There's great news out of Louisiana: U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon

There's great news out of Louisiana.

U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, a Napoleonville Democrat, has decided to take on the state's junior senator and all-around embarrassment, David Vitter.

Melancon, a longtime champion of working families and veterans, helped lead recovery efforts after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. One Louisiana political analyst said Melancon "will make it tough for Vitter" to keep his Senate seat. Longsuffering residents of the Pelican State deserve that sort of relief.

As we think about the 2010 elections, The Rant would like to present the following:

FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SENATOR DAVID VITTER

1. David Vitter Thinks Canadians Shouldn't Have Health Care, Either. It's evidently not enough for Vitter that more than 45 million people in America have no health care. Now, he wants to expand that lack of coverage to our friends up north. Vitter recently told a town hall audience that his plan to reimport drugs from Canada has an aim beyond saving money. "My ultimate goal is to use that to cause that system to collapse," he said.

2. David Vitter Held up FEMA Nominee Just Before Hurricane Season. Remember Katrina? Remember how important disaster management is in a hurricane-prone state like Louisiana? Vitter evidently doesn't. Shortly before the start of this year's hurricane season, Vitter held up the nomination of President Obama's choice to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Craig Fugate. Vitter was willing to compromise safety in an attempt to score political points against the White House. Not cool.

3. David Vitter Was President Bush's "Point Man" in Louisiana; Hoped Obama "Fails." From 2001 to 2008, Vitter voted with President Bush nearly 90 percent of the time, ranking him among the president's top supporters. His go-along attitude shifted abruptly with the inauguration of President Obama. He agreed with Rush Limbaugh, who said he wanted the new president to "fail." "I hope he fails in advancing leftist policy that I strongly disagree with," Vitter said. "I think what [Limbaugh] was saying was largely what I'm saying."

4. David Vitter Threw a Tantrum in Dulles International Airport. According to Roll Call, Vitter set off an alarm in March after opening a security door to a jet bridge in an attempt to make a flight for which boarding had ended. Roll Call said Vitter then had an exchange with an airline employee, described as a "'do-you-know-who-I-am' tirade that apparently grew quite heated." The Transportation Security Administration even investigated the incident.

And last, but certainly not least ...

5. David Vitter Confessed to Using D.C. Escort Service. In a revelation embarrassing to the entire state of Louisiana, Vitter in 2007 admitted to being a client of the infamous "D.C. Madam" after his phone number showed up in her records. He later apologized for his "very serious sin."

One thing's certainly clear: It's long past time Louisiana retired David Vitter. As Charlie Melancon says, Louisiana deserves better.

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