They always do things a little slower Down South. Whether it's integrating the schools, modernizing the economy, or just plain rising again, things seem to have a way of being put off 'til later.

That said, with Election Day a month away, it's now high time Louisiana got around to having some primaries. And tomorrow, October 4th, seemed as good a day as any.

To be fair, elections were scheduled for a month ago, but Hurricane Gustav decided to blow through the state, thus affording valuable prep time to indicted U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, who against all odds, is running yet again…

If ever there was a campaign that needed a few thousand of those "Vote for the crook — it's important" bumper stickers, this must be it. But here we are, on the eve of the Democratic primary, and Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, is running in the unlikely guise of an innocent man.

At the time of his latest disclosure report, Jefferson had $106,000 in his campaign account.

While that is a relatively trifling amount — he would have stuffed it in the freezer without a thought in palmier days — it has enabled him to crank up the advertising at the last minute.

Louisiana's voters will take a major risk re-electing a man who is embroiled in the blood-diamond trade, family payoffs and $90,000 worth of frozen cash, and could be sent to jail in the middle of his term.

But that's assuming he ever goes to trial. Given the pace of everything else in Louisiana, the South may rise again before any court date comes.