Yesterday at the Baton Rouge Press Club, David Vitter was asked about the “spying” incident at the Jefferson Parish coffee shop where Dardenne and Edwards supporters were trying to slime Vitter. Here’s the exchange, courtesy of Sound of LA.

Vitter was investigating whether the Edwards campaign was paying off people to give bogus testimony against him. The Vitter campaign has filed a criminal complaint in the matter.

When they told Edwards this, Edwards had his latest “holier than thou” meltdown. Edwards compared Vitter to “Nixon” and asked if Vitter can be trusted with the State Police? Oh and Edwards is the brother, son, and grandson of a sheriff.

The use of trackers also came up. Long story short, both campaigns are being followed by “trackers” who videotape and record every move the candidates make. Those are generally hired by Super PACs and state parties.

Vitter then nails St. John Bel and his allies because they fear Vitter’s agenda. The trial lawyers don’t want their rice bowls broken and St. John Bel wants to be governor.

The “5500 criminals ad” came up again. Vitter took a question on that as well and ripped St. John Bel for pandering.

Edwards admitted that he got the 5500 number from the Department of Corrections and there will be a mass prisoner release, but then he said that there would be no mass prisoner release. Edwards than talked about alternatives to incarceration and lowering recidivism rates, which is a fair point.

But that’s not what Edwards was talking about at Southern. He set a number to reduce the prison population. Unless his plan is for inmates to die in prison, you won’t lower the prisoner count without releasing them. Instead of trying to get an aribitrary number and ranking (below Mississippi in the incarceration rate), you reform the criminal justice reform based on what’s best for public safety and taxpayers.