Audio: Virginia GOP State Senate Candidate Says Desegregation Busing Ruined Schools

Great scoop by Julian Walker of the Virginian Pilot, from a radio interview on the John Fredericks Show earlier this week. In response to a question about failing schools in Norfolk, this is what Coleman had to say: "I'm old enough to have lived during the desegregation of the schools here locally. And busing children, in my opinion, around the different districts, getting them out of their local neighborhoods, really was the beginning of the decline in some of the school districts." WTF? Seriously? So, so stupid by Republican State Senate candidate Wayne Coleman, who was probably going to lose to Democratic nominee Lynwood Lewis anyway, but now is almost certain to do so. As Republican JR Hoeft writes:

Coleman was already facing an uphill battle in the 6th District, which has only been held by a Republican for a handful of years over the past several decades. He needed to run a gaffe-free, perfect campaign in order to win. He hasn’t. And all the explanations, retractions, and clarifications won’t help him now.

Exactly.