Henry G. Herford, Jr., of Delhi, who was hospitalized following a scuffle with police during the Louisiana State Republican Convention in Shreveport in June of last year, filed papers on Tuesday, officially entering the race for the Fifth District congressional seat being vacated by Rodney Alexander of Quitman.
Herford is a recovering Republican of sorts, recently ditching that party in favor of the Libertarian label for the Oct. 19 primary because, he says, there is “not a dime’s difference” between the Democrats and Republicans.
It was just over a year ago that Herford was wrestled to the floor, dislocating his prosthetic hip in a skirmish with Shreveport police after Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Roger Villere of Metairie refused to yield and ordered Herford removed from the convention floor immediately after Herford was elected convention chairman by Ron Paul supporters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZSferdzaOM
Following Herford’s hospitalization and arrest by police, delegates went on to elected a new chair and a slate of 27 Ron Paul supports to fill 12 of the 18 district delegate slots and 15 of 20 at-large delegate slots.
Herford has since filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court naming Shreveport police, the Louisiana Republican Party and others as defendants in what he terms a “wrongful arrest.”
In claiming that the two major political parties have lost touch with the electorate, Herford said, “I’m ‘us,’ and they’re ‘them.’”
He said the Libertarian Party supports freedom through less government. “You can’t throw money at every problem,” he said. “We spend more on our military budget than Russia and China combined.”
Many observers feel that Alexander’s announcement that he would step down, following in quick succession by a job offer by Gov. Bobby Jindal, the announcement by State Sen. Neil Riser that he would seek Alexander’s seat and the immediate endorsement by the state’s Republican congressional delegation was orchestrated by Jindal.
A possible giveaway of the scheme may have been inadvertently revealed when Alexander’s announcement said he had “agreed” to step down, an indication that there were old-style political back room negotiations leading up to his decision.
The offer by Jindal of a $130,000 a year job heading up the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, which will bump Alexander’s state retirement from his days in the legislature from approximately $7,500 to about $82,000 per year did nothing to assuage the suspicions of smoke-filled rooms and political chicanery.
Louisiana Voice 
I was at the 2008 presidential Repub primary where an overwhelming number of Ron Paul supporters were there to cast their ballots. Many had filed as party members in time to vote but officials said those votes would have to be taken separately as there were questions as to their validity. Lines of people were sent to a different area to cast a “vote to be reviewed.” I later witnessed two men carry this box of votes out separately from all others. At any rate Huckabee was given the election. I believe Villere was involved in this too. Paul supporters flock to him for his anti-militarism stance and fiscal austerity but it was obvious that night that none of that matters to our state party. After being a lifelong Repub I was sickened by this flagrant abuse of people’s right to vote in full view of an overwhelming majority of Paul voters. I changed my affiliation to Independent that week. I won’t say I’ll never vote repub again but I haven’t deemed one worthy.
By the way I ended up voting for Obama twice since then.
Ahhh. Sounds like what the Repubs are doing in some states with their voter i.d. laws and some forms of i.d. (college i.d’s) not being valid. That mostly happens to Dem and black voters. Must have seemed odd to have the shoe on the other foot. 😉
The fact that Riser admitted that he had been traveling with Alexander throughout the district for the past two months was sort of a give-away to me. But, I’m a suspicious devil.
Side note: I noticed that you referred to Alexander as “R-Quitman,” which he’s always been referred to (or at least since he was D-Quitman). Recent news articles have been referring to him as “R-Ruston.” Has Rodney moved uptown to Ruston or just using Ruston because he think’s it’s classier than Quitman? Now that I think of it “Quitman” is more appropriate since he’s bailing out of his elected position.
I’m a native of Ruston and still have a few contacts up there and to my knowledge, Alexander has not moved there. He still resides in Quitman, which is only 14 miles south of Ruston on U.S. 167.
It’s probably just a News-Star thing. 🙂
Chicanery if far too polite for that group of charlatans. Musical chairs, play that music Bobby. Whoever is left when the music stops will most appropriately get the chair(s) remaining before Gov Jindal bids farewell to the voters of LA. Who will step forward and claim the next “open” chair? I fear for the future.
Not only do we fear for the future, but we best fear for today cause at the rate Louisiana is going down, there may not be a tomorrow with little Napoleon in charge!!!
This is unbelievable. Great report/video. The Shreveport meeting caused black eye to LAGOP what they did to Henry Herford. I don’t blame him for filling ACLU lawsuit against LAGOP wrong doings.
The police took away the person’s phone camera for videoing a public meeting? Isn’t there a constitutional protection against such actions by the police?
Jindal and the ultra-right wing have raised police pay and benefits in order to get the police to side with them against legal protests against their anti-American tactics to rob the assets and freedoms of the citizens. And the citizens, especially the blind Tea Party and such groups don’t see and understand what this is doing to the very American constitutional protections that they so vehemently claim to favor. Stupid is as stupid does!
Great Job, Tom. Watch the key words in the “onmessage” Timmy Teepell, works with Alexander. “intend” to endorse Riser. they think we are all ignorant and prejudiced. ron thompson
I intend to always vote against the Communists now attempting to destroy our healthcare industry and this Republic. Tea Party members who gain office as Republicans are that party’s only salvation.
So anyone with whom you disagree is a communist and hysterical, wild-eyed wing nuts are our “salvation.” Beautiful.