm
Remember Bill Clinton and Ms. Monica? There's plenty of scandal to go around. Democrats should also be careful about what they say.
... written by ipa , August 28, 2009 - 01:10 pm
Unlike Vitter, Bill Clinton neither ran on a family values platform nor used the services of a madam.
What Vitter does on his own time is his own business, but how can he in his right mind expect someone to vote for him when he has proven himself to be a hypocrite and anything but a torch-bearer for the family values cause?
... written by northsidian , August 28, 2009 - 07:20 pm
vitter is not a quiter, and as i said before, he didn't hit her!! vitter gives a class on morality and charlie on world tours!!
... written by nolapragmatist , August 28, 2009 - 09:05 pm
It is clear from the testimony taken regarding Vitter's use of prostitutes, unless you are just living in the right-wing Fox News echo chamber (yes, I mean you LA Taxpayer) that his use of "call girls" was for more than just to have some innocent company when the poor fellow was lonely. It strains credulity to suggest his liaisons were not violations of the law. Myrick6 presents the rational conclusion that if by some miraculous slight of hand Vitter didn't commit a crime each time he set up a call girl "date" he surely violated the vows he made to his wife and family before the God he claims to believe in. This is where Vitter differs from President Clinton. Was I disappointed that President Clinton had an consensual sexual relationship with an adult female? Naturally, but he never shoved a pious holier-than-thou message down our throats like Vitter did repeatedly. Hence, Vitter and the GOP are the party of hypocrisy as they pretend to be morally upstanding politicians just interested in helping the little people but they are known by their actions that are pro-big business.
Vitter fits with the neo-cons in his unquestioning support of the Bush/Cheney Doctrine and their numerous violations of the law as they pursued a radically right-wing agenda turning the federal government against the citizens of our great nation & going to war over proven lies. A true "conservative" is fiscally responsible, fights to keep the government off the backs of the people, supports a strong defense while not viewing them as political pawns to advance a highly partisan agenda. Vitter had no problem with the government illegally spying on citizens, he pushes government intervention into the bedrooms of the citizenry and promotes using the federal government to promote his version of Christianity in violation of the separation between religion and the government even as he violates the very commandments of said religion.
So get educated, learn about US History & Civics & join those of us who want to defend our civil liberties and Constitution against the creeping fascism of right-wing zealotry.
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U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, announced Thursday he will challenge Sen. David Vitter in 2010. The announcement comes as little surprise to most political watchers; the congressman representing Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District has been the presumed candidate for much of the summer, although Melancon remained coy about his political future throughout. The Blue Dog also remained in idle while Shaw Group CEO Jim Bernhard mulled a run as a Democrat. Bernhard recently opted out, and with Melancon’s re-election prospects in an increasingly conservative 3rd CD dimming, Thursday’s announcement was anticipated.
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