House majority whip Scalise acknowledges speaking at white nationalist event in 2002

[Kingofalldems]

Source: The Washington Post

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) acknowledged Monday that he spoke at a gathering hosted by white nationalist leaders while serving as a state representative in 2002, thrusting a racial controversy into House Republican ranks days before the party assumes control of both congressional chambers.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/12/29/house-majority-whip-scalise-acknowledges-speaking-at-white-nationalist-event-in-2002/?Post+generic=%3Ftid%3Dsm_twitter_washingtonpost

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Isn't that special.

[atreides1]

1. More of that diversity!

Is this what the GOP means by diversity? Blacks, Hispanics, and white nationalists?

[inanna]

2. Oh, but he was "unaware" of the group's ideology.

According to the article.

Riiiiiiiiight.

[CanonRay]

7. The "heil" salutes didn't give it away?

[slumcamper]

3. Well then! This certainly qualifies him to be GOP whip.

What a disgusting lot of cretins! Racists clinging to guns and religion, celebrating their "Confederate heritage."

Pardon me while I GAG.

[Just for Fun]

4. Scalise needs to tender his resignation

Effective immediately.

[KeepItReal]

5. "From the same party that brought you David Duke"

Quote from one of the hardest hitting Democratic campaign radio ads I ever heard in Baton Rouge back in the day.

[LonePirate]

6. The GOP base will love him even more once they hear of this.

[muntrv]

8. But..but...New Black Panthers!

[maindawg]

9. The republicans

have a very difficult time finding a congressman who is not connected to the KKK or some such criminal record.

[Judi Lynn]

10. House majority whip admits he addressed white supremacist group

CBS News/December 29, 2014, 4:37 PM

House majority whip admits he addressed white supremacist group

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, the House majority whip, has admitted to the Washington Post that he addressed a white supremacist organization in 2002, before he was elected to Congress.

At the time, Scalise was a Louisiana state representative, and he appeared before a convention of the European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO), which was founded by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.

Blogger Lamar White Jr., who writes about Louisiana state politics, was the first to report the speech, which took place at an "all-day training workshop designed to teach the most effective and up-to-date methods of civil rights and heritage related activism" in Metairie, Louisiana, according to promotional material found by White. The material also said that Duke would be holding a EURO conference in Europe at the same time and would address both the Metairie and the Europe events at the same time, by teleconference.

In a statement, Scalise's spokesperson Moira Bagley said Scalise "was unaware at the time of the group's ideology and its association with racists and neo-Nazi activists," according to the Washington Post.

More:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-majority-whip-admits-he-addressed-white-supremacist-group/

[center][/center]

[TexasProgresive]

11. I guess he forgot his hood

[Eugene]

12. Ah! A youthful indiscretion.

He was a young, ill-prepared politician.
He didn't realize he got into bed with David Duke.

[font size=8]Suuuuure![/font]

If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

13. nothing to see here - let's all get back to dwelling on Rev. Wright

and condemning anyone who talks to Al Sharpton

[BadGimp]

14. wanna bet they just don't care?

[angrychair]

15. what crap

He didn't know that a seminar, attended by all whites, with "heritage related activism" in the title with an organization run by a known leader in racist movements, was not going to be an issue? My BS meter just pegged so hard it cracked.

[True Blue Door]

16. Fantastikkk.

[herding cats]

17. Is he claiming he didn't know who David Duke was, or what?

Because I'm not buying that someone seated in the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1996, which Scalise's was, didn't know the former head of the KKK was making a bid for the Louisiana Senate that very same year. Even if we're to believe he was brain dead in 1988 during Duke's failed presidential run, and 1989 when he actually WON a Louisiana House seat in a special election, and 1990 when Duke ran for the US Senate seat for the first time, surely he recalls when he ran for, and almost won, the governorship in 1991, right? He had to hear about Bob Livingston's scandal, and subsequent, resignation and how Duke once again ran for the US Senate seat 1999. It was a damn big deal and everyone was talking about it at the time. Scalise was even out shaking hands and kissing babies that same year on the campaign trail, so he had to be paying at least some attention to local Louisiana politics. Right?

Instead we're supposed to believe he was completely tone deaf and naive to what EURO was in spite of his six years as a politician in Louisiana and lifetime living there, and accidentally spoke at their gathering? After all, no one in Louisiana politics would ever have noticed David Duke founding this group there in 2000. I mean it's not as if the entire purpose of this hate group is to spread David Dukes teachings by selling his books, etc., except that that is the whole purpose of this group. They're just another vehicle the former Grand Wizard of the KKK created to sell his writings and spread his white supremacist propaganda. But really, his name never came up that day, or if it did Scalise didn't know who the person's writings they were selling was? Bullshit.

[Kingofalldems]

18. He's lying of course.

[herding cats]

19. Of course.

And, he's doing it poorly.

[Feron]

20. As one of Scalise's constituents...

there's no fucking way Scalise DIDN'T know that EURO was a white hood organization.

First Duke's outfit was called NO FEAR and the clothing manufacturer sued/threatened to sue and so the name was changed to EURO. This was prominent in the news at the time.

Secondly, Duke was the St. Tammany Republican Parish Executive Committee president in the late 90s and served until 2000. St. Tammany is in the 1st district and Duke's headquarters are in this parish.

St. Tammany and Jefferson are rather hospitable to white racists.

Then there is this gem from Roll Call:

Another potential candidate, state Rep. Steve Scalise (R), said he embraces many of the same “conservative” views as Duke, but is far more viable.

“The novelty of David Duke has worn off,” said Scalise. “The voters in this district are smart enough to realize that they need to get behind someone who not only believes in the issues they care about, but also can get elected. Duke has proven that he can’t get elected, and that’s the first and most important thing.”

http://blogs.rollcall.com/218/scalise-vitter-talked-to-roll-call-about-david-duke-in-1999/?dcz=

Needless to say Scalise is about as intelligent as Rick Perry.


Keep in mind that the first district is also the one that gave us Bob Livingston, David Vitter, Bobby Jindal, and now this.

[47of74]

21. Attention Republican Dumb Fucks

“No politician should ever find himself/herself addressing a white supremacist organization except to tell them to go to hell.”

- Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.)

[yellowcanine]

22. To be fair, he thought the group was a European financial group called the EURO.

An easy mistake to make. Louisiana is the center of such groups.