While we don’t normally offer negative comments on other blot posts, there was a guest post on The Hayride Wednesday (Nov. 6) written—or ghostwritten, would be my guess—by one Ray Griffin, a member of the Republican State Central Committee from the 105th District, which encompasses all or parts of the parishes of Jefferson, St. Charles and Plaquemines.
His post on The Hayride consisted almost entirely of ridiculing Riser’s opponent in the Nov. 16 runoff for the 5th District congressional seat, Vance McAllister. He first sniped at McAllister as a “wealthy, self-funding political novice.”
Actually, we find it somewhat refreshing that a candidate is willing to sink his own money in a run for office as opposed to sucking up donations from special interests who will own the candidate after his election. PACs and fat cat donors seem to be at the root of the nation’s political dilemma today.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/11/some_of_gov_bobby_jindals_dona.html=
Griffin also snorted his derision at McAllister’s self-proclaimed aspirations to parlay his hoped-for congressional seat into the presidency. While McAllister may be a bit premature in getting the cart way out in front of the horse, his disarming candor is certainly refreshing in light of Jindal’s continued ridiculous contention that he already has the job he wants when everyone who has not been in a coma for six years knows the presidency is Jindal’s own burning obsession.
Griffin, of Lafitte, in Jefferson Parish, is listed as an agent and officer of Cochiara Corp. in Lafitte on the Secretary of State’s web page but is designated as not in good standing for failure to file an annual report. The last annual report filed was on May 24, 2012, records show.
He is also an officer and director of Ray Griffin, Inc., an active corporation about which there were no details furnished.
Griffin also worked as an intern in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s 2004 congressional campaign, drawing a total of $1,654 in intern fees and travel reimbursements.
So now we have a campaign flunky turned entrepreneur turned political pundit.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong that—if he did indeed pen the article. But even if he allowed his name to be used for an author written by, say, someone like Kyle Plotkin, it still would not be nearly as egregious as Sen. Rand Paul’s experiment in plagiarism; at least Griffin, if he did use a ghostwriter, was a party to the ruse.
So, just to put things in perspective, here are three images of Griffin, the Riser shill:
Hey, boys just want to have fun, right?
What continues to disturb us even more, however, besides the obvious contrivance of Jindal’s orchestrating the retirement of Rodney Alexander by offering him a lucrative state position so that Riser could inherit the office (the election being only a pesky formality), is Riser’s continued association with two former board members of New Bethany Home for Boys and Girls in Arcadia.
Tim Johnson, son-in-law of New Bethany administrator/owner/minister Mack Ford, and his son Jonathan Johnson have both been active in the Riser campaign. Their motivation is obvious: for the past decade, Jonathan Johnson worked as State Director for Alexander. He is working in the Riser campaign in the fervent hope that he will continue in that same capacity once upon Riser’s coronation…er, election. And Tim just wants what is best for Junior.
Ford, the patriarch of New Bethany, has been accused by several former female residents, of beatings and rapes, dating back to the mid-1970s and continuing until the early 1990s.
No formal charges have been filed because (a) the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office denies that any of the victims ever appeared at his office to file a complaint and (b) because an assistant district attorney claims that the district attorney’s office cannot initiate an investigation.
Determined to see justice done, several of the former residents have indicated to LouisianaVoice that they will be appearing in person in the near future to file formal charges against Ford.
Even though the home has been closed down for more than 20 years, Ford still receives monetary support from various Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) churches from around the country. Several former IFB ministers are currently serving prison sentences for sexually abusing church members, mostly women.
Oddly enough, because of the IFB philosophy that women must be totally subservient to men and because the ministers instill the belief among their congregations that they are anointed by God and thus, infallible, whenever sexual abuse of women is exposed, it is the women—and often young girls—who are required to stand before the congregation and apologize for their sins of tempting men just as Eve tempted Adam into original sin.
Even more disturbing is a book by IFB members Michael and Debi Pearl. The book, To Train Up A Child, is nothing more than a manual for child abuse, i.e. beatings.
The Pearls were not the first, however. Ministers Bill Gothard and Richard Fugate were two of the first IFB leaders to preach “breaking the will” of children. The two wrote What the Bible Says about Child Training, a book used by Bob Jones University (BJU) in its child psychology classes. One of Mack Ford’s daughters attended BJU.
Among other things, Fugate recommends a balloon stick, a willow or peach tree branch, or a blackboard pointer of one-eighth-inch wooden dowel for toddlers up to 15 months in age. After that, the instruments only get thicker—up to one-half inch in diameter.
For nursing mothers, Pearl recommends pulling infants’ hair when they bite. “An alternative has to be sought for bald-headed babies,” he wrote.
Fugate writes that babies should not be spanked through a thick diaper, but bare-bottomed. A child who is strong-willed “will require more frequent and more intense whippings,” he said. “Such a child is likely to require enough strokes to receive stripes or even welts. Parents should not be overly concerned if such minor injuries do result from their chastisement as it is perfectly normal.”
Child beatings (and some IFB children have died at the hands of their “disciplinarians,” by the way) and total dominance over women are not the only characteristics of IFB. Among other things, IFB ministers teach that the word “sex” is hidden in the animated twinkling stars of The Lion King and that Azrael, the cat on The Smurfs cartoon, got its name from one of Satan’s top demons of the same name, and anyone who brought a Smurf doll into his/her home was inviting demonic possession.
One more thing: Thursday (Nov. 7) was the 95th birthday of the Rev. Billy Graham.
How is that relevant, you ask?
Well, before his rise to prominence, Graham spent a semester at Bob Jones College in Tennessee (before it relocated to its present location in Greenville, S.C.) and Jones was his mentor.
But Graham, who rejected the Doctrine of Separation, began to distance himself from Jones, who believed if conservative and liberal Christians joined forces it would compromise the word of God. The rift grew to such an extent that in 1995, Bob Jones III told 1,000 employees that, “Billy Graham has done more damage to Christianity than any other person in the 20th century.”
BJU, which teaches its students that accreditation is not important “because Harvard University is not accredited” (it is, of course), rejects any governmental interference while at the same time accepting federal student aid and enjoying tax exempt status.
These are examples of the beliefs of those to whom Jindal, Superintendent of Education John White and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) President Chas Roemer wish to turn over the education of our children through vouchers and charter schools.
And Neil Riser is Jindal’s boy.
Louisiana Voice 
Thank you Mr. Aswell for letting us see Mr. Griffin’s piece from THE HAYRIDE blog. I would have never seen it otherwise since I avoid THE HAYRIDE for the same reasons I avoid “Faux” news. I was feeling bad about having to vote for McAllister as a protest against the attempted coronation of Riser until I read Mr. Griffin’s piece. Now, I feel a lot better about it.
P. S. I am unfortunate enough to live in the 5th Congressional District. My neighbors and I have little chance of effective representation no matter who wins the runoff. Both candidates share essentially the same niche in the Republican Party, but beyond that, look at the utterly ridiculous way the 5th Congressional District was gerrymandered and where the candidates live. State Senator Rick Gallot was co-chair of the Redistricting and Elections Committee of the Louisiana Legislature when this district was constructed. He was recently quoted in the Baton Rouge ADVOCATE saying he was in favor of the district running horizontally across the northern part of the state. Who opposed this most vigorously and pushed hardest for the current configuration? Governor Jindal’s staff and legislative leaders, according to Gallot. This kind of thing is happening all over our country and is threatening the fairness of the election process itself. Why do we sit back and accept it?
Mr. Winham, have you ever seen a map of Senator Gallot’s district? I happen to live in it, and for you to cite Senator Gallot in your argument that the congressional district is gerrymandered is laughable. I like the Senator very much, but in some places his own district is more narrow than a long pass.
I also hate that you don’t read The Hayride. At the very least you could view it like I view this blog and bob mann’s garbage- counter-intelligence and recon on the opposition!
Two things here:
1) I believe Mr. Winham said Gallot favored a 5th district going straight across the top third of the state. He didn’t say that Gallot favored the 5th district in its present configuration. Nor did Sen. Gallot endorse his own district in its present form. In fact, he once complained to me that he did not like the fact that he had to campaign all the way to Alexandria after the new districts were drawn. Ask yourself this: do you really believe that Gallot, a Democrat, really had any influence on the way the district lines were drawn by a Republican-dominated legislature? Think it through, man, think it through.
2) If you read my blog for “counterintelligence and recon,” then it’s small wonder that the Jindal administration is floundering as it is. I make no claim to any special inside information; I simply investigate and report the stories as I learn about them. (By the way, what have you read here or on Bob Mann’s blog about Jindal, White, Bruce Greenstein, et al, that you’d rather not have known?) I read The Hayride daily, but certainly not for “counterintelligence and recon,” although it, like Jindal, is rather counter-intelligent.
Mr. Aswell has said all that needs be said on this. Thanks, Tom.
Once again, I have to tell you that you’re Making Mr. Edd proud of you. Thanks for recapping this Neil Riser info. Somehow this ‘Reader’s Digest’ version of known facts lends an overpowering stench to the Riser campaign.
For my readers’ enlightenment, Mr. Edd was my grandfather who took me in when I was abandoned at 18 months and gave me a home, clothes, food and most of all, love and guidance. He died in 1971—42 years ago—and I still feel a void in my life. In terms of formal education, he went only to the sixth grade but he was the wisest man I ever knew. His proudest moment was when I walked across the stage at Louisiana Tech University to receive my degree.
I enjoyed your piece in Louisiana Voice. You are right re Hayride piece. The Hayride is just a PR component of the LAGOP/RNC Establishment. They do hack pieces on whoever is running against their squish candidate. Keep up the good work mon amis.
It’s a shame we don’t have a provision for a write-in candidate in a run-off election. “None of the above” Knox would be perfect for this 5th District race.
But I think I have figured out how to voice a bit of distaste for the two jaybirds fighting over which lays claim to being the most inept and politically ignorant. So that it is of record that I went to the poll Saturday, I plan on signing in and simply not going into the booth and putting an “X” by one of their names, then confirming my choice.
That way, there will be at least one more voter showing up than the total number of votes cast, i.e. someone opposed to the two wingnut ‘publicans on the ballot.
I grew up in Holly Ridge, La. (Richland Parish) and my first notice of politics was at our gin opening and seeing Gov. Earl Long, standing on the loading platform and my Daddy and other sharecroppers respectfully taking off their hats. I remained hooked and love my State and my Country. I would not spit on Jindal if he was on fire. I was forced to vote for McCallister in the runoff, but he will be a one-termer, if elected. The Jindalites are vengeful. But on a positive note, my cousin is one of the Mountain men on Duck dynasty. ron Thompson, back in the 5th(with no representation in Congress)
Great post, Ron! I would substitute another word for “spit”, though 😉
Is anyone in the Bienville Parish DA’s and Sheriff’s Office brave enough to step up and explain their reasoning for lying to these women about their requirements for recognizing the legitimacy of an official report? Do the people of Bienville Parish understand what the denial of a rape report by the Sheriff’s office, and the denial from the DA’s office that they are not an investigative agency means? THEY ELECTED THESE OFFICIALS TO UPHOLD AND ENFORCE THE LAW IN BIENVILLE PARISH! But instead they are lying to those who reported a crime.
Although victims of abuse from New Bethany are being told that the Sheriff and DA won’t recognize a report from another law enforcement agency as legitimate, they won’t give details as to how their agency is unique in that respect, because no other law enforcement agency that I have made this inquiry to will say such a thing. What makes Bienville Parish so “special” that they do not have to recognize reports from other law enforcement agencies about crimes committed in Bienville Parish?
And as far as the asst. DA stating IN WRITING that the DA’s office is not an investigative agency, no one is asking them to explain what the INVESTIGATORS within their agency do. Since they don’t investigate anything, are they just overpaid meter-maids or what?
These are issues that, IMO, should certainly be examined when it comes time to hold the next election for Sheriff and DA!
It is disgusting that IBF, Ford, Michael & Debi Pearl and Ministers Gothard and Fugate are all linked to Riser. New Bethany and its spoils of sexual abuse, physical abuse and even death should still be emblazoned in everyone’s minds. The lack of response from the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office regarding those children of long ago who lost their innocence at the hands of New Bethany admin is unfathomable in this day and age. Imagine how those victims feel even today that all has been lost. What is disturbing to me is that these same individuals go to church on Sundays hang their heads in prayer and praise God. They truly believe they are servants of God and the vessels He has chosen to spread His Word on earth during these end times. The religious right of the political spectrum of all that is family values continues to guide these people on the path to glory while they line their pockets with taxpayers money. Is there any thoughts when this evil plague will leave the state so that LA can begin anew? Is there any hope for change?