Vitter speaks
Posted: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 9:09 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
Congress
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Speaking for the first time since he acknowledged a connection to the so-called D.C. Madam a week ago, Senator David Vitter of Louisiana appeared briefly before reporters here Monday to apologize again and attack ‘political enemies’ he said had spread falsehoods about him.” Here's the header of the
Times-Pic lead editorial entitled "Incomplete Answers": "[H]is private behavior intersects with public life. By admitting that his phone number is in the records of an alleged prostitution ring that is under federal investigation, Sen. Vitter has raised the specter of illegality. Louisianans have a right to be concerned that a lawmaker may have broken the law… Vitter did not give up all rights to privacy when he took office, and no one should expect or want lurid details about his actions. He said Monday that he doesn't intend to answer endless questions. Fair enough. So far, though, he hasn't answered the fundamental question: Whether he broke the law by hiring prostitutes."
The next media circus for Vitter could be during the DC Madam's trial, in which she could call him as a witness. Palfrey said in a phone interview Monday that she's waiting to find out if Vitter "sinned legally." If so, she would use him to bolster her argument that services provided by the more than 130 women who worked for her escort company were legal, such as massages and fantasy role-playing. If Vitter indicates he "sinned illegally," Palfrey said he did it without her knowledge and will insist he be named as a co-conspirator in the federal racketeering case against her. "I will certainly be calling David Vitter," Palfrey said from her northern California home.
And Vitter didn't make any friends with Republican Bobby Jindal's campaign. The Times-Pic notes, "A few students from the College Republicans club at the University of New Orleans were there to demand Vitter's resignation. They said he had tarnished the party's reputation and criticized Vitter for holding the news conference an hour before U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, another Republican, officially kicked off his campaign for governor."
