Gov. Roemer Vows to Vote for Edwards

Lame duck Gov. Buddy Roemer said Thursday he will vote for Edwin W. Edwards in a gubernatorial runoff, saying a victory by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke would be economic “suicide” for Louisiana.

But Roemer stopped short of giving a full endorsement in the Nov. 16 runoff to Edwards, his longtime rival and a three-term governor.

Roemer, a Republican ousted in the Oct. 19 primary, delivered a blistering attack on Duke, who is in a close race with Edwards.

“A Duke victory is a real possibility. A real possibility. The consequences will be death for this state. We will be redlined, barbed wired and bricked off,” Roemer said.