is while you and I are politically astute and aware, most Americans are not and are clueless and will go:

"Well Martha, he says he didnt know, so yup yup, we gonna vote for him"

He's not a racist and neither is Rand Paul

political culture to rise in his party
http://www.vox.com/2014/12/30/7467621/steve-scalise-racist-group
<snip>
Let's be as generous as we can to House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. Let's say he spoke to the European-American Unity and Rights Organization but had no idea it was a white supremacy group backed by David Duke. Let's say the name didn't raise any red flags for Scalise, or if it did, he didn't follow up on them. Let's take him at his word that, in 2002, he didn't know there was such a thing as Google (or any of its competitors), and neither he nor his staff even cursorily vetted the groups he accepted speaking invitations from.

It is clear how Scalise sees this explanation as exculpatory, and in a sense, it is. He may not have specifically realized he was speaking to a white supremacy organization, nor made any effort to find out. But these excuses are, in their own way, damning. They speak not just to what Scalise didn't know, but to what he didn't really want to know, and didn't feel the need to find out. And what makes them dangerous to his career is they're part and parcel of some ugly compromises he made while making his name in politics.

This is the line Scalise appears to have walked while rising in Louisiana politics: not pro-Duke, but not anti-Duke, either. There's a telling quote from 1999, when Duke was running for Congress and Roll Call asked Scalise to comment.

Another potential candidate, state Rep. Steve Scalise (R), said he embraces many of the same "conservative" views as Duke, but is far more viable.

"The novelty of David Duke has worn off," said Scalise. "The voters in this district are smart enough to realize that they need to get behind someone who not only believes in the issues they care about, but also can get elected. Duke has proven that he can't get elected, and that's the first and most important thing."

have a great new years!!!!

he made an error but apologized.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/12/30/scalise-releases-new-statement-of-regret-for-2002-speech-boehner-backs-him/

I love the sound of drip, drip, drip!!!!

If he had not lost, who would care about Scalise anyway.

More seriously, it is unlikely that Scalise did that once. I guess the rest will start appearing now that the cat is out.

Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaah the RETHUG idiot is having a rough time

come before a Progressive group or a Liberal one "accidentally". Since there's no record of that having happened - and, I'm assuming, one won't ever be found - his claim to ignorance lacks any credibility.

and Boehner's crap about an 'error of judgement' is even worse.

Boner will live to regret it.

Get the popcorn

Bad press, even in their gerrymandered districts.

This sucker is going Joe McCarthy,watch and see. Don't think for a minute the Rethugs are going to replace this RACIST A--hole until they get their desired message out to the Cluckers.

Should be fun - things look Grimm