Former Gov. Edwin Edwards said on Tuesday that he intends link his opponent to Gov. Bobby Jindal just as Congressman Bill Cassidy has linked U.S. Sen. Landrieu and President Obama.
“Representative Cassidy has built his entire campaign on running against Obama instead of Mary Landrieu and though I believe in running on issues instead of personal attacks, I will launch my television ads next week by showing that Garret Graves will be nothing more than an extension of the Bobby Jindal administration,” Edwards told LouisianaVoice.
That shouldn’t be too difficult to do, given that Garret’s former assistant and more recently his successor has publicly endorsed Garret in his campaign against Edwards to succeed Cassidy as Louisiana’s 6th District congressional representative.
Jerome “Z” Zeringue, who once served as Garret’s assistant and then was named to succeed him as Gov. Jindal’s coastal advisor, has endorsed his old boss in the Dec. 6 runoff against Edwards.
That action brought instant criticism from another former coastal advisor to the governor. Len Bahr, Ph.D., wrote on his internet blog:
“As a former holder of Graves’ and now Zeringue’s position in the governor’s office, I’m offended that neither of these gentlemen is concerned that the person who oversees state coastal policy should be involved in a highly partisan political struggle. I realize that the law that restricts state civil servants from political activities does not apply to unclassified positions but the basis for the law is obvious, going back to the days of Huey Long when state employees were pressured to support specific elected officials. http://lacoastpost.com/blog/?p=47063
Bahr’s indignation notwithstanding, Edwards already had a pretty good arsenal to unload on his opponent.
He previewed one of his upcoming TV advertisements for LouisianaVoice. As expected, he zeroed in on the $130 million in contracts that Graves’ father’s company received from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the younger Graves’ tenure as president of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and director of the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities.
Edwards, at a Monday appearance before the Baton Rouge Press Club, also noted that the Graves’ father also subcontracted $66 million of that $130 million to some 18 other companies who have since contributed $250,000 to Graves’ campaign and $360,000 to Jindal.
Those points were brought by another candidate in the first primary, State Sen. Dan Claitor (R-Baton Rouge) but Edwards added a new twist during the press club appearance when he revealed that Graves’ brother-in-law stood to gain financially from a deal involving CPRA.
He said the Water Campus office complex and research center under construction in Baton Rouge, will house the agency Graves once headed. The leasing agent for office space in the facility, Edwards said, is Randy White, Graves’ brother-in-law. “They’re going to lease one million square feet of office space at probably $25 to $50 per square foot,” he said. “At a commission of 2 or 3 percent, that’s a $1 million a year.”
The former governor also expressed his disappointment at Graves’ tactic of sending out letters leading up to the Nov. 4 first primary in which he hinted that Republican candidate Paul Dietzel, III was gay. “He (Graves) repeated over and over that Dietzel had never married, lives with his grandmother, and had performed work on behalf of gay organizations,” Edwards said. “There is no place in today’s society for that type of attack.”
Edwards said the motive for Graves’ attack was obvious. “Up to the time those letters went out, he and Dietzel were neck and neck for the second spot in the runoff against me. It was the act of a desperate man and a man who was hand-picked by our governor to continue the policies put in place by Jindal.
“Jindal’s approval rating is every bit as deplorable as Obama’s,” Edwards said. “And a vote for Graves is a vote to continue down the same road that Jindal has taken the state during his administration. Personally, I don’t think this state can afford a continuation of those policies.”
Bahr, his blog, included a link to Louisiana Civil Service rules on public employees’ participation in political campaign and though the rules are different for classified and unclassified employees like Zeringue, Bahr said he nonetheless felt it wrong for Zeringue to interject himself into partisan politics. http://www.civilservice.louisiana.gov/files/general_circulars/2011/gc2011-020.pdf
One of Bahr’s readers added this comment to his blog:
“A key part of Graves’ legacy is the degrading of CPRA’s standing as a supposedly objective body. Pushing them to pass a resolution opposing the SE La Flood Protection Authority lawsuit was a key step. Using the meeting for theatrics attacking the feds every month was another. CPRA has continued on this path in his absence by passing a resolution opposing the EPA’s proposed “Waters of the U.S.” designation, with no real discussion of the actual rule/regulation. In the bubble that Louisiana inhabits, no one is supposed to see this for what it is. That bubble will be popped when the state sees how national support for restoration has been eroded.”
So while Edwards has been relatively quiet up to this point (as opposed to the incessant barrage of attack ads from both Landrieu and Cassidy), that will change beginning next Tuesday—just in time for his only scheduled head-to-head debate with Graves in Denham Springs that same day.
If he is successful in linking Graves to his former boss, Jindal’s low poll numbers coupled with the animosity Jindal has single-handedly created between himself and teachers, state employees and higher education officials during almost seven years as governor, it could spell trouble for Graves. And Edwards, the sly old warrior that he is, might yet have a trick or two up his sleeve.
To paraphrase actress Bette Davis in the movie All About Eve, Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
I knew that little ole’ smart Cajun would come in swinging!!!! I surely hope he wins! I wish I could vote for him. I would love to see that little Democrat in Washington! I would put my money on him to be the one to get the Republicans and Democrats to work together. He can deal with all of them and while they look at him in judgment about his past, He will ignore them and have them eating out of his hands. I hope he gets a second chance to prove himself and enjoy the final ride!!!!!!
Edwards is smarter, and certainly wiser, than Graves (and Jindal for that matter). Will it matter on election day? The cards are clearly stacked against him, but I think we are all looking forward to EWE’s ads and stranger things have happened.
As you said Stephen, stranger things have happened, but I have been surprised by the number of folks I know who are voting for Edwards. Some of these are young professionals too so this election may be a fun one to watch. Our household has cast its two votes for Edwards already.
Tom ,
Graves has hoodwinked even the GOP that he’s not Bobby’s boy. Why Mary L. didn’t do the same with Cassidy is idiocy.
Dayne
Sent from my iPhone
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The Republican opponents of Garret Graves failed miserably to portray Jindal and Graves as being joined at the hip (which they are). Sen. Claitor made an effort late in the game, but it garnered minimal attention at a forum and was never even mentioned on television commercials.
I attended a 7/15/14 Republican-only (Edwards not invited) forum. One forum moderator asked if, on the heels of the bitter battle entailing Thad Cockram and the Tea Party candidate in MS, Louisiana voters in the 6th CD could expect Republican candidates to engage in negative attacks on one another. Every Republican stepped up and relayed he or she would refrain from negative campaigning except one.
I can even remember verbatim what Paul Dietzel said: “I have no intention to say anything negative about any one of my fellow Republicans at this table. I think any one of us would make a better congressman than Edwin Edwards.” Who was the one exception? You guessed it! Garret Graves! Here’s what he said: “I don’t make any pledge to refrain from negative campaigning and, in fact, we’ve already received troubling information on some of my opponents.”
I have to wonder if Paul Dietzel still believes any one of those Republicans (and Graves in particular) would make a better congressman than Edwin Edwards. Graves made a ton of Dietzel supporters angry in his vicious attack.against Dietzel in the waning days of the primary (not to mention alienating some Claitor supporters, myself included, By biting his head off for merely asking an ethics question of Graves mere hours after Claitor had witnessed his mother die right before his eyes). Time will tell if Graves pushed the envelope too far regarding ensuring he knocked Dietzel out of the runoff.
I think Edwards is being VERY smart to run TV ads clearly showing just how connected Jindal and Graves are, and I know that can only add to Graves’ anxiety level as 12/6 approaches. After all, he’s the litmus test on the “any Republican can beat Edwards” theory. Mr. Graves just may suffer the embarrassment of his life when the 12/6 results come in. If so, it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy!
From the previous post that discussed Graves…man-oh-man I would love to see those emails he sent to those reporters. I’d like to know exactly how deep his paranoia really is. LOL!
Did I miss something? Are we seriously talking about the same Edwin Edwards that recently was released from prison for corruption? You know the guy who did 8 of 10 years for extortion and racketeering? That’s the guy you think would make a great rep?
Yep. He’s 87 and has now experienced first-hand that actions can have dire consequences. He very much values his freedom and family life now, and I think if anyone approached him with an illegal activity or a bribe, I think he would relay that, if they thought he would risk it all now, they are crazy. He has a new-found humility now that I find welcome and appealing. He always has been likeable and smart. He’s fully paid his debt to society for his wrongdoing, and in answer to your question, “yes,” I think he’ll make a fine representative. He wasn’t my first choice, but I find him far more appealing than the alternative for this particular election.
The fact that anyone is talking about voting for EWE is absurd. Louisiana ranks last in everything, in my opinion, because of the culture if corruption he ushered in. Bobby Jindal sucks. But he didn’t start this world of corruption. He is simply a beneficiary of the EWE era. If you think EWE wouldn’t take a bribe, then you are living in denial.
If EWE wins this election, it will be a headline in the national press. And once again, Louisiana will be the laughing stock of the nation.
So, I guess Foster and Blanco were also beneficiaries? Or, did they get skipped over? More importantly, shouldn’t EWE be forgiven for anything he did since he was the beneficiary of the corrupt culture of his predecessors?
You are passing off Governor Jindal’s failure to do anything about our abysmal rankings as: ” Jumpin’ Gee whillakers, I just inherited this mess. There’s nothing I could do about it”
Who really is in denial here?
P. S. You are right that it is hard for a reform governor to make changes in Louisiana. Governor Roemer was the last true reform governor. He was certainly not corrupt by anybody’s definition. He never got credit for the good things he did and some of his major accomplishments were reversed. I will give Governor Jindal credit for improving the business climate here, but that has come at a cost to the state overall and only time will tell if his efforts will truly bear fruit. As noted at the last Revenue Estimating Conference, it is somewhat hard to understand why the numbers do not currently reflect the economic growth we are ostensibly experiencing..
Fairness, I commend you on your three words: “Bobby Jindal sucks.” Let’s examine some “sucking” governmental actions on his part:
1. He has sucked funds from the LASERS system by systematically appointing numerous friends and supporters, including Troy Hebert (whom he appointed to head ATC), for the sole purpose of having them jack up their “high three” and thus further increase LASERS’ unfunded accrued liability, which ultimately has to be covered either by other rank-and-file retirees or by taxpayers. Hebert, by the way, has now gotten ATC sued for what is obvious blatant racial discrimination which is going to result in large checks to the plaintiffs (not to mention the staggering defense costs to the state).
2. While on the subject of ATC, he sucked over $300,000 in taxpayer funds to defend his vendetta against former ATC head Murphy Painter who, in taking his oath of office seriously, refused to grant a liquor license to Champion Square because of a $300,000 (funny how the amounts match, huh?) exclusivity payment which was ILLEGAL from Budweiser. The counts in that indictment entailed actions like mailing sympathy cards to a colleague and his brother upon the passing of their mother! Upon the conclusion of the Painter civil trial against the State (which is costing staggering defense costs as well), we’ll see if another large check must be written to Painter (my prediction is a definite “yes”).
3. He sucked funds out of OGB to fund actions such as #1 and #2 above and will now simply lop those costs on state employees’ and retirees’ backs in the form of higher deductibles and copays.
4. He has sucked funds out of state government coffers to litigate HIS belief on common core (which seems to change at his whim based on the latest Tea Party stand).
5. He sucked funds from state coffers to defend unconstitutionality challenges to his educational reforms wherein he lost all but one case (Caldwell’s decision entailing multiple objects in one bill was recently overturned by the Louisiana Supreme Court, giving Jindal, Faircloth and crew their sole victory in the matter).
I could keep going, but I’m afraid Tom may ask me to cease lest I give too much of a synopsis of his upcoming book.
Having been graciously invited to sit down and talk with Gov. Edwards after Sen. Claitor (whom I supported in the primary) was knocked out of the primary, I found him to be as sharp as he’s ever been but with a willingness to accept his past actions in stride and merely seek forgiveness if voters may be so inclined. He is humble and accepting of the fact his legacy will largely be defined by his federal prison stint, but I meant what I said when I relayed I think he would dismiss any bribe overture by telling the person making the bribe to forget it! It’s easy for you to say, Fairness, having never spent the first day in a federal prison, that I’m in denial, but try spending 8 1/2 years in federal prison where the meals are terrible and you’re told when you’re going to get up and you have essentially no privacy whatsoever and no control over the thermostat and nobody who cares if you get no more than two hours of sleep a night. Just ponder that for a moment and consider enduring it for 8 1/2 years. Do you honestly think that’s not going to change a person’s manner of dealing with an proposed illegal activity? Do you think he wants his son, Eli, at three years of age or so, to be told his father is in federal prison? Again, after having visited with him and seeing first-hand his demeanor, my response is “no,” furthermore, if I thought for a moment he would be inclined to repeat his past actions, under no circumstances would I support him. I also take comfort that he knows he would be under scrutiny and be suspicious that any proposed illegal activity may be an undercover operation. I question if the feds have EVER scrutinized the activities of Graves or Jindal at all!
I’m sure everyone recalls the old Gov. Edwards being pretty cocky. Well, there’s a new relatively young man seeking to be our next U. S. Representative who has managed to make the final field of two. When he was questioned about U. S. Army Corps of Engineers contracts awarded to his father’s engineering firm during his tenure with the Jindal administration, let’s take a look at how he handled the question: http://youtu.be/rnkld_1V1ao. Not only did he lie about it, but he bit Sen. Claitor’s head off for even questioning the ethics of the setup, and he did so only hours after Sen. Claitor witnessed his mother pass away before his very eyes. Anyone see any resemblance in the cockiness I just referenced regarding the EWE of decades past?
Further, Graves, like Jindal, is so power-driven that he would send out a bottom-of-the-gutter piece on Paul Dietzel inferring he may likely be gay KNOWING that the mere hint that may be the case would UTTERY DESTROY Dietzel’s base of support (and it did). Dietzel had worked tirelessly for almost 18 months to be our next U. S. Representative and, though I chose Claitor based on experience and his strong support of governmental transparency, I could have easily supported Dietzel in a runoff. Regrettably, considering Mr. Graves’ antics as illustrated above, I find him a carbon-copy clone of Bobby Jindal, thus making my choice for U. S. Representative an easy one in upcoming 12/6 election.
If anyone took the time to read this comment in full, I appreciate your time and diligence.
Well, the commercials started running a tad ahead of schedule. Here’s the link to take a look: http://youtu.be/Rdi-I5n3Qg8
It’s an effective commercial clearly depicting Garret Graves and Gov. Bobby Jindal as being joined at the hip.
Watch for the fireworks tonight Cassidy’s practice of collecting a pay check and benefits package close to $50,000 a year for work that there is no evidence anywhere that the work was ever done.” …Cassidy double-dipped and committed fraud in taking $20,000 a year for a part-time job teaching resident physicians at the LSU medical school operations in Baton Rouge. Sixteen months of time sheets show that Cassidy worked fewer than eight hours a week, which presumably would be 20 percent of a full-time schedule.
LSU says it cannot find the documents, including the agreement that outlines the work that was supposed to be done…In more than a dozen instances Cassidy was taking votes in Congress or sitting on committee while records show he was seeing patients at LSU.
Unfortunately, Dr. Cassidy treated those charges like water on a duck’s back in the debate last night – repeatedly. The debate, itself, was very disappointing.
About 43% consisted of Senator Landrieu attempting to address Dr. Cassidy’s LSUMC job which, every time, he deflected with his depiction of it as him using his medical expertise to serve the poor. Another 2% consisted of Senator Landrieu’s attempt to tie an alliance between Dr. Cassidy and Governor Jindal to Louisiana’s failure to help its citizens.
About 40% consisted of Dr. Cassidy attacking Senator Landrieu for her support of President Obama and the Affordable Care Act which Senator Landrieu less effectively attempted to defend – her points were valid, but not really well-made. About 5% consisted of Dr. Cassidy attacking Senator Landrieu’s travel expense issue which she repeatedly defended as a bookkeeping error, but that didn’t stop him from repeating it several times. .
The other 10% of the debate consisted of the panel attempting to get responses on other issues and the candidates mostly returning to the ones above instead of attempting to answer the questions asked.
Senator Landrieu’s attacks on Dr. Cassidy generally came across as more petty than his attacks on her and her smiles appeared even less sincere than his.. Based on this debate and other factors, it is hard to imagine Senator Landrieu not being toast come election day.
It is becoming abundantly clear the Republicans are going to have their day and we are all going to regret the ultimate outcome, including them. The only difference will be they will never admit it.
Well, the 2nd commercial began running this evening, and it’s even better than the first. Here’s the link: http://youtu.be/bqpi246oV6Q.
Kudos to Gov. Edwards for at least getting some of the facts out there about the cozy relationship between Jindal and Graves and the degree to which that relationship has directly benefited the Graves family!