Weigel

David Duke, the white nationalist and former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, has put out a bizarre eight-minute web video endorsing Councilman Charles Barron, the controversial Brooklyn Democrat best known for his questionable statements about Jews and his fondness for dictators, in his bid for Congress:

Barron and his opponent, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, are both African American and have been competing vigorously for the support of working class blacks in their district.

"The endorsement is clearly bizarre," Jeffries told me in a phone interview. "It wasn’t even clear to me that [Duke] was still around until he parachuted into this race. David Duke is correct that I am a strong supporter of Israel. Unfortunately, he got the Uncle Tom part wrong."

Barron has seen his stock rise in recent days as labor has waded in on his behalf, but Jeffries backers might be able to make hay of this -- election day fliers, anyone? -- and regain control of the race.