WP: Rep. Jefferson's Win in Louisiana Poses Dilemma for Party

[DeepModem Mom]

Jefferson Win Poses Dilemma for Party
His Return After Scandal Could Be Awkward for Democrats and New Orleans
By Peter Whoriskey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 11, 2006; Page A03

NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 10 -- Rep. William J. Jefferson may be a pariah in some Washington political circles, but voters in this storm-battered city weighed in over the weekend with their own verdict regarding their scandal-plagued congressman: He's still our guy.

Voters gave the Louisiana Democrat an emphatic reelection victory over state Rep. Karen Carter, even though his campaign had been weighted with revelations that federal authorities had videotaped him taking $100,000 in alleged bribe money, and that $90,000 of it had been found inside a freezer in his apartment in the District. The investigation led House colleagues to dump him from a key committee, donors abandoned him and the state Democratic Party switched its allegiance to his opponent....

***

... his victory now poses a quandary for Democrats, some of whom have shunned him politically, and possibly also for the city. Leaders here seek to project an image of civic probity as they lobby for more federal money for recovery from Hurricane Katrina....

***

The federal corruption investigation, now 21 months old, was front and center in the campaign.

Carter pushed the corruption issue in television ads, saying that the cloud of suspicion alone would make him an ineffective representative. Jefferson responded with his own ads, in which he attacked Carter and looked evenly into the camera to tell voters: "I have never taken a bribe from anyone."...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/10/AR2006121001022.html

[jarab]

1. It's a sad commentary when ...

crookedness could be construed as a quandary and/or a dilemma.

...O...

[snowbear]

2. It's not what we would have wanted.. but Dems will handle it well..

I seriously have faith in them ~~

We'll be just fine..

[Rageneau]

3. So what if he was re-elected?

I can't see how Jefferson's re-election casts any shodow on the Democratic Party -- except of course, the guilt-by-association shadow promoted by the GOP and the MSM.

PLEEEEEEEENNNNNTY of Republicans have been shown to be crooks. And their party didn't bother to censure them or cast them out. To the contrary, they rallied behind DeLay and Ney and Cunningham and Burns et alia, until the actual indictments came down.

When and if Jefferson is indicted, Pelosi and company can take the appropriate action. But to throw him overboard when he hasn't been officially charged with anything is just playing into the Pug's hands.

[AtomicKitten]

4. He was elected democratically.

Oy vey. The Dems will deal with it.

[bowens43]

5. He was charged with what? nt

[Greeby]

6. Pelosi had already taken him off his committee assignments

And Howard Dean said outright on one of the Sunday shows that if Jefferson is indicted, he should resign

[pdxmom]

7. There really isn't much the party can do, except what they've done

so far. He was re-elected and they can't just kick him out and say "you're no longer a Democrat". They can continue to speak up when they must, keep him at a distance until it is resolved one way or the other.

But the bigger question is...why hasn't this been resolved? If they have proof, then charge and indict him. If they have nothing, then drop the investigation. The uncertainty is on the part of law enforcement. I wonder if they've held off on doing anything until after the election, so as to be able to nab a "sitting Congressional Democrat".

[Infinite Hope]

8. I view it as an opportunity...Pelosi can now prove herself bipartisan in draining corruption. n/t