<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Courtesy of <i>NBC News </i>at:</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/david-duke-former-kkk-leader-announces-senate-run-n615006">http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/david-duke-former-kkk-leader-announces-senate-run-n615006</a></div><div><br></div><div>--------------------------------</div><div><br></div><div><h1 itemprop="headline" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 3.24732em; margin: 0px 0px 0.11548em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; font-family: ProximaNovaBold, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.03932; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">David Duke, Former KKK Leader, Announces Senate Run</h1><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.125em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It's</span><a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/12/david-duke-plans-to-run-for-congress-against-the-republican-who-spoke-to-his-group.html" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration: none;"> official</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">: David Duke is running for Congress.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.125em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The former Ku Klux Klan leader and one-term Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives said in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ97gEFBH5k&feature=youtu.be&a" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration: none;">video</a> announcing his candidacy Friday that he believes in "equal rights for all, and respect for all Americans." </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.125em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"However," he added, "what makes me different is I also demand respect for the rights and the heritage of European Americans." </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.125em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Duke will seek an open seat vacated by Republican Sen. David Vitter, who announced last year that he would not be seeking re-election. More than a<a href="http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/07/senate_race_to_replace_sen_dav.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration: none;">dozen other candidates</a> have also signed up to replace the retiring senator. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.125em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Related: <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/who-david-duke-white-supremacist-who-endorsed-donald-trump-n528141" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration: none;">Who Is David Duke, the White Supremacist Who Endorsed Donald Trump?</a></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.125em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Initially, Duke had said he was leaning toward mounting a challenge against Republican Rep. Steve Scalise, who once described himself as "David Duke without the baggage." But apparently, Duke now feels there's room for the both of them in Washington. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.125em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In his announcement video, Duke pledged to "stop the massive immigration and ethnic cleansing of the people whose forefathers created America." He declared, "We cannot have free trade without fair trade." And he said he was "overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues that [he's] championed for years." </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.125em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Duke founded a KKK chapter in 1974, and won a seat in the Louisiana legislature 15 years later. He ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 1990 and for Louisiana governor in 1991. Ex-convict Edwin Edwards, a Democrat, beat Duke in that gubernatorial election with the famous slogan, "Vote for the crook, it's important." </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.125em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Duke is now also a convicted felon, having <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/19/us/david-duke-pleads-guilty-to-tax-charge-and-fraud.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration: none;">pleaded guilty</a> in 2002 to bilking his supporters and cheating on his taxes. After spending a year in federal prison, he later denied any wrongdoing. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.125em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Duke's announcement comes as Louisiana grapples with racial tensions in the wake of a police killing of an unarmed black man, Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, and the shooting of several law enforcement officers in the same city weeks later. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.125em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) said it would not support Duke's candidacy. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.125em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Louisiana voters will be able to choose from several Republican Senate candidates who will have a great impact on the Bayou State and the future of our country. David Duke is not one of them," said the NRSC in a statement. "He will not have the support of the NRSC under any circumstance." </span></p></div><div>--------------------------------</div><div><br><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"There's room at the top they are telling you still.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But first you must learn how to smile as you kill,</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you want to be like the folks on the hill."</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- John Lennon</span></div></div></div></body></html>