Invictus

Here's a bit of Long family trivia for you this afternoon. One popular fact about Huey's taste in literature refers to his fondness for The Count of Monte Cristo. The favorite quote among Huey's biographers is, "The man in that book knew how to hate, and until you learn how to hate, you'll never get anywhere in this world," which is a colorful way of saying Huey, like any master politician, appreciated a good revenge story.

Another often remarked upon Long literary favorite is the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley frequently quoted by Huey and Earl. In Earl of Louisiana, A.J. Liebling refers to it as the "family anthem."

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

And so it is with these favorite Longist themes in our mind of well calculated revenge and the importance of remaining the master of one's fate in the fell clutch of circumstance, we invite you to enjoy NOLA Defender regular contributor Dead Huey Long's take on Sean Payton and the Saints' bounty scandal.

Roger Goodell cannot stop the New Orleans Saints with fines, suspensions, and draft picks. Primarily this is because—and here’s a pro-tip from the ol’ Kingfish—the New Orleans Saints have the overwhelming support of the people and Roger Goodell is just another bully.

I'd pull a larger quote but you should just go read it all there.