Corruption - A Racial Right?

One worm forced into the light when the New Orleans flood turned over rocks was Congressman William Jefferson.

His corruption is obvious. His defense is predictably racial.

"This is the new Jesse Jackson-style twist on Louisiana's tradition of crooked populism: if pols get caught out helping themselves to money through misuse of office while claiming to help the downtrodden, they blame their troubles on racism. Huey Long played the socialist card, saying the powerful didn't want him to help the poor; now the William Jeffersons play the race card, saying the powerful don't want them to help the black. Yet William Jefferson's blatant use of public resources intended for the distressed underclass to fish a laptop out of his posh house, which was reported this week, is one more illustration of malfeasance by local pols that gives the lie to their accusations against the federal government for its supposed indifference to the fate of New Orleans blacks."