"David Vitter is known in politics as a prodigious fund-raiser, and to make one's mark in that way in Washington, D.C., takes some doing. Among other things, one must be considerably less than squeamish about taking checks and shaking hands with lobbyists at cocktail parties.
That is what appeared to have happened when Vitter, then a Republican congressman from Metairie, was running for the U.S. Senate in 2004. He received campaign support from a purportedly anti-gambling political action committee.
The money turned out to be one of a series of political slush funds financed by Indian casinos -- with an obvious interest in blocking competition -- and operated by a Washington insider named Jack Abramoff.
All this background helps to explain why there will be criticism of now-Sen. Vitter for proposing a bill to limit opportunities for expansion of Indian casinos. Isn't he just doing the bidding of his 'anti-gambling' supporters?"
Get the Story:Editorial: Vitter attacks casino sprawl (The Baton Rouge Advocate 6/21)
