Friday, July 25th, 2008

Obama: The Presumptive - and Presumptuous - Nominee
by Toby Harnden (excerpt)

REAL CLEAR POLITICS

(F)or all the adulation abroad, Obama is nowhere near sealing the deal at home. The latest WSJ/NBC poll gives him a modest six-point lead over McCain. Dig down into the detail and there are some warning signs for Obama.

McCain has as 11-point advantage in terms of background and values that voters identify with. By a 20-point margin, voters consider Obama the riskier choice at a time when America is fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and facing a global threat from militant Islamists.

(D)uring a testy exchange in which Team Obama persisted with the preposterous contention that the Berlin speech was not a campaign event, Susan Rice, another Obama foreign policy aide, was also accused of hubris. "It is not going to be a political speech,' she said. "When the President of the United States goes and gives a speech, it is not a political speech or a political rally." A reporter reminded her: "But he is not President of the United States."

The images of Obama's Berlin speech were grand and the address itself, though far from one of his best and almost devoid of policy substance, would have been a pretty decent one had it been delivered after he had won the White House. But he is not President of the United States. The sham humility of announcing that "I speak to you not as a candidate for President but as a citizen" came across as simply disingenuous. Saying that "I know that I don't look like the Americans who've previously spoken here" seemed like a craven attempt to invoke comparisons with John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.

Appealing to the notion of "global citizenship" and the planet's population to "come together to save the world" might not play that well in Peoria. It's difficult to disagree with the notion that "my country has not perfected itself" but to say it in Europe - to cheers - is a different issue. Those concerned that Obama might be elitist or lacking in patriotism will not have been reassured by his modified stump speech riff: "People of Berlin - people of the world - this is our moment, this is our time."

He may be the narrow front runner for the White House but there's still an election and the sense of irrational exuberance enveloping his campaign is dangerous.

Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee. Americans admire self-confidence up to a point, but fueling the notion that he's a presumptuous nominee is a good way to lose in November.

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Gallup Poll: Obama Maintains Slim Edge Over McCain 45%- 43%

GALLUP DAILY TRACKING POLL

PRINCETON, NJ -- Gallup Poll Daily tracking of national registered voters' presidential election preferences finds Barack Obama with a slight advantage over John McCain, 45% to 43%.

Obama's much anticipated overseas trip enters its sixth day, but so far it has not meaningfully affected the choice for president voters would make if the election were held today.

Obama has held a modest advantage over McCain for all but a few days (in which the candidates were precisely tied) since he clinched the Democratic nomination in early June.








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No VP Plans For Jindal- He Won't Be On GOP Ticket, Governor Says
by Tom Bonnette - The Town Talk (excerpt)

WINNFIELD -- Gov. Bobby Jindal said Thursday he never has been asked to join the Republican presidential ticket and that if Sen. John McCain did ask, the answer would be no.

Jindal reassured Louisiana citizens gathered for a Town Hall meeting he would not run for vice president while venting questions from the crowd about speculation that McCain might still make the offer.

"I'll vote for Sen. McCain, but, look, I'm not going to be vice president, I'm not going to be the nominee," Jindal said.

While those around McCain have raised the notion of he running with McCain, Jindal said Thursday, McCain never has asked him directly.

Jindal said no one on the Republican Nation Committee has contacted him to suggest he participate in the party's presidential nominating convention to be convened in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. on September 1, but he isn't surprised.

"It's my understanding that they don't make those kind of decisions until much later," he said.

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Pundits Beginning To Believe Jindal's Vice Presidential Denials
by Jan Moller - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Bobby Jindal has the job he wants. Bobby Jindal will not be on the presidential ballot with Sen. John McCain this fall. Louisiana's governor, who recently marked his six-month anniversary in office, has been chanting that mantra since March, when speculation first surfaced that he might be on the Republican short-list for vice president.

But that didn't stop feverish speculation about Jindal's political future this week when columnist Robert Novak, based on anonymous sources, reported that McCain was on the verge of picking his running mate.

When the McCain campaign hastily rearranged the senator's schedule to include a mid-week visit to Louisiana and a private meeting with Jindal, the political blogosphere went into overdrive, with news outlets around the world reporting that Jindal -- earlier denials notwithstanding -- was atop McCain's list.

On a week when Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, was winning around-the-clock coverage of his trip to the Middle East and Germany, the speculation was that McCain would be tapping Jindal as a way to steal some headlines. But just as previous Jindal-for-vice-president boomlets have fizzled out, so did this one when McCain canceled his visit and Novak acknowledged that he may have been duped when he was led to believe that a selection was imminent.

The final nail came when the 37-year-old governor went on cable TV Wednesday to say pretty much the same thing he has been saying since the spring. "Let me be clear: I have said in every private and public conversation, I've got the job that I want," Jindal told Fox News, adding, "I am not going to be the vice presidential nominee or vice president."

Not exactly "If nominated, I will not accept; if drafted, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve," but the pundits decided Thursday that Jindal had unequivocally taken himself out of the veepstakes. McCain's decision to cancel the trip to New Orleans was cited as evidence that Jindal had taken himself out of the picture.

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VP Suspense Continues
by Kathleen Parker - Shreveport Times (excerpt)

Drum roll. Suspense. Who will it be? In this corner, we have Stormin' Mormon Mitt Romney. In the other, we have Brain-Buster Bobby Jindal.

Amid speculation that John McCain will announce his vice presidential pick soon, political nail-biters have begun placing bets. Favorites include Louisiana Gov. Jindal and former Massachusetts Gov. Romney, whose resume is familiar.

Can McCain's former foe become his new best friend? Romney would bring more than squeaky clean qualifications and youthful good looks to the ticket. New polling in Michigan by Ayres, McHenry & Associates shows that Romney gives McCain a significant jump — "off the charts," as someone familiar with the still-unreleased poll described it — and makes him competitive in a state that hasn't voted Republican since 1988. Mike Huckabee had little effect on the survey results and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's name was of negligible value.

Given the importance of even that single state, where 17 electoral votes are at stake, Romney would seem a logical choice. Then again, as conservatives frequently note, logic doesn't always work with McCain, who seems to enjoy doing the opposite of what he senses people want him to do.

Although Jindal is less well-known, he's got rising star power.

He's been governor only for six months and has the unique opportunity to create a new state, literally, from the ground up. Politically, the fallout would be significant, as Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, a Democrat and brother of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, would take Jindal's place.

Staying put might allow him time to further burnish his executive credentials while honoring his contract with Louisiana voters. Jindal's resume would suggest that he's always been a man in a hurry, but there's no rush for the nation's junior governor.

When you're Bobby Jindal, the night really is young.

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Consultants Shift Allegiances In A Crowded Political Season
by Frank Donze - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

In the world of political consulting, loyalty to former clients only goes so far. And when candidates dither, the professionals often have to look out for their own interests.

That appears to be the case in the Democratic primary for the 2nd Congressional District seat, where strategists have switched allegiances.

Case in point: media consultant Robert Berning, who produced TV spots two years ago for incumbent U.S. Rep. William Jefferson. This time, Berning is working for one of Jefferson's challengers, state Rep. Cedric Richmond, a one-time ally of the embattled congressman.

Then there's Greg Buisson, who advised state Sen. Derrick Shepherd in his failed 2006 bid to unseat Jefferson. Shepherd, who has been indicted on federal money-laundering charges, didn't run this time.

Instead of going with Shepherd ally Jefferson Parish Councilman Byron Lee, or another former client, New Orleans City Councilman James Carter, Buisson is working for a political newcomer: former television anchor Helena Moreno.

Meanwhile, Lee has hired the media consulting team of Deno Seder and Jim Carvin, along with Carvin's daughter Karen. That team worked for state Rep. Karen Carter Peterson, who lost the 2006 congressional runoff to Jefferson.

Further complicating matters, Dana Peterson -- the husband of Karen Carter Peterson -- has signed on as campaign manager for James Carter, who is no relation to his wife.

And Dana Peterson is not to be confused with Dana Henry, who is managing the campaign of former New Orleans City Councilman Troy Carter -- no relation to Karen or James Carter.

One more wrinkle: Ray Teddlie, who handled media production for Troy Carter's unsuccessful 2002 mayoral bid, is now handling the same duties for James Carter, who happens to represent the same District C council seat held for eight years by Troy Carter.

Meanwhile, Troy Carter has hired Roy Fletcher, the Baton Rouge media guru whose client list includes Democrats and notable Republicans, including Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Gov. Mike Foster.

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4th District: Carmouche Wins Backing Of National Democrats (No Kidding?)
by Ana Radelat - Shreveport Times (excerpt)

WASHINGTON — Caddo Parish District Attorney Paul Carmouche, one of four Democrats vying for retiring Rep. Jim McCrery's seat, has won the backing of national Democratic Party officials as the candidate best positioned to win.

That means Carmouche can count on fundraising and campaigning help from the national party. He was in Washington this week to meet with Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee officials.

Campaign spokesman Greg Richardson said Carmouche isn't holding a fundraiser in the capital. But he had the opportunity to meet Democratic donors and party leaders, including DCCC chairman Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., at an event Thursday aimed at kicking off the 100-day countdown to the Nov. 4 general elections.


PAUL CARMOUCHE- 'The' Democrat candidate for Congress in the 4th Congressional District (1:57)

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Have We Punished Edwards Enough?
by James Gill - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

In upholding the conviction of ex-Gov. Edwin Edwards in 2002, the federal Appeals Court in New Orleans noted he was a "polarizing" figure.

The judges got that one right, and neither age nor incarceration has made him less so. To judge from the host of reader comments attached to Times-Picayune stories on the Web about the petition to commute Edwards' sentence, opinion is more or less evenly split and passions are inflamed on either side. When Edwards celebrates his 81st birthday on Aug. 7, he will be approaching his sixth anniversary in federal prison.

(T)here is no question that Louisiana's reputation as a hotbed of political corruption owes much not only to the crimes of which Edwards was convicted but to the universal assumption that he got away with many more. He has done such grievous harm to the state that many citizens could not bear to see his punishment come to a premature end.

But Edwards still has hordes of admirers, although they are obliged to concede that we would have been much better off had he employed his considerable political gifts exclusively for the public good. That he deserved to go to prison cannot be disputed. The only bone of contention is whether there is any point in making him suffer further.

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EDITORIAL: Can Louisiana Be A Contender?
News Star (excerpt)

If the state's new Department of Economic Development Director Stephen Moret accomplishes his goals, the business climate will be a little friendlier and the work force a little better prepared by the end of Gov. Bobby Jindal's years in office.

But, Moret told The News-Star's editorial board this week, our evolution to the New Louisiana will take longer than any of us might wish. With our systemic challenges — poverty, public education and health care among them — the changes that are being instituted now will take years to come to fruition.

Moret's charge as the state's top economic developer is to set Louisiana on a new course, a new trajectory, that increases our competitiveness in the world economy. The administration can make some bold changes, like eliminating the perception of corruption in government and eliminating onerous business tax policy. The work-force development legislation passed in the last session also will help provide a ready stream of prepared workers for potential businesses.

But there's still much to do. While progress has been made in the past few years, the perception of Louisiana outside the state remains worse than the reality. Not only do we have to tell the story of the Louisiana business renaissance, we still have preparations to make before we can meet the expectations of top companies worldwide.

Companies don't invest in an area because the people are nice, it's a warm climate or they like our food.

They invest in a business location because they can get up and running quickly with a minimum of red tape, their costs are minimized, they can hire good employees at a reasonable wage, their taxes, insurance and utilities are reasonable and they can move their products or obtain raw materials easily.

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Lawmakers From Throughout U.S. Take Wetlands Tour
Shreveport Times (excerpt)

NEW ORLEANS -- More than 30 state legislators from as far as Alaska and Utah saw firsthand Wednesday how closely the nation's energy production is tied to Louisiana's coastal wetlands and hurricane protection efforts.

The group, in New Orleans for the National Conference of State Legislatures, flew in Blackhawk helicopters and sea planes over wetlands torn apart by oil and gas canals, saltwater intrusion and waves from Hurricane Katrina.

"Thirty percent of the nation's oil and gas comes through Louisiana," said Louisiana state Sen. Reggie Dupre, of Terrebonne Parish, who helped organize and lead the tour. "Our restoration is of national significance."

Louisiana Senate President Joel Chaisson called the tour a mission accomplished as some of the senators from other states expressed an interest in taking the message back home.

"Our goal was to educate decision and policymakers across the nation of the importance of Louisiana's coastal erosion problems, that it affects the entire nation."

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Court Denies Mayor's Appeal To Run
by BOB ANDERSON - Advocate (excerpt)

Walker Mayor Travis Clark is out of the race in which he sought re-election, the state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal ruled unanimously Thursday.

The same five-judge panel unanimously ruled that Carl Martin, the chief deputy marshal of Denham Springs Ward II City Court, may remain in the race to move up to the marshal’s job.

Unless appealed to and reversed by the Louisiana Supreme Court, the decisions mean that Bobby Font would be unopposed on the Oct. 4 primary election ballot for Walker mayor and Martin would be one of three candidates in the race for marshal in Denham Springs.

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CHECK OUT THIS NEW LOUISIANA POLITICAL WEBSITE!

Louisiana Republican Network

Network Hub for Republican Activists in Louisiana


Republican, Democrat Or Independent It's Worth A Look!

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Thursday, July 24th, 2008

NEW POLL OUT ON GOVERNOR BOBBY JINDAL
by Wes Anderson

OnMessage Inc.

We just completed our latest statewide survey of 600 Louisiana voters earlier this week, July 14-15. As always, our sample was stratified to reflect the exact stratification by Parish throughout the state. The margin of error for this survey is +/- 3.5 percent.

Governor Jindal continues to have tremendous support from the vast majority of voters across the state. With almost 70% of the citizens stating that they have a favorable opinion of Governor Jindal, he maintains what may be the highest approval ratings of any Governor in the nation.

Governor Jindal has obviously come out of his recent dust ups with the legislature in a commanding position where he retains overwhelming support from the voters on Louisiana.

“Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Bobby Jindal?”

Favorable 69%
Unfavorable 18%
No Opinion 11%
Don’t Know 2%

Also of interest is the fact that the voters of Louisiana are optimistic about the direction of the state. This is in stark contrast to their view of the direction of the country. At present Louisiana is one of only a handful of places where the public has a positive view of the direction of their state.

“Do you think things in the state of Louisiana are headed in the right direction or have they gotten off on the wrong track?”

Right Direction 58%
Wrong Track 31%
Undecided 12%

“Do you think things in the Country are headed in the right direction or have they gotten off on the wrong track?”

Right Direction 14%
Wrong Track 76%
Undecided 12%


PICTURE: Governor Jindal with the most popular person in Louisiana- L.S.U. football coach Les Miles.


CHECK OUT THE NEW WEBSITE AT LAGOP.NET: JUST CLICK ON STORY TITLE LINK ABOVE.

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Jindal Scores Rural Trifecta
Shreveport Times (excerpt)

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VIVIAN — He's not the Fifth Beatle, a race car driver, a blue collar comedian or a basketball dunker. But Louisiana rookie governor Bobby Jindal did draw 250 locals on a hot late afternoon to a town hall meeting Tuesday in Vivian, population 4,300.

In the three-quarters-filled auditorium of Vivian Elementary/Middle School , Jindal spoke for about 25 minutes, took 10 questions and provided rapid-fire answers for the next half hour, then shook hands and had his picture taken with anybody who wanted one.

"I met the governor!" Heard that a lot at the exit door. No one in Vivian's been able to say that in the city limits since Dave Treen visited in the early 1980s.

"I wish more had been here, but this isn't bad," said Mayor Steve Taylor, whose brief, light introduction drew laughs when he said Jindal "might have been in diapers" the last time a sitting governor came all the way to north Caddo Parish. "It might not mean as much to you," Taylor said, "but it means a lot to us."

The governor's stop was the last on Tuesday's small town swing through north Louisiana: Homer, Springhill, Vivian. The rural trifecta.

It had some of the trimmings of a celebrity visit, like the "Welcome Gov. Jindal" sign at the tire store. There were also 14 deputies, seven police officers, a sheriff, a police chief, and a one-hour tardy arrival by the star of the show.

No one seemed to mind waiting. The crowd applauded several times during Jindal's remarks and gave him a standing ovation at the meeting's conclusion, then started lining up from both sides of the auditorium's front to meet him where he spoke, not on the auditorium's stage but with a handheld mike on the floor by the front row.

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While Other States Struggle, La. Expects Budget Surplus
by Jan Moller - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Louisiana is among a handful of energy-producing states bucking a national trend that has seen state budgets deteriorate in recent months because of the stagnating national economy, according to data released Wednesday.

A survey by the National Conference of State Legislatures includes midyear data from all 50 states, and 43 states, including Louisiana, reported on their 2009 budgets. Seven states -- including California, which faces a $15 billion budget deficit -- had not completed work on their budgets in time for inclusion in the report.

The states that reported on their 2009 budgets had an average revenue growth of 2.2 percent compared with the previous fiscal year. In Louisiana, by contrast, the $9.7 billion state general fund is 12.4 percent above last year's. And while some states will likely face midyear budget gaps, Louisiana is expected to run another surplus, as the 2009 budget is based on an average oil price of $84 per barrel, far below recent prices.

The report found that 33 states faced a cumulative shortfall of $40.3 billion while crafting their 2008-09 budgets. Additionally, 20 states faced midyear budget shortfalls of $13 billion in the budget cycle that ended June 30.

That contrasts with a year ago, when virtually every state reported stable fiscal conditions, said Corina Eckl, who authored the report, released during the conference's annual meeting in New Orleans.

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EDITORIAL: Red Ink Hits Other States
Advocate (excerpt)

Gov. Bobby Jindal’s veto of millions in state spending comes at a time when Louisiana’s state treasury, unlike many state budgets across the country, is relatively flush.

“This time, we have the money. Cash isn’t an issue,” the nonpartisan Council for a Better Louisiana noted in a recent commentary on the budget. “Louisiana is cutting its spending not because we’re being forced to, but because we’re making a strategic decision to fund things in a different way.”

These special circumstances mean that in the long term, Louisiana’s state government shouldn’t use these windfalls as an excuse to continue business as usual.
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McCain Scraps N.O. Visit, Cites Weather
by Bill Barrow - Times-Picayune

Bad weather prompted Republican presidential hopeful John McCain to cancel his planned visit to New Orleans today, the McCain campaign said Wednesday.

McCain had planned to meet with Gov. Bobby Jindal during the trip and visit an oil rig to promote his support for lifting moratoria on drilling off the coasts of Florida, California and some East Coast states. Jeff Sadosky, a McCain aide, said predictions of rough weather Wednesday night, including strong thunderstorms, led the campaign to scrub the trip. McCain has a planned fund-raiser in Canton, Ohio, early this afternoon.

The side trip away from Midwestern battleground states had raised speculation McCain was courting Jindal to be his vice presidential candidate. The Louisiana governor has consistently thrown cold water on the idea.

"Let me be clear," Jindal told Fox News on Wednesday. "I have said in every private and public conversation I have got the job I want. I will say again on air, I'm not going to be the vice presidential nominee -- or vice president. I'm going to help Sen. McCain get elected, as governor of Louisiana."

Jindal's aides never confirmed details about a meeting between the two men, although a Louisiana Republican Party spokesman confirmed McCain's cancellation as if a Jindal meeting had been included.

"Sen. McCain's visit has been canceled and his meeting with Governor Jindal has been postponed," Aaron Baer said.

About the same time, Jindal spokeswoman Melissa Sellers said, "Governor Jindal's possible meeting with Senator McCain . . . has been postponed."

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Political Buzz At Fever Pitch In Veepstakes
by PATRICIA LOPEZ (excerpt)

Minneapolis Star Tribune

The word is that John McCain is nearing a decision on his running mate, and the governor gained ground.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty returned as the vice presidential flavor of the week on Wednesday, as national pundits worked themselves into a frenzy over whether Minnesota's governor will be John McCain's running mate.

The speculation was fueled by what may have been a purposeful slip of the lip by McCain at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday, when he reportedly told a small group of supporters that they "are really going to like" Pawlenty, consistently one of the most oft-named GOP vice presidential prospects.

Earlier in the day, Pawlenty had traveled to McCain headquarters in Arlington, Va., for a private tête-a-tête with McCain folks.

Pawlenty is not the only prospect getting good buzz, but he appears to be on an increasingly short list of those still in active contention.


NOTE: Minneapolis is the site of the GOP National Convention next month.

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Cazayoux On List Of Five Democrats at Risk Of Losing In November
by JOSH KRAUSHAAR (excerpt)

POLITICO

Usually an incumbent becomes vulnerable because of a series of bad votes, an ethical scandal or a significant gaffe. Cazayoux, however, is on the list through no fault of his own. Since winning his seat in a May special election, he has done everything necessary to get reelected in his conservative-minded Baton Rouge district.

Yet a series of developments entirely out of his control has put his seat in serious jeopardy.

First, Woody Jenkins, the GOP’s flawed special election nominee, decided not to run again, enabling Republicans to put forth an even stronger nominee in state Sen. (Bill) Cassidy.

Then African-American state Sen. Michael Jackson, a Democrat, announced he was running as an independent candidate — a decision that threatens to peel away much of Cazayoux’s support in the district’s sizable African-American community.

Jackson ran against Cazayoux in the Democratic primary and won more than 90 percent of the vote in many of the African-American precincts around Baton Rouge. While Democrats believe that share will be much lower in the general election, when Jackson runs as an independent, the loss of even a small slice of the African-American vote could tip the seat to Cassidy.

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4th Dist. Candidate Carmouche Totally Incoherent On Biggest Labor Union Issue
YOUTUBE

Union officials have made ending secret ballots for workers deciding whether to join a union their highest legislative priority. Instead of elections, they want a “card check” process that is set up for fraud and is unfair to working Americans.

What are the dangers of this union scheme?

In The Union Campaign Against Secret Ballot Elections Why Is It That:

-Union bosses want to end elections, even though they win more than 50% of the time.

-Editorial pages from across America are denouncing card check and demanding secret ballot elections.

-75 percent of Americans think secret ballots are the most democratic method of choosing a union.


PAUL CARMOUCHE- Democrat candidate for Congress in the 4th Congressional District on the Employee Free Choice Act (1:57)

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SHREVEPORT TIMES EDITORIAL: Downtown Bar Incident, Take 2
Shreveport Times (excerpt)

That crack about Oliver Stone building one of his conspiracy movies around a Shreveport bar brawl involving a couple of his stars and five crew members was a joke. You know, opinion page sarcasm about the police keeping their audio and video of the misdemeanor arrests under wraps like some Zapruder home movie.

What isn't a joke is that 10 days after this misdemeanor event, police — and now Mayor Cedric Glover — continue to keep the dashboard camera footage and uniform microphones away from taxpayers who are left to wonder how their officers reacted to what was, to borrow some Watergate vernacular, a second-rate bar fight.

Meanwhile, Newsweek has joined CNN and other celebrity news outlets in rolling out a little item that the incident at Stray Cat grew out of local patrons fretting over their beers that Stone's biopic "W." was going to be unfair to the president. So now we have politics as a backdrop in a case involving the cinematic duo of George W. Bush and Colin Powell (actors Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright). Both were charged with interfering with police.

Glover's administration even seems to be taking its lead on this matter from the current Bush administration's penchant for secrecy and stonewalling. He told the City Council on Tuesday that while he was approved to watch or listen to six hours of recordings, the council was not, and for that matter no one else could either. Glover rolled out some curious opinion from his city attorney's office: that under the state public records law the recordings didn't have to be released because the "W." cast and crew hadn't enlisted attorneys.

And that argument would seem to make our case: If there are no lawyers waving their arms and subpoenas, release the records. How long does it take to make an investigative review of a bar fight?

More serious than the allegation of red-state locals getting bowed up in defense of their president, is the specter raised in "various places and various venues," as the mayor put it, about how the police handled the brawl and arrests. Tasers and pepper spray were used.

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Council OKs November Vote On Mayor's Plan
by SCOTT DYER - Advocate (excerpt)

By an 8-1 vote, the Metro Council decided Wednesday to send Mayor-President Kip Holden’s $989 million capital improvement proposal to voters in one up-or-down vote on Nov. 4.

Holden staved off efforts by three council members to split the proposed bond issue and its supporting taxes — including a half-cent sales tax increase and a 9.9-mill property tax — into two parts. That would have allowed voters to cast separate ballots on the proposed $391 million downtown projects from the rest of the package, which includes a new police station, a new jail, drainage improvements and synchronization of traffic signals.

Holden said the proposed downtown projects — which include a riverfront theme park and the expansion of the River Center and its parking — will create thousands of new jobs and bring more business to the entire city.

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House Votes On Ethics Board Nominees
by Ed Anderson - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

BATON ROUGE -- Members of the House inched closer Wednesday to filling one of 10 vacancies on the State Board of Ethics by paring down a three-person list to two candidates in a mail ballot.

Peggy Duerr, executive assistant to House Clerk Alfred "Butch" Speer, said 74 House members returned ballots, with 35 cast for Baton Rouge lawyer and former state Rep. Frank Simoneaux and 22 for William Anderson of New Orleans, a lawyer and partner in a technology company.

The third nominee for one of two seats filled by the House, David Stafford, a 79-year-old Alexandria lawyer, received 17 votes and was eliminated.





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The Dog Ate Your Campaign Finance Forms?
by Stephanie Grace - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Here's something that they're hopefully teaching in Orleans Parish public schools: That rules are rules, deadlines are deadlines, and excuses, absent special circumstances, just don't cut it.

If so, outgoing School Board member Jimmy Fahrenholtz might want to sit in on a class or two.

Fahrenholtz, who signed up to run for Congress last week, got himself tossed from the ballot Tuesday because, according to Civil District Court Judge Nadine Ramsey, he listed false information on his qualifying papers.

Specifically, Fahrenholtz signed a document saying that he does not owe any campaign finance fines or penalties, and swearing that all the information on the form is true. Fahrenholtz, citing a separate, seemingly unrelated provision that exempts Congressional candidates, says he'll appeal.

But that's really not the point.

The story behind the ruling -- Fahrenholtz's long-standing pattern of casually disregarding state ethics laws -- is.

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Bush Won't Veto Plan To Help Homeowners
by Bruce Alpert - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

WASHINGTON -- Mortgage help for homeowners nationwide and tax relief for some Louisiana Road Home recipients sailed through the House on Wednesday after President Bush lifted his veto threat.

The tax relief in the giant housing rescue bill is expected to win Senate approval this week and be signed into law soon.

The bill includes $300 billion to provide more affordable mortgages to troubled homeowners, nearly $4 billion in grants to help communities fix up foreclosed properties and a $7,500 tax credit for first-time home buyers.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the president believes the bill is too important, given the housing crisis, to trigger a lengthy veto fight. The legislation is designed to help 400,000 homeowners facing foreclosure and prevent financially struggling mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from collapsing.




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EDITORIAL: Jefferson Should Resign
by LEE FLETCHER - Town Hall Show (excerpt)

Bill Jefferson has really done damage. He has hurt himself and has hurt Louisiana. Jefferson should simply go away and resign before they put him away. Of course, the later could happen anyway.

The real problem is that Jefferson turned into a bad apple after starting from teh most humble of positions and working his way to the US Congress. He clearly lost his way.

He has turned the entire issue surrounding himself and his tenure into a total joke.

A great example of this is the complete and utter dismantling of his support. He has literally ruined his politcal career and chances of ever being taken seriously.

Jefferson is also a sad shadow of his former self. He is living a lie and probably knows it better than any of us could imagine. It must be a harsh form of hell that he lives in as he continues to be in total denial.

It is time for Jeff to go. It is time to for him to apologize and to get the entire thing out in the open. He did not do himself any favors.

At one time he carried himself well. Today he has undone all that is good and put in its place a sad and declining figure in every sense of the word.

Someone tell Jeff that the party is over.

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Police Jurors Cautioned On Job Limits
by VIC COUVILLION - Advocate (excerpt)

GREENSBURG — St. Helena Police Jury attorney Cliff Speed warned jurors against directly interfering with parish employees’ job duties and performance.

Speed told jurors Tuesday night an anonymous whistle-blower contacted the state Legislative Auditor’s Office and complained that a member of the Police Jury was directly making work assignments at the jury’s maintenance headquarters, commonly referred to as the parish barn.

Speed said he had very little additional information about the complaint, but revealed the complaining employee had suggested that a juror told a parish worker that if he or she did not perform a specific task, that employee would be fired. “You just cannot do that,” Speed told the jury.









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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

Senator Obama's Commitment To Failure In Iraq
by GOP Chairman Roger Villere

Last night Barack Obama admitted that he would rather see defeat in Iraq than concede he was wrong about the surge.

We’re pleased that Senator Obama has finally gone to Iraq to learn first hand the facts on the ground, but we’re disappointed Obama won’t acknowledge the success of the surge strategy that he voted against and denigrated on the campaign trail.

Senator Obama was wrong about the surge and he’s wrong to call for an unconditional withdrawal. Senator Obama’s commitment to failure in Iraq demonstrates his willingness to place his own political ambition ahead of our national interest. Senator Obama is not prepared to be our commander in chief.



FOR MORE BACKGROUND INFO AND THE ENTIRE ARTICLE CLICK ON THE STORY TITLE LINK ABOVE.

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McCain's agenda in N.O. shrouded- GOP candidate to meet with Jindal
by Bruce Alpert - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Robert Novak, the columnist who helped trigger the VP frenzy with a blog posting Monday, told Fox News on Tuesday that he might have been duped by a McCain campaign aide.

Novak said he was encouraged by "a very senior McCain aide" to put out the story that McCain would name his running mate this week. He said he since has been told by "certain people" he "may have been used." Novak said some in the McCain camp wanted the story out to compete with media coverage of presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama's trip this week to Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel and Europe.

A McCain spokeswoman wouldn't comment on Novak's statement, and said the senator's schedule for his trip to New Orleans wouldn't be released until this morning.

McCain has a town hall meeting this morning in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and has a fund-raiser in Canton, Ohio, slated for early Thursday afternoon. Both are key states in the presidential race, while Louisiana is considered to be solidly in McCain's column. If he stays overnight in New Orleans, as presumed, he would have to leave the city early to make the Ohio event.

There was no comment Tuesday from Jindal's staff about what he and McCain plan to discuss at their meeting. Appearing Monday on MSNBC before word of the McCain trip to New Orleans was revealed, Jindal declined to say whether he was being vetted for the vice presidential nomination.

If McCain were to choose Jindal, 37, it might help him with socially conservative voters who have been wary of the Arizona senator. Jindal has been championed for the vice presidential job by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.

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Gambit: Serving It Up Cold
by Clancy DuBos - Gambit Weekly (excerpt)

State lawmakers were burning up their cell phone minutes last week, trying to figure out whether to hold a veto override session in response to Gov. Bobby Jindal's 258 line-item budget vetoes. The political fallout from the vetoes is intense among legislators, but voters love what Jindal did. That cooled lawmakers' heads quickly.

Last Thursday, Republican Caucus leaders gave Jindal comfort by urging their GOP colleagues to oppose a veto session. The next day, Senate President Joel Chaisson sealed it by quietly getting almost all senators to agree not to reconvene.

Behind the scenes, House and Senate leaders told their colleagues that the better course of action is to wait till next year, heeding the old wisdom, "Revenge is a dish best served cold." In politics, timing is everything.

Going forward, however, Jindal has a new problem: Lawmakers no longer trust him. He burned them on the pay raises, on vouchers and on line-item vetoes. He has a long way to go toward rebuilding trust among lawmakers, and he has three more years of sessions — assuming he plans to serve out his term as governor.

One thing Jindal has in his favor is the likelihood of another huge state budget surplus. He could use that money to mend fences. The state needs a lot of cash for infrastructure, flood protection and coastal restoration. It may take even more to restore lawmakers' trust in the new governor.

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EDITORIAL: Time To Forge New Consensus
News Star (excerpt)

By many accounts, the marriage as well as the honeymoon between the executive branch and Legislature in Louisiana is kaput. Not a problem.

The state elections of 2007 gave us a conservative governor and a largely conservative Legislature. That both parties erred — hugely — on the pay raise issue, making it the most memorable event of the regular legislative session, does not negate some progress made in 2008. Some progress was made in ethics reform, although it remains to be seen how the current laws will pan out in practical terms. Some progress was made in work-force development, which came into clearer focus.

Those improvements don't obscure the goofier efforts of the regular session but at least the government is, as a whole, headed in the right direction.

The governor and our legislators still have the same historic opportunities they had at the year's outset. They can restore our coastline. They can improve our highways. They can advance the skills of our work force, making our state more attractive to private investors. They can protect the state's resources.

We were enthusiastic in our support for Jindal in '07. We were enthusiastic about most of the members of this delegation.

Last fall, we saw the governor as a "consummate consensus builder," young enough to be optimistic but experienced enough in state and federal government to be a masterful governor. Over the next several months, lawmaker by lawmaker, the governor should seize opportunities to rebuild consensus in Baton Rouge, to sustain and enhance the state's shared vision for growth and improvement.

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Jindal Visits 3 Northwest Louisiana Towns
by Vickie Welborn - Shreveport Times (excerpt)

He spoke about state water and land erosion issues and addressed the influx of oil and gas money into the state.

"I was amazed by his competency. I mean, people were asking him questions and he was all over the field and quick with his answers," Homer Mayor David Newell said. "He said a lot of very solid things. "» We were very happy and privileged for him to take the time to come to Homer."

In Springhill, Jindal was greeted by another large crowd.

"People were pleased. From his end, I can't see these meetings being anything but a positive thing," Springhill Mayor Carroll Breaux said. "Getting out there where the people are in the rural communities has not been done to this extent before."

About 250 people spent a half hour listening to the governor and another half hour asking questions in the Vivian Elementary/Middle School auditorium. More than 100 stood in line afterward to shake Jindal's hand and have their pictures made with the first sitting Louisiana governor to visit the north Caddo town since Dave Treen.

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Pelosi Snubs Jindal's Proposal To Use Offshore Oil, Gas Royalties
by David Hammer - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday rejected a proposal from Gov. Bobby Jindal to use some of Louisiana's royalties from offshore oil and gas revenue to pay the state's $1.8 billion share of future federal levee improvements.

Speaking at a news conference on the banks of the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Pelosi, D-Calif., said that rather than tapping money earmarked for restoring the state's fragile coast, she would seek to "find another way" to eliminate the expensive levee burden entirely. The discussion capped a four-day Gulf Coast tour by House Democrats.

Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., called on Jindal to push his fellow Republican President Bush to grant a wholesale waiver for the flood projects. Meanwhile, Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, questioned why Jindal would be willing to give away a hard-fought source of money for the state's critical coastal restoration projects.

"I work with the governor, but I don't think we ought to be giving up that which is so important in the first defense of this city and this region, and that is the money to let us rebuild the coast," Melancon said.

Jindal, who as a congressman from Kenner sponsored the legislation that allowed Louisiana to collect the royalties, characterized Tuesday's rebuke from House leaders as "good news."

The governor said that in refusing his proposal, Democratic leaders indicated they will work hard to deliver what he really wants: 30 years, instead of three, for the state to pay its 25 percent share of $7.6 billion in Army Corps of Engineers flood protection projects.

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Pelosi, In N.O., Talks Up Cazayoux
by ALLEN M. JOHNSON JR. - Advocate (excerpt)

NEW ORLEANS — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave fellow Democrat and newly elected U.S. Rep. Don Cazayoux a public thumbs-up before heading back to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

Meeting on Monday with housing advocates for people left homeless by Hurricane Katrina, Pelosi praised Cazayoux, D-New Roads...

Cazayoux represents the entire parishes of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena, East Feliciana and West Feliciana and parts of Pointe Coupee, Iberville and Ascension.





COMMENTARY: Nancy Pelosi's 'Thumbs Up' endorsement will surely not help Cazayoux's sinking bid for re-election. Polling in the district shows Pelosi is about as popular as Darth Vader.

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Public, Gaming Income Sources Disclosed- Legislators Report $21.3 Million
by Bill Barrow - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

BATON ROUGE -- Louisiana lawmakers and their spouses took in more than $21.3 million in gross income from government and gambling sources during 2007, with more than 80 percent tied to two senators and one representative, according to the latest disclosure reports.

Forty-four of 142 active legislators -- there is one vacancy in each chamber -- reported some kind of financial ties to government or gambling on the last annual disclosure that will be limited to just those sources of income. Next year, lawmakers will be subject to the more detailed disclosure burden they adopted at Gov. Bobby Jindal's behest during a February special session.

The current forms require lawmakers to disclose the gross income, in excess of $250, that comes from a state agency, a political subdivision of the state or a gambling interest. Legislative pay is not included.

When public officials file forms for 2008, legislators will have to offer details about all personal income sources, including those for their spouses. Lawmakers will disclose their income in numerical ranges and give information about their other assets, liabilities and service on governing boards of any incorporated entity.

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Political Lagniappe: Senate Candidates Treading Lightly
by Robert Morgan - The Town Talk (excerpt)

Simply put, expect a truly partisan battle in the Senate race.

Kennedy has already attached himself to some of the platform issues espoused by Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee.

And Landrieu avoids any remarks that might be interpreted as overly partisan in an attempt to court Republican and non-party voters.

Her campaign literature plays down her party affiliation, stressing instead her "independence."

As the campaign heats up, however, look for these two candidates to increase the partisan rhetoric, giving voters a clear choice, good or bad.




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Latest Fisticuffs In U.S. Senate Race
by Jeremy Alford - Daily Report (excerpt)

The latest fisticuffs over money came Monday, when Kennedy’s campaign lashed out at Landrieu for raising money with the help of “gun-grabbing liberal” Mike Bloomberg, the Republican mayor of New York who was formerly registered as a Democrat.

The Times-Picayune reported over the weekend that Bloomberg will be hosting a $1,000-per-person fundraiser July 30 for Landrieu in his Manhattan townhouse.

In response, Kennedy’s campaign put out a news release pointing to Bloomberg’s anti-gun and pro-gay marriage stances.


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Kennedy's GOP Opponent Withdraws From Primary
by SARAH CHACKO - Advocate (excerpt)

State Treasurer John Kennedy will head straight into the November general election for U.S. Senate after his only Republican opponent withdrew from the race Tuesday.

J. Jacques Boudreaux of Baton Rouge, a self-employed landscape contractor, said he just did not generate the interest he anticipated since signing up to run on July 11.

“Realistically, I didn’t have a chance of winning,” Boudreaux said. “But other than that, the short time I did it, it was a great experience.”



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NOTE: The GOP primary would have cost Louisiana taxpayers an estimated $1.8 million.

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EDITORIAL: Hate And Neglect- "N -- -- - Town," With The Racial Slur Spelled Out
Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Democracy can be messy, and elections can sometimes get heated -- but hate should have no place in them.

Some opponents of the failed incorporation of Garyville crossed that line when they used racial slurs in signs posted on the eve of last week's vote.

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's deputies picked up about 10 signs urging residents to vote against the incorporation of "N -- -- - Town," with the racial slur spelled out.

That would have been horrible under any circumstance. But the bigots who came up with this idea seem to have found a bigoted printer who agreed to make the signs. That's disheartening.

The people involved could be cited for criminal mischief, and Sheriff Wayne Jones said his department will follow up if information surfaces on their identity. Anybody who has information on the matter should come forward.

Scott Himel, vice chairman of the Garyville Incorporation Committee, said the incident "hurts the whole community, and it's going to take a long time to heal." He's right.

Hate was not the only malignancy revealed by the controversial election. Parish officials have for years neglected the needs of residents in that part of the parish. People would not take the time and effort to organize an election and campaign for incorporation if they were pleased with their parish government and the services it provides.

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Chamber Backs EBR Public Works Plan
Advocate (excerpt)

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber endorsed Mayor-President Kip Holden’s proposed $989 million public works and economic development plan Tuesday, calling the 30-year bond issue a needed stimulus for East Baton Rouge Parish and the region.

Holden and his chief administrative officer, Walter Monsour, presented the plan at the chamber’s July board meeting. The private nonprofit economic development group represents nine Baton Rouge area parishes.

“What truly makes this proposal great is that it takes care of our failures of the past, addresses our challenges of today, and moves the Baton Rouge area forward,” BRAC Chairman Jim Ellis said in a statement. “We can’t continue our path to be great, as a place, without a proposal like this.”

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Mitch Landrieu: National Lessons Are In Louisiana
by Bruce Alpert - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

WASHINGTON -- Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, in what he described as an open letter to the next president, said Tuesday that helping south Louisiana rebuild from the 2005 hurricanes would provide important lessons on how to solve America's most perplexing issues.

"America has the opportunity to use Louisiana to find new ways of solving its deepest problems: health care, education, housing transportation, energy, crime, immigration, emergency operation response, national security, race, poverty," Landrieu said in a speech at the National Press Club. "You name it, we got it."

Landrieu, a Democrat who lost a run for mayor of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, said that as the region rebuilds from the ground up, "we are a blank slate, a place where we can test what works and what does not work."

His speech, Landrieu said, is aimed at convincing reporters and others from outside the Gulf Coast that investing in the region is worth the price.

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Governor's office hires technology overseer
by Ed Anderson - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

BATON ROUGE -- The governor's office has hired a new chief information officer to oversee its far-flung technology network, at a salary of $167,000 a year, officials said Tuesday.

Edward Driesse of Lafayette, who has been the chief information officer at the Department of Health and Hospitals since last year, will begin his new assignment Aug. 4, according to Michael DiResto, chief spokesman for the Division of Administration, which oversees the day-to-day operations of government.

Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis said Driesse has 15 years experience working in both government and the private sector, including three Fortune 500 companies.

"When it comes to information technology, state government must function more like a business, and Edward Driesse has the background and expertise to help lead that transformation," Davis said. She said his goal will be to "improve service while cutting costs to our customers, the taxpayers."

Davis said the new head of the Office of Information Technology will be "the point-person for matters related to IT (information technology) and IT resources, including setting policies, standards, hardware and software deployment" as well as planning, acquisition and management of the state's information technology systems.

DiResto said the last full-time chief information officer was Rizwan Ahmed, who left in April. He said that Driesse will get the same salary as Ahmed.

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Nagin Slams Eyewitness News Report
by Lee Zurik - WWL Channel 4 (CBS) (excerpt)

After an investigation by Eyewitness News on New Orleans Affordable Homeownership program -- NOAH -- Mayor Nagin held a press conference in response, calling the story “biased and inaccurate” and saying that the story is hurting the recovery effort.

On Tuesday, one by one, the Nagin administration discounted a 4 Investigates report from the previous night that highlighted properties NOAH had claimed to remediate more than a year after Hurricane Katrina. The investigation which aired Monday evening used three separate sets of documents obtained in records requests from NOAH that showed properties that didn't appear to qualify for the program. Instead of belonging to elderly or low income homeowners, some of the properties didn't exist, didn't qualify or homeowners say they didn't have any work done by the city agency.

“It appears the reporter used an intake -- an old intake list -- that had every property that had ever been claimed, or somebody thought that needed to have gutted,” Nagin said at the press conference.

But one list obtained by Eyewitness News on Monday shows dollar amounts next to all but a handful of properties, financial figures at that time NOAH said they spent on each individual home.

Video: Watch the Story by clicking on story title link above.

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LDWF (Wildlife & Fisheries) Gets New Logo
by Jeremy Alford - Gambit Weekly (excerpt)

If you're an avid hunter, concerned conservationist or obsessed angler, you no doubt can recall from memory the timeless logo of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).

It's round, with an antiquated image of a deer surrounding by miniature crab, rabbit, quail, bass and other Bayou State critters in muted colors. Well, forget about that. At last week's meeting of the LDWF Commission, a new logo was unveiled. It's a square design with bold colors. The coastline of Vermilion Bay and its cypress trees were the inspiration for the new look, which includes a bright blue sky, water breaks set against vivid greenery, and silhouettes of three major species managed by LDWF: deer, waterfowl and fish.

The new logo is meant to be a simpler version that represents the vast Louisiana outdoor landscape, says LDWF Secretary Robert Barham.




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Auditors: Ticket Fixing Is A major Issue
by Robbie Evans - News Star (excerpt)

A state advisory report on the town of Richwood has found repeated instances of ticket fixing and missing debit card records over the last year.

The report, issued this week by the Legislative Auditor's Office, was conducted to point out deficiencies in the town's financial operations.

In addition to the ticket and debit card issues, auditors also found the town violated the state's Open Meetings Law and failed to comply with state budget laws.

A major finding in the report dealt with the illegal disposition of traffic citations. Auditors found that former Mayor Ed Harris and other employees were reducing or dismissing citations even though they had no authority to do so. The report did not cite how many citations reviewed by auditors were illegally reduced or dismissed.

A magistrate appointed by the town's Board of Aldermen conducts the mayor's court for the town.

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DA Candidate Found Guilty Of Domestic Abuse
by Johnny Gunter - News Star (excerpt)

The Jonesboro lawyer running for 2nd Judicial District Attorney was convicted Tuesday of domestic abuse battery.

Ad hoc Judge James Boddie of Ouachita Parish announced his decision in 3rd Judicial District Court in Ruston this afternoon.

Chris Bowman was sentenced to six months supervised probation, fined $500 and ordered to enter a domestic abuse prevention program and to complete four, eight-hour days of community service.

Boddie also ruled Bowman can't own or possess a firearm during the probation period. A review hearing is set for Oct. 16.

"It was obvious from testimony that the victim did not instigate the forcible conduct," Boddie said during sentencing.

He said the injuries on the victim's neck, chest and "the wreath pieces (from the door) found in her hair were consistent with the state's witnesses' testimony and in the photos presented as evidence in proving the intentional use of force."

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EDITORIAL: A Light In The Economic Gloom
Shreveport Times (excerpt)

Even though the news these days is filled with tales of plummeting stocks, failing banks, roller-coastering oil prices and various faltering industries, the citizens of northwest Louisiana have at least three areas where extraordinarily encouraging economic news can be found. This trio of potential economic boons — the Haynesville Shale natural gas find, the Cyber Command and Cyber Innovation possibilities and the rapidly growing film industry — offers stellar counterpoints to national tales of gloom, doom and economic recession. None of them were even on the map here five years ago.

Rewind to the oil-busted Shreveport-Bossier City of the mid-1980s and tell those citizens that such would come to be and you might be laughed out of a downtown filled with empty storefronts. The guffaws might have been even louder if you added that there would be riverboat casinos down the street, a surge in the entertainment industry and an influx of chain restaurants, hotels and businesses. But the once-disbelieved predictions have come to be and, happily, it is now time for counting some blessings.

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