Of Course Louisiana is Clean

Of Course Louisiana is Clean

Thursday, April 24th 1997 — "Stop Pouting!" - Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott said Wednesday that minority Democrats should stop pouting about a Republican-ordered inquiry into last November's as-usual-tricked-up Louisiana Senate race. It's not rare for Louisiana politicians to be accused of everything from resurrecting dead voters to paying cash for votes. This time, however, the problem is that Democrat Mary Landrieu won the election against Republican Woody Jenkins by only 5,788 votes. That's too close not to challenge the historic dirty politics in the home of the Big Easy.

Senator Mary Landrieu was sworn in January 7th, but Jenkins claims she won because of widespread voter fraud and wants the Senate to overturn the election.

The Senate Rules Committee, controlled by the GOP, naturally has an interest in putting the kibosh on the election results as well. So last week they voted to send a team of people down to Louisiana for a wide-reaching investigation. Democrats went wild after this vote and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle threatened that Democrats would actually filibuster if Republicans tried to unseat Landrieu. Well he should get out those phone books now, because they are.

Senate Majority Leader, Trent Lott said, "The issue is not Senator Landrieu or Woody Jenkins, the issue is what happened in the election. Was there a pattern of fraud in the election? We should not prejudge the results. We should go down, take a look on the scene as to what happened and get that information and make a decision."

If Lott means what he says, then a new election between Landrieu and Jenkins should be called now, since there is always an element of fraud in Louisiana elections and in most elections for that matter.

Fat chance.

Here's what will really happen. Democrats will send their own team to Louisiana and unearth fraudulent election activity pointing at Jenkins. In the end - the election will stand and the taxpayers will have paid, once again, for another Republican shindig aimed at embarrassing Democrats.

What Lott should have said? -- "It's politics, stupid."