There they go again

Via The Stakeholder, some familiar shenanigans by a Republican Congressional candidate. In this case, the perpetrator is Louie Gohmert, challenger to Rep. Max Sandlin in CD01.

Gohmert said he would be more effective than Sandlin in making sure the proposed Interstate 69 comes through the Longview/Marshall area, probably along U.S. 59. He said Sandlin has lost clout in Congress by angering Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land.

"If he (Sandlin) wants it, they don't want him to have it," Gohmert said.

Sandlin said he helped put into law the proposed route, which branches south of Carthage with an east route through Marshall and north on U.S. 59 to Texarkana. He also disagreed that his relationship with DeLay mars his effectiveness.

"Saying that Tom DeLay is mad at me is childish. My obligation — unlike my opponent's — is not to Tom DeLay. My obligation is to East Texas, and to suggest that pleasing Tom DeLay should be a litmus test for an East Texas congressman is absurd and shows just where my opponent's loyalties are."

In other words: "Mighty nice interstate you've got there. Be a shame if something were to happen to it." They tried this before in Kentucky. It didn't work then, and hopefully it won't work now.

But let's pretend for a minute here. Let's pretend that Gohmert does defeat Sandlin, but Democrats do well enough elsewhere in the country to retake control of the House. Would it then be proper for Speaker Pelosi to block this project on the grounds that it's Gohmert who's playing for the wrong team? I suspect the people who'd be affected would rather have it judged on its merits than on the affiliations of the interested parties. Too bad Gohmert doesn't see it that way.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on August 04, 2004 to Election 2004 | TrackBack