LA-Sen: Vitter's Meltdown
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| Thu, 03-12-2009 - 6:42pm |
A tad arrogant you think? Can Vitter survive a re-election bid?
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2009/03/la-sen_vitters_meltdown.html?hpid=news-col-blog
The report in Roll Call newspaper yesterday that Sen. David Vitter had engaged in a verbal confrontation with an airline employee after missing a flight has attracted all sorts of unwelcome attention for the Louisiana Republican who was already a prime target for national Democrats in 2010.
According to Roll Call's "Heard on the Hill" column, Vitter got to his gate 20 minutes before his plane was set to leave only to find the security door closed. He allegedly opened the door anyway and then engaged in what the paper described as a "'do-you-know-who-I-am' tirade that apparently grew quite heated."
Vitter, for his part, issued a statement chalking up the incident as a misunderstanding and dismissing the report as something that appeared in what he called a "silly gossip column."
Unfortunately for Vitter, however, the story lives on. Not only were there scads of stories in today's papers about the incident but the Transportation Security Administration is also looking into the fact that Vitter allegedly opened a security door and set off an alarm in the process.
This is the second time in the last few years that Vitter has found his way into an unwelcome national spotlight. In 2007, it was revealed that Vitter had ties to a prostitution ring run by Deborah Jeane Palfrey who was known as the "D.C. Madam." At the time, he publicly apologized for what he described as a "serious sin."
Democrats, not surprisingly, have seized on the latest incident. "Sooner or later Senator Vitter should learn how to control himself," said Eric Schultz, communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
National Republican Senatorial Committee communications director Brian Walsh dismissed the incident as "much ado about nothing" and accused the media of a double standard -- noting that there was next to no press coverage earlier this year when Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) instigated to get the U.S Airways Shuttle to take off early so he could make it back to Washington for a hearing. (Of course, the Post's Al Kamen, who knows everything, did write about the incident.)
What is the long term political impact of this incident? That remains to be seen and, in truth, depends largely on whether or not Democrats can find a top tier candidate to challenge Vitter.
To date, no one has stepped forward to do so although Shaw Group CEO Jim Bernhard is mentioned as is Rep. Charlie Melancon who seems disinclined to run. Others in the mix include former Rep. Don Cazayoux and state Sen. Rob Marionneaux.
A Republican primary challenge also is not out of the question, with Secretary of State Jay Dardenne the name most often mentioned. (Former Rep. John Cooksey ruled out such a bid earlier this month.)
The negative publicity surrounding Vitter could well embolden one or several of these candidates to get off the fence and jump into the race although there is no indication of movement on that front yet.
Vitter has proven remarkably durable -- in a political sense -- since the "D.C. Madam" scandal two years ago. He was expected either to resign or to announce that he would not seek reelection. He did neither. Can he weather another high-profile incident?



