For Louisiana, US Senator Vitter Should Resign

Traveling from Austin to New Orleans, I stopped off at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library on the campus of Texas A&M University. Walking through the well apportioned museum, it wasn’t the recreation of Bush Sr.’s WWII fighter, his Oval Office, White House Situation Room, or Study at Camp David that caught my attention, but a quote on the wall in a quiet corner.

“It is my considered judgment that you should resign,” then Republican National Committee Chairman George Bush wrote to his close friend President Richard Nixon in the last days of Watergate.

It was no idle political letter, but a detailed note with a regretful tone that declared that for the good of the country, as well as the Republican Party, Nixon had to depart—not an easy missive to write to the man who had been Bush’s political mentor and friend throughout the 1960’s and was nearly the first person to whom Bush unburdened himself in the wake of his U.S. Senate defeat in 1964.

Bush, like other senior Republicans, put friendship and political loyalty aside, and acted for what was good for the reputation and integrity of the country. They said in one voice, lawbreakers cannot be lawmakers.

It is a lesson that Louisiana Republicans must hold to with U.S. Senator David Vitter.

Since the revelations that New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer repeatedly solicited a prostitute and sought to conceal the transactions, I have received many emails on my opinion, for the circumstances closely resembled the activities of State Representative David Vitter in 1990s. Almost seven years ago, I broke a story in The Louisiana Weekly newspaper where four senior Republicans accused Vitter of an 11 month tryst with a prostitute named Wendy Cortez at a small apartment on the corner of Dumaine and Dauphine streets in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

Only Congressional opponent Dave Treen’s unwillingness to reveal the information--out of a desire to spare Vitter’s family public shame--kept the testimony, that Wendy Yow (alias Cortez) rendered to his political operatives, quiet. When Vincent Bruno saw his integrity attacked publicly by Vitter supporters, he and John Treen turned over to me notes and a detailed account of the four interviews they had with Wendy Cortez. They allowed me to speak with the two senior Republican officeholders that also heard her testimony and believed her story.

Subsequently, I would interview Wendy Yow Ellis confirming her relationship with Vitter and reasons why she came forward. At no time did she seek money or remuneration for her story. Quite the contrary, as of early last year, she had long since put her life of vice aside and worked as a successful accountant and widow of a highly decorated solider who died in Iraq. She saw her life destroyed in the wake of the Vitter scandal. Only then did she talk to Larry Flint.

Of course, by the summer of 2007, an intrepid investigator had discovered David Vitter’s private congressional office telephone number on the client list of DC Madam Deborah Jean Palfrey. He confirmed that the now-U.S. Senator had visited prostitutes well into his congressional term, a pattern of behavior—and lies—that stretched over years, as opposed to a single mistake.

Vitter had taken two oaths. As a Louisiana legislator, he swore to uphold the laws and constitution of the State of Louisiana, and as a member of Congress, to do the same for the statutes and constitution of the United States. And, he violated both oaths, willfully breaking those said laws for a period of years and going to great lengths to conceal his identity. In other words, doing that for which Spitzer resigned in disgrace on Wednesday.

The New York Governor only left office after Republicans threatened impeachment and his own Democratic leadership came to him and said for the good of the state and the party, the one time scourge of Wall Street corruption had to leave. No matter how good his work in the past, lawbreaking could not be tolerated in a position of trust.

This summer, as a legislative candidate in District 82, a Republican running for the State House of Representatives, I took the unusual step of calling for David Vitter’s resignation, and urged senior Republicans to pressure the Senator to leave office. I did so, not out of a sense of vengeance, but a recognition that Vitter, however much ideologically I and my fellow conservatives might agree with his voting record, had to realize that the hypocrisy of having what someone who admitted to guilt of a felony remaining in office. His presence cast a terrible image across the nation as this state sought recovery dollars, and put the local GOP in a dangerous political position in having to come to Vitter’s defense.

At the time, I called upon Gov. Blanco to appoint a Republican placeholder until the 2008 elections, someone who would promise not to run for re-election if appointed, and she initially was open to the idea. Reportedly, some senior local Republicans floated the idea of appointing former Gov. David Treen, and Blanco seemed interested. Then, the liberal netroots urged her to renege if Vitter did resign and appoint a Democrat. Worried Republicans backed away.

On the day of Bobby Jindal’s formal announcement tour for Governor, Vitter stole the limelight in declaring his regret and his utter refusal to resign no matter what. With the prospect of losing a U.S. Senate seat in closely divided upper chamber, few Republicans dissented.

Vitter might have gotten away with his gambit had Spitzer not resigned. Every national story about the New York Governor mentioned or even highlighted the Louisiana Senator. The Pelican State was embarrassed once more. The nation has once more seen us tolerate a form of corruption, and do nothing.

Yet, circumstances have changed since the summer of 2007. Jindal has made positive headlines for his anti-corruption legislation, and as a Republican Governor, stands in a position to appoint a GOP successor to Vitter.

There is no longer any excuse for the local Republican leadership not to follow the example of the current President’s father and act. Friendship and loyalty matter less than the integrity of the Republic.

Some repeat the political argument that now is too soon. A newly appointed Senator would face the voters, not in 2010 like Vitter, but in 2008. Another contested U.S. Senate race would draw attention and money away from the Kennedy/Landrieu fight, and could cost the GOP their only possible Senatorial pickup this election season.

Balderdash is the polite term for such self-serving logic. Forget the harm that Vitter’s continued presence does to Louisiana’s reputation at a critical time. Will not Senator Landrieu be able to capitalize on what appears to be Republican doublespeak on ethics in government? And, were Jindal to appoint a proven vote-getter statewide, such as Secretary of State Jay Dardenne to the open Senate seat, would he not be a stronger candidate than Vitter?

Despite the negative political season nationally for the GOP, McCain will definitely win Louisiana, and his coattails will more easily carry the election of two Republicans now than attempting to defend a weakened David Vitter in 2010. Without a popular Presidential candidate topping the ticket, what is to stop Third District Congressman Charlie Melancon, an attractive Acadiana moderate, from wrenching the seat from Republican hands.

Little, if the party hierarchy does not act now. Vitter cannot be forced from office; his Senatorial colleagues fear there may be other names on the DC madam’s list. He cannot be forced unless it is clear than his own party wants him gone, then few in the club that is the United Senate will defend him.

To quote British Member of Parliament Rab Butler to Neville Chamberlain, himself using a quote of Oliver Cromwell’s to Charles I, “Go. For the love of God, Go.”

For the Republic, Senator, for Louisiana, it’s time to go.

By Christopher Tidmore

I ask for the thoughts and replies of all those who might agree or disagree, particularly Republicans. Please email me at christophertidmore@yahoo.com.

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