“That seems a lot like prostitution, don’t you think?”
When LouisianaVoice held its recent fundraiser, one elected official donated $250 to us from his election campaign.
Because we have never laid claim to being objective but we do pride ourselves in our independence, we thanked the donor for his generosity…and returned the money. We explained that while his support was appreciated right down to our very bone marrow, we felt it would not be good for him—or us—should someone delve into his campaign expense report and discover that he was sending us money.
In politics, as with anything with the word ethics attached to it, perception is everything and the last thing we wanted to give the appearance that we were beholden to any candidate. We may—and do—support political candidates, but we reserve the right to be critical of any policy with which we might disagree. Accepting payment from an elected or appointed official strips us of our ability to view that official objectively and to report what needs to be reported.
Republican State Senators Dale Erdey of Livingston and Danny Martiny of Metairie are examples of elected officials with whom we generally agree but with whom we have occasionally had our differences. Likewise any number of other members of the Louisiana House and Senate.
While Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle was roundly criticized for leaving his position as Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources in the wake of the Assumption Parish sinkhole at Bayou Corne, we vigorously defended him and Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne from the merciless attacks of Diaper Boy Dave Vitter in the weeks leading up to the recent gubernatorial primary election.
Which brings us to the subject of Vitter who finished a distant second to State Rep. John Bel Edwards and is now launching one of the most vicious smear campaigns in recent history in a desperate effort to woo Dardenne and Angelle supporters in order to overcome the huge Edwards lead. Perhaps the sting of those unwarranted attacks have caused Dardenne and Angelle to thus far refuse to endorse a candidate in the runoff.
Usually, the losers to a candidate of the same party would support that candidate in a race against someone from the opposing party. Not this time and that sends a not so subtle message to their supporters: if the Republican leader is not worthy of the support of two Republicans who failed to advance, perhaps their supporters might consider looking elsewhere.
That is the dilemma facing a desperate Vitter who is on the verge—like Edwin Edwards in 1987—of losing the first political race of his life. Edwards avoided that fate by withdrawing from the runoff, giving the governorship to Buddy Roemer but did eventually lose his first race last year when he sought the Sixth Congressional District won by Garrett Graves.
We make no secret of our distaste for Vitter but we have taken our position free of charge.
Not so with Scott McKay.
McKay is the publisher of The Hayride political blog which has for some time now received income (we presume) from a series of really cheesy, thinly-disguised “news stories” (advertisements, really) for such things as a biblical cure for cancer, sure-fire riches via questionable schemes, scary stories about imminent collapse of world financial markets and ways to protect your wealth, etc.
And while we have refrained from openly criticizing his blog because we feel he has the same right as we to express his views openly and without reprisals, fellow blogger Lamar White today (Tuesday, November 3) revealed that Vitters’ campaign expense reports reveal that he has paid Hayride Media, LLC of Baton Rouge $1,000 per month since last February.
That’s $8,000 total to someone who should insist that his blog remain above reproach in the interest of any shred of credibility he may have.
We have long suspected that Bobby Jindal’s organization was somehow funneling money to The Hayride, but could never find proof that was the case. Vitter, however, is a different story. Thanks to Lamar White and his blog, CenLamar, we now have that proof of the latter’s support. http://cenlamar.com/2015/11/03/david-vitter-pays-controversial-blogger-1kmonth-to-attack-john-bel-edwards-as-a-treasonous-terrorist-in-al-Qaeda/
To further demonstrate just how low this campaign has sunk, thanks to Vitter and his now-revealed media mouthpiece, here is a tweet from McKay, also provided by CenLamar:
Vitter is now like Jimmy Swaggart, according to McKay—an undesirable but a clear preference to Edwards, who McKay compared to American-born terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki.
Folks, this is insidious—and despicable. McKay has single-handedly plunged this campaign into the depths of his own personal sewer.
If this is the type person you prefer to listen to, then we can only express our sympathies that you are this shallow, this narrow-minded, this bigoted. McKay’s tweet borders on the psychopathic, the anti-social fringe element of society.
The irony is that they believe they are advancing Christian principles when in reality what Vitter—and McKay—are saying is about as far removed from the teachings of Christ as anything any member of….oh, say Isis, could utter. (Yes, that is extreme and a bit overblown, but we were hard pressed to find a comparable hate group with which to compare them other than the old John Birch Society or the KKK.)
On the hate meter, McKay’s tweet ranks right up there with General Phil Sheridan who, in January of 1869, when Comanche Indian Chief Toch-a-Way (Turtle Dove) said, “Me Toch-a-Way, me good Indian, replied, “The only good Indians I ever saw were dead.”
Where is the humility, the love for others, the help for those less fortunate, the forgiveness? It’s not there. Instead, we have a paid shill for Vitter comparing an honor graduate of West Point and an 82nd Airborne Ranger leader to a terrorist.
Edwards, in Denham Springs Tuesday morning for a campaign appearance, was asked by LouisianaVoice about White’s revelation that McKay was on Vitter’s payroll, responded, “That seems a lot like prostitution, don’t you think?”
We couldn’t agree more.
And we’re not being paid to say it.
Good thing they had no credibility to lose, I guess.
Important information and what the free press is all about.
Blows McKay and his “Hayride” out of the water.
Thanks to Lamar White and to you for passing it along.
Thanks! This, plus the third poll to come out now showing Edwards with a sizeable lead, ought to be enough to give the lobbyists pause before writing more checks to Vitter. He is not going to be the next governor. He will return to the Senate humiliated and politically weakened, which couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
@Veritas: From your fingers on the keyboard to God’s ears.
Just when you think the dirty politics can’t get any worse….this. Too bad the only sanctions for disgusting untruths lie in the power of the pen, the court of public opinion and the ballot box. Sometimes I think a set of stocks in the public square and a crate of rotten fruit might have some merit.
Thanks. Lamar and Tom, for getting this out.
Awlaki, not al Maliki. Obama took out Awlaki
Have we word somewhere of the progress of the FOIA debate records from LA Tech?
Reblogged this on tmabaker.
[…] Source: Hayride credibility shot; rabidly conservative political blog on Vitter payroll at $1K per month: &#… […]
This shows what a scumbag Vitter truly is!!!!
How sad. So Vitter has to pay for his personal attack dog and we know he’s had to pay for his…uh yeah.
Look, Vitter just gave us a “new” phrase “blog whoring”. Does anyone know if the “Hayride” has a swirling red light outside their office? Under such conditions it would be more than appropriate.
Not only can’t Vitter get women free of charge, now he has to pay someone to say “good” things about him and discredit his opposition.
God almighty, and I thought Jindal was pathetic. Vitter is taking pathetic to a new low.