Last week I was working on this cartoon relating to extremist Christian ideology when along came the terrible events caused by extremist Muslim ideology. Go figure. Needless to say, the Charlie Hebdo massacre gave Congressman Steve Scalise a reprieve from his very own white supremacist scandal.
The Steve Scalise story broke when a political blogger from Louisiana pointed out that the House Majority Whip spoke to an openly white supremacist group back in 2002. While Scalise apologized, his excuses just don’t add up. I don’t think someone who spoke to a group of David Duke white supremacists should be given one of the top slots in the Republican leadership. (As a political cartoonist, however, I should encourage that sort of thing.)
Sure, things were different then. Louisiana politics were of a different time and all that. But 2002 really wasn’t that long ago— particularly when you factor in Scalise’s vote in 2004 to block the Martin Luther King holiday (one of only 6 votes against to 90 votes in favor in the Louisiana House). Is this really the best the Republicans can do for a top leadership position? Enjoy the cartoon, send it along to your friends, enemies and old racist uncle!
Hi, I’m Congressman Steve Scalise from Louisiana.
‘Fore Charlie Hebdo, y’all probably heard ‘bout how I spoke to a white supremacist neo-Nazi group back in 2002, and now here I am the number three Republican in the House!
Before you judge, think of this: how was I supposed to know David Duke was behind this racist conference at that hotel . . . even though I guess he was on the program, too.
It was 2002, I didn’t know how to use Google or Yahoo. Remember, I was just a kid from Louisiana who majored in computer science.
I did not have white supremacist relations with that man!
I’m a public servant for the good folks a’ Louisiana— David Duke without the baggage!
It’s not like an entire minor league baseball team cancelled their hotel reservations cause everyone knew some racist event was comin’ . . . ‘cept now I guess that did happen.
Look, I’m a good Catholic Italian-American, with a passion for leadership!
Like Mussolini without the baggage!
I been doin’ the people’s business for a long time— like back in the Louisiana Statehouse in 2004 when I voted to stop Martin Luther King Day from happenin’.
And now that I am the Non-racist Majority Whip in the House, I want to thank alla’ y’all for your support— white, black, green, yellow, supreme, inferior, whatever.
If you stand by me now, I’ll be like Steve Scalise, without the baggage!
(Paid for by the totally non-racist Steve Scalise for remaining majority whip in Congress.)