Politico reports that Majority Whip Steve Scalise is “rush[ing]” to embattled Congressman Steve Southerland’s defense this weekend – but Congressman Southerland’s choice of surrogates is going to cause him more heartburn than help:
- ON WOMEN’S ISSUES: Congressman Scalise said the Violence Against Women’s Act “promoted an extreme liberal agenda;” Congressman Southerland has come under fire for lying about his vote opposing VAWA, holding a men only fundraiser and for his derogatory “lingerie-shower” comment.
- ON SENIORS’S ISSUES: Congressman Scalise proposed a radical budget that raised the Social Security retirement age; Congressman Southerland has come under fire for supporting privatizing Social Security;
- ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: Congressman Scalise helped lead the shutdown fight; Congressman is being blasted for his support of the shutdown and his vote against re-opening the government.
“Here’s the perfect example of how Congressman Southerland’s Washington Way is out of touch with North Florida: he’s campaigning with a leader of the broken Congress who worked with him to shut down our government,” said David Bergstein of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “From their shared opposition to the Violence Against Women Act to their mutual support for jeopardizing Social Security, Scalise and Congressman Southerland are two peas in a pod when it comes to everything that North Floridians hate about Washington.”