More Republican Politicians Embrace Scandalized U.S. Senator Vitter

From NOLA.com:

The scandal surrounding Sen. David Vitter is sparking a partisan fight as the state Democratic Party chairman called Vitter an "embarrassment" and Republicans rallied behind their embattled senator.

For his part, Vitter remained out of sight Thursday, the third straight day of hiding since he acknowledged on Monday that his telephone number appeared on the list of a woman accused of running a prostitution ring.

"Rather than proving to be a leader, he's proving to be an embarrassment," Chris Whittington, the state Democratic chairman, said on Thursday night.


Whittington also said Vitter's "actions and remaining time in seclusion show his blatant disregard for his duties in the Senate by missing votes."

Julie Vezinot, Whittington's spokeswoman, said the state Democratic Party would start a petition calling for Vitter's resignation on Friday.

Meanwhile, several prominent Republicans came out in support of Vitter after largely keeping mum, although one of the party's most high-profile members, Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-La., was not among them. Jindal is running for governor.

Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., said Vitter was "doing the right thing taking some time to be with his family" and added that "we can't forget about all the positive things David has done for the state of Louisiana."

U.S. Representative Rodney Alexander (R.-LA)

Rep. Jim McCrery, R-La., sounded a similar forgiving tone and called Vitter "an effective senator." Statements in support also came from state Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, Jay Dardenne, the secretary of state, and Jim Donelon, the insurance commissioner.

Louisiana state representative Steve Scalise

U.S. Representative Jim McCrery (R.-LA)

Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne, wife Cathy McDonald Dardenne, and sons John and Matt

Louisiana state insurance commissioner Jim Donelon

In the same batch of statements sent out by Republicans late Thursday, former Gov. David Treen, who once ran against Vitter in a bitter congressional race, stopped short of supporting the senator.

His read: "Any talk of David Vitter resigning or me being appointed to his Senate seat is ridiculous. It's just not going to happen."

Reached at home by telephone, Treen declined to elaborate on his terse statement.

Elliott Stonecipher, a political analyst, said partisanship is "the next leg of the story" because Vitter's indiscretions were well-known among operatives from both parties and now both factions will try to use the scandal to suit their ends.

Pearson Cross, a political science professor at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, said that Vitter could benefit if his troubles turn into a partisan duel.

"That will clearly play in his favor because that would seem piling on," Cross said. But, he added, "the Democrats are clearly sensing blood in the water. There's an opening here if Vitter decided to resign."

Republican Politicians Embracing Scandalized Senator David Vitter

From NOLA.com:

U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, the front-runner for governor and one of the state's best-known and most popular Republicans, broke his silence Friday over the call-girl scandal surrounding GOP Sen. David Vitter, issuing a cautious statement of support.

U.S. Congressman Bobby Jindal (R.-LA)

"While we are disappointed by Senator Vitter's actions, Supriya and I continue to keep David and his family in our prayers," Jindal said, referring to his wife. "This is a matter for the Senator to address, and it is our hope that this is not used by others for their own political gain."

Jindal had stayed mum Thursday as other Louisiana Republicans rallied to Vitter's defense. Jindal waited until late Friday afternoon before issuing the two-sentence release regarding the embattled congressional colleague whose 1st District seat he assumed when Vitter ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004.

Pollster Bernie Pinsonat said that the Vitter scandal is unwelcome news to Jindal, who will officially launch his gubernatorial bid Monday and was expecting Vitter to play an active role campaigning, particularly in north Louisiana.

"It is the best you can expect out of Jindal because he is running for governor," Pinsonat said. "This is not something he wants to deal with right now. It couldn't come at a worse time for him."

Vitter rocked the Louisiana political establishment on Monday night when he acknowledged that his number appeared on the billing records of a Washington call girl service whose owner is charted with running a prostitution ring. Records show the number appeared at least five times between 1999 and 2001, a period during which he served in the U.S. House.

In his only public statement, Vitter acknowledged a "very serious sin," and in an e-mail to supporters sent out early this week, offered a separate apology. He assured his backers that he and his family "will be fine."

"I will live every day always striving to fully honor that friendship and those prayers," Vitter wrote.

The e-mail was sent before a former New Orleans brothel owner said Vitter had been a customer of her operation and a prostitute said then-state Rep. Vitter was a regular client of hers during the mid-1990s. Vitter has not addressed the most recent allegations, but denied them in 2004.

Louisiana Republicans said little at first as each day brought new revelations. In a concerted push Thursday to offer some support for the most prominent Republican statewide elected official, the state GOP organized the release of a flurry of supportive statements. Most urged personal support for Vitter and his family and focused on the legislative work Vitter has done in his eight years on Capitol Hill.

Few were as expansive as the statement released Friday by Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton, who not only defended Vitter's character but also warned the news media to tread carefully before it prints any more stories.
U.S. Representative Richard Baker (R.-LA)

Baker said Vitter's behavior was serious and disappointing, "but it does not define the whole of the man and it is not irredeemable." He urged the news media to "demonstrate some restraint and professionalism."

Baker took aim at critics who labeled Vitter a hypocrite for promoting conservative views, talking about family values and advocating sexual abstinence at a time when he was in a touch with an alleged call girl service.

"If a man has values and standards, but does not live up to them, it does nothing to discredit the validity or those values and standards, and he is far preferable to those timid souls who, without values and standards, cannot fall short of them nor ever run the risk of being charged with hypocrisy," Baker said.

Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, by contrast, issued a statement more in keeping with the reserved tone of the one issued by Jindal.

"David and his family are going through a difficult time and my thoughts and prayers are with him," Boustany said.

U.S. Representative Charles Boustany (R.-LA)

As in the rest of the South, the Republican Party has been ascendant in Louisiana over the past 10 years. The loss of a senate seat, should Vitter resign or lose reelection in 2010, would be a major blow.

Pinsonat, the pollster, said most Republicans are offering guarded support for their standard bearer because they aren't sure of all the details surrounding the current allegations or what else might come out.

"They are sticking their toe in the water very carefully because they don't know how hot it will get," Pinsonat said.

Louisiana Democrats sought to turn up the heat Friday by launching a petition drive calling on Vitter to resign because of his "immoral, unlawful and hypocritical behavior."

"We really have been getting lots of phone calls from all over the country," said Julie Vezinot, spokeswoman for the party. "People are fed up with his hypocritical behavior and he is not doing his job in Washington."

Friend and colleague Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., told the Associated Press that he has been in touch with Vitter by e-mail and that Vitter plans to return to Capitol Hill next week for votes on Tuesday. He said Vitter was contrite in their exchange.

U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R.-South Carolina)

"It's a huge moral failure that reflects on the whole body. And for that he's very sorry," DeMint told the AP. "Obviously he has a lot of remorse. He seems to want to address it head on and not try to hide it."