Individual Liberty — Individual Responsibility 

The appearance of corruption matters

"Former Representative William Jefferson," I love the way that sort of rolls off my fingers as I type away. One of the poster boys for Democratic corruption has lost his reelection bid. I guess the voters in Louisiana have heads on their shoulders after all.

Of course the New York Times points out the issue of “race.” They don't quite come out and call it racism though…

In heavily white precincts, turnout was about 26 percent, while it was only about 12 percent in the heavily black precincts, said Greg Rigamer, a New Orleans demographer and analyst.

The exact percentage of blacks here, like the population itself, is unknown after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, but is thought to be 55 percent to 60 percent, down from around 70 percent before the storm. The City Council has turned majority-white after years of being led by blacks.

“It’s clearly shifted,” Mr. Rigamer said of the population. “You have fewer African-Americans in the city than previously.”

But Mr. Rigamer also suggested that the corruption charges against Mr. Jefferson pushed whites to the polls in unusual numbers. “The bottom line,” he said, “is this is an issue-driven race that ignited turnout in the white community.”

So what is Mr. Rigamer (or by extension Mr. Nossiter, the article's author) trying to say? In a “post racial” America whites still won't vote for a black man? Maybe it's that $90,000.00 of frozen, hard cash discovered in Mr. Jefferson's freezer and announced in May of 2006? Maybe white people care about little things like corruption and bribery in public officials?

…Mr. Cao, promising ethics and integrity, offered voters a break from the scandals associated with the incumbent and his siblings, several of whom have also been indicted.

Mr. Jefferson, 61, awaits trial on federal counts of soliciting bribes, money laundering and other offenses. Prosecutors contend that he used his Congressional office to broker deals in African nations, and say he received more than $500,000 in bribes.

Maybe that's what it was really all about? Of course, Mr. Jefferson is still waiting for his constitutionally mandated “speedy and public” trial. The wheels of justice turn slowly in hurricane ravaged Louisiana, especially for prominent Democratic politicians. It's not like justice is cold and swift, like in Alaska where Senator Stevens was convicted of several felony counts of corruption in almost exactly three months. It's been more than eight times that long for Mr. Jefferson. Meanwhile, Democratic voters in Louisiana remind us that Mr. Jefferson hasn't been convicted yet.

"People are innocent until proven guilty," said Faye Leggins, 54, a Democrat who voted for Jefferson on Saturday.

Ah, but whatever happened to the mantra of “it's not the nature of the evidence that matters, just the seriousness of the charge?” Isn't that the way it goes whenever a Republican is charged with anything? Look at Tom Delay. He was charged with campaign finance violations in 2005. A judge has dismissed one count, but the others remain. And he still hasn't been convicted. Nevertheless he left the House of Representatives voluntarily. Mr. Jefferson on the other hand was re-elected in 2006 despite the appearance of corruption (not to mention the cold, hard evidence in his freezer).

Sometimes the system works and the people move faster than the courts. Now if only Al Franken would yield to the will of the voters.