About that Alliance endorsement

Looks like Vitter kind of griped himself out of that one. 

After his easy re-election to the United States Senate in 2010, it might have been reasonable to think that David Vitter had put his seriously sinful past behind him, from a political point of view.

But questions about his dalliance with prostitution prominently and somewhat surprisingly re-emerged in the governor’s race in September — long before videos starring his alleged former paramour — at a forum held by the Orleans chapter of the Alliance for Good Government. The moderator that night asked a seemingly innocuous question, whether the candidates had ever violated Louisiana criminal law, and Vitter refused to answer what he decried as a “gotcha” question.

This week, Vitter apparently hoped to avoid a repeat of that embarrassment, as both he and his staff refrained from attending the Alliance’s forums on the runoff Tuesday evening. Their endorsement went instead to John Bel Edwards, who was represented by state Rep. Walt Leger of New Orleans.

Sure, we know Vitter doesn't take well to being asked about his lawbreaking.  But the Alliance For Good Government isn't some punk kid reporter out to play gotcha. Instead it is a pretty solidly conservative professionals' advocacy club and, one imagines, still persuadable if Vitter could maintain his cool long enough to at least engage them.  Instead, he's impetuously taking out frustrations on a natural ally and further alienating himself in the process. 

On the other hand, Vitter's behavior is no less childish that the GOP Presidential candidates' whining at how they were treated by conservative pundits during a recent debate.  Maybe he's just following the national party's lead. This may, in fact, be the problem with Vitter's campaign right now. But let's save that for another post. For now let's just acknowledge he's making enemies he doesn't really have to make.  But that kind of is the Vitter brand.

At least he managed to pull an 85 year old Mike Foster out of his cabin in the woods somewhere long enough to sign this endorsement memo. That's got to count for something, right?