White House: GOP Keeping Scalise ‘Says A Lot About Who They Are’

White House press secretary Josh Earnest gestures during his daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, Sept. 8, 2014. Earnest answered questions about President Obama's upcoming speech on confront... White House press secretary Josh Earnest gestures during his daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, Sept. 8, 2014. Earnest answered questions about President Obama's upcoming speech on confronting Islamic State militants. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) MORE LESS
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The White House said on Monday that it’s up to Republicans to decide whether to keep House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) in the leadership team, but argued that their decision “says a lot about who they are.”

“There’s no arguing that who Republicans decide to elevate into a leadership position says a lot about what the conference’s priorities and values are,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. “Mr. Scalise reportedly described himself as David Duke without the baggage. So it’ll be up to Republicans to decide what that says about their conference.”

Earnest declined to call on House Republicans to remove Scalise from his position as the No. 3 leader in the conference, after the congressman admitted last week that he spoke to a white supremacist group in 2002. Other House Republican leaders, including Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), are standing by Scalise, while acknowledging that he made a mistake.

“It is the responsibility of members of the House Republican conference to choose their leaders,” Earnest said. “Who they choose to serve in their leadership says a lot about who they are, what their values are and what the priorities of the conference should be.”

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Notable Replies

  1. Scalise? I thought his name was Benghazi.

  2. I think that the White House is missing the sheer genius of the GOTP’s outreach program.

  3. You promote Scalise because you don’t want to alienate your base. Duh.

  4. I think it’s fairly apparent what the GOP is about nowadays, but good for them for pointing it out in a clear, concise manner.

  5. Scalise and the GOP have allowed mostly white racists a seat at the table by not stepping down as whip.

    This is cloud seeding for the 2016 Fred C. Koch (John Birch Society) takeover of the US branches of
    government.

    From the VFW halls in Mississippi to the Wal-Marts of Idaho’s panhandle let the rejoicing begin as oppressed Caucasians finally get to let freedom ring, or is that to let the Gadsen Flag happy dance fly.

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