No more beating around the bush. In a brutal new segment running on network and cable television in Louisiana through election day, Rep. Charlie Melancon makes a final, daring pitch to voters that Sen. David Vitter’s sex and abuse scandals make him unfit to serve.
“Our tax dollars pay David Vitter’s salary, and he used it for prostitutes,” the ad’s narrator says. “Our money paid for Vitter’s serious sin. Phone calls to prostitutes during official votes and tax dollars to help defend an aide who violently abused his girlfriend. In return, we got a disgraced senator ranked among the least effective in Congress.”
Melancon hasn’t exactly been shy about discussing Vitter’s past. It’s an issue he’s highlighted around the state, and in a two minute that ran on cable TV earlier this cycle. But his camp’s long been aware that it has to be fresh on voters’ minds if Melancon’s going to win.
This is his final attempt to re-inject the issue into the race. Vitter tiptoed around his past in a multi-party debate last night. He and Melancon meet one-on-one for a debate tonight. TPM’s Polltracker average gives Vitter a 47.6-38.5 lead over Melancon.
Brian Beutler
Brian Beutler is TPM's senior congressional reporter. Since 2009, he's led coverage of health care reform, Wall Street reform, taxes, the GOP budget, the government shutdown fight, and the debt limit fight. He can be reached at brian@talkingpointsmemo.com.
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