Several years back, actually, about 40-something years back, I was on the floor of the Louisiana House and came to observe something that I found to be a tad peculiar. I noticed that on every single vote to come to the floor, State Rep. Shady Wall (was that not a perfect name for a Louisiana legislator/) of West Monroe was voting “yes.”
Now, Shady was something of a maverick and it just wasn’t like him to be so consistent in his floor votes. Curious, I made my way up to a point where I had a close view of his desk. He was nowhere in sight. But on his desk was a stack of documents and I noticed a yellow pencil wedged between the stack and the “yes” button, holding it down so that he was recorded as voting on every bill.
Trouble was, Shady had pulled an Elvis and left the building, headed back to West Monroe.
I scampered downstairs to my office and retrieved my camera and telephoto lens and ran back to my position and zoomed in on his desk. The photo that I took that day ran four columns wide on his hometown newspaper, The Ouachita Citizen. I don’t know for sure if the picture influenced his decision or not, but Shady didn’t run for reelection.
I tell this story to illustrate how U.S. Sens. John N. Kennedy and Bill Cassidy must undoubtedly have pencils holding their yes-buttons down to record affirmative votes on every one of Donald Trump’s nominees, no matter their background or record.
Bear in mind, Kennedy likes to think of himself as a constitutional lawyer, meaning that he must be, by definition, a champion of the rule of law. So, why then, would he ever consider a thumbs-up vote to affirm someone like Emil Bove III to a lifetime seat on a federal bench? Bove is a guy who represented Trump and actually said (no kidding) that a president could ignore a federal judge’s order.
How’s that square up with rule of law, Mr. Kennedy? The vote to confirm Bove was a razor-thin 50-49. Your vote might have been the one that put him over the top. Proud of yourself?
And how is it that whistleblower documents, filed with the U.S. Justice Department was last May somehow got overlooked? The answer to that, of course, is that it’s no longer the U.S. Justice Department, it’s the Trump Justice Department. It would be interesting to hear Kennedy and Cassidy explain how they’ve been so willing to look the other way on that and so many other ethical questions that have arisen in the six months Trumps reassumed the reins. The Bove confirmation is just the latest.
From my point of view as an observer, the answer is pretty obvious: Louisiana’s two U.S. senators have whored out their own values, principles and very souls to be trafficked to the highest bidder, in this case, the TACO Pimp.
Louisiana Voice 
And both Kennedy and Cassidy took the following oath. Seems that their words speak louder than their actions.
U.S. Senators take an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” They also swear to “bear true faith and allegiance to the same,” and to “take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.” Finally, they promise to “well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which [they] are about to enter.”
This story is truly remarkable. And, it’s hilarious. I have written both Cassidy and Kennedy EVERY time one of Trump’s nominees comes up for a vote. And EVERY time my words mean nothing. I am nice in my letters, I never use curse words, but I am firm. The last letter I wrote Cassidy was a more condescending message, my first to be a bit firmer, and I said something to the effect that he doesn’t care about his constituents, he only cares about Trump. In that letter I said, “and I know you will vote for Emile Bove, the most crooked lawyer”…
In one letter I asked him one simple question: “Are you afraid of Donald Trump?”. Now, Cassidy usually always replies to all my letters, but they are always saying how he is so concerned and takes all issues seriously, blah, blah, blah, and votes accordingly. This one particular letter with my simple question received absolutely no reply.
After hearing about the newest nominee that ALL republicans confirmed, Joe Kent for the Counterterrorism person, I actually blew my lid. Smoke came out of my brain. Joe Kent is an avid right winger, is on many of the right-wing podcaster shows and is a Nazi sympathizer. He is well known for this. I had to write one more time, probably my last time. And this is what I wrote to both Kennedy and Cassidy. And yes, this time I kind of cursed…
First, Cassidy:
” WTF Bill? Just What the ever-loving F?!!? You voted to confirm Joe Kent for the director of the National Counterterrorism Center. You voted for a freaking Nazi sympathizer! You voted for a freaking Nazi for COUNTERTERRORISM!! Are you THAT desperate to keep your precious senate seat that you voted for a Nazi to appease the biggest national terrorist in our country, Donald Trump? You voted for the freaking sex trafficker’s choice? Jesus Christ! Do you even read about and vet these Trump nominees? I mean, how much lower can you go? It’s bad enough that you are now considered a part of the MAGA community. It’s beyond my comprehension that you are now, officially, a freaking Nazi sympathizer. My great-grandfather, grandfather, uncle, father-in-law all gave their blood and guts to fight for our country. They fought to DEFEND democracy. My uncle was a prisoner of war! They fought AGAINST the Nazis. I am totally amazed and ashamed. What the F have you become?”
I basically copied/pasted this into Kennedy’s form letter, but I changed the names (“wtf John”) and edited the part about keeping his precious senate seat. I said “are you that desperate to appease Trump” or something like that.
I have to say, I have no faith in the republican party anymore at all. My parents were republicans; we have always been democrats. While there was a time when I could possibly have voted for John McCain or Dave Treen, I didn’t. The republican party is nothing but a bunch of right-wing Nazi sympathizers, to me. And it is sad.
Sincerely,
Kerry Phillips
The late G. Norman David, a publisher who lobbied the Legislature for the Louisiana Press Association, once told me that Shady Wall’s parents knew what they were doing when they named their son.
Shady Wall, wow, had not thought of him! Shady was a character but not a bad person like Kennedy and he was not a staggering hypocrite. I do remember his wife had a lot of money, L. Feazel? from a big well service. Her parents would not let them get married, so he hung on till they passed. Then he could buy those “sartorial splendor” clothes, especially the white suits. I remain firm that this trump shit will not destroy our Democracy. Check my spelling on sartorial??thanks