Rumors, Murmurs

1. Might Congressman Cao be switching parties?

There is confirmed chatter amongst local Democrats that this may be in the works. It would certainly make things interesting and might help Cao emerge out of a primary if other contenders end up beating up each other instead of the incumbent. Really, though, I'm not sure there's much of anything Cao can do in one direction or another to retain his seat. It certainly helps to vote in the interests of the district, as he did when he finally voted for healthcare reform the other day. If Cao departs from the GOP, it would certainly feed into the GOP purge narrative that Democrats are keen on playing up.


2. What is Karen Carter Peterson up to?

She's definitely running for Congress but won't announce until after the Mayor's race or even later. The Chairman of the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee, James Gray, has already seemingly endorsed Cedric Richmond. This is of particular interest because Gray is the father of State Senator Cheryl Gray Evans, who is Karen Carter Peterson's BFF. That could make things weird. And what does this say about Cheryl Gray Evans ambition, or lack their of, for higher office? The KCP development may contribute to the reasons why we're not seeing the local Democratic establishment follow the lead of national progressive organizations and the Obama administration in praising Congressman Cao's vote for healthcare reform.


3. Is State Sen. Ed Murray really a front-runner for Mayor?

Yes, just take a look at his fundraising totals for the quarter. For the lazy, that's nearly six hundred grand. We'll get a better sense of what's going on after the official deadline for campaign finance reports later this week.


4. Might we find someone other than Charlie Melancon to run for Senate?

A trustworthy reader wrote the old gmail account about State Senator Eric LaFleur:

E:

He'd be the best candidate of the bunch. But his wife is pregnant with their second child, and she's due either this month or next. I don't think he'll be throwing his hat in the ring. It totally sucks, but I'd love to see Charlie get cold feet, which may be the only thing to make him reconsider. I think he's the Louisiana version of Obama ... young State Senator that gets young folks totally invested in government/politics again.

Not sure there will ever be such a thing as the Louisiana version of Obama but I'd love to hear more about Senator LaFleur.

Who else we got?

I have pretty much lost all confidence in Rep. Charlie Melancon as a legislator and candidate for Senate. His electoral strategy against seems to be do everything the same as David Vitter but don't get caught sleeping with prostitutes. That is more than a cowardly political strategy, it's also one that has resulted in votes counter to the interests of average Louisianians.

So who else do we have?

Does anyone out there have the cojones to fight David Vitter instead of emulate him?

Here are the names of some Louisiana politicians, some of whom I don't know very much about. I'm just throwing darts here. I'll need you to fill in the blanks in the comment section below.

State Senator Eric Lafleur
Former Congressman Don Cazayoux
Speaker Pro Tem Karen Carter Peterson
Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden
Former Governor Kathleen Blanco
Republican Congressman Joseph Cao

I'd love for any of these characters to enter the race as a Democrat or Independent.

I want real choices.

Btw, here is the wikipedia entry on Eric LaFleur. I don't know enough about his political positions to really have an opinion on whether or not he'd be the best choice but he voted Yes on HB 780 when it was before the Senate Education Committee this last session and really seemed to 'get it.' Anyway, he sounds like a badass:

LaFleur speaks French, plays saxophone in the band Déjà Vu, and is currently training for his private pilot license.

Plus he has a son named Atticus.

Rep. Cao steps up

Joseph Cao voted yea on healthcare reform!

This couldn't have been easy. He was the only Republican to break ranks. I'm glad he did.

Though I am pro-choice and proud, the Congressman is clearly passionate about his side of that endless debate and at the very least, I respect the consistency with which he couched his reservations about healthcare reform in terms of the language around abortion.

On the other hand, Congressman Charlie Melancon voted no. It's getting harder to figure out how he'd be an improvement over David Vitter.

How about Joseph Cao for Senate instead? 

Here is his full statement:

Tonight, Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao (LA-2) voted in favor of the comprehensive health reform bill, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

Of his vote, Cao said: “Tonight, I voted to keep taxpayer dollars from funding abortion and to deliver access to affordable health care to the people of Louisiana.

Cao said: “I read the versions of the House [health reform] bill. I listened to the countless stories of Orleans and Jefferson Parish citizens whose health care costs are exploding – if they are able to obtain health care at all. Louisianans needs real options for primary care, for mental health care, and for expanded health care for seniors and children.

The bill passed the House at a 220-215 vote.

Cao said: “Today, I obtained a commitment from President Obama that he and I will work together to address the critical health care issues of Louisiana including the FMAP crisis and community disaster loan forgiveness, as well as issues related to Charity and Methodist Hospitals. And, I call on my constituents to support me as I work with him on these issues.

Cao said: “I have always said that I would put aside partisan wrangling to do the business of the people. My vote tonight was based on my priority of doing what is best for my constituents.

H.R. 3962 included the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which will keep in place current federal law on abortion funding and conscience protections for health care providers.

Cao said: “Before the Stupak-Pitts amendment was adopted as part of this health reform bill, the bill failed to explicitly include the longstanding policy prohibiting federal funding of elective abortion and plans which include elective abortion.”

According to a letter from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops dated November 7, 2009, “The [Stupak-Pitts] Amendment will not affect coverage of abortion in nonsubsidized health plans, and will not bar anyone from purchasing a supplemental abortion policy with their own funds.”

Cao said: “Thank to the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, taxpayer dollars will not go to supporting elective abortions, and for thousands of my constituents, this was a top priority. By incorporating this amendment into the health reform bill, my colleagues and I made this bill better, and that is an achievement of which I will always be proud.”

Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond, the archbishop of New Orleans, said: “I am grateful to Congressman Cao for his courage and determination to defend life. I appreciate his work to prevent abortion from being included in health care reform and for protecting conscience rights of health care professionals. I – and, I am sure, many in New Orleans would join me – [I] appreciate Congressman Cao's commitment to the people of New Orleans."

Update: Meffert indictment is here

Gotta love that big bold "FELONY" dominating the page.


Meffert Indictment

Urgent! Tell Congressman Cao to vote yes on healthcare reform

The House of Representatives is going to vote on healthcare reform tomorrow. That's right, tomorrow.

At yesterday's Bachmann-inspired rally staged at the Capital, the House GOP leaders promised that not one Republican would vote for the bill.

The Republican leadership is going to be leveraging incredible pressure on their members, including Congressman Cao.

I just called Congressman Cao's offices in D.C. (202-225-6630) and New Orleans (504-483-2325) and asked whether or not the Congressman had planned to vote yes or no.

He apparently remains undecided.

I urged his staff to pass along my hopes that the Congressman will choose to vote yes.

Should Congressman summon the courage to vote in the interest of the public health of this district instead of the in the interest of a symbolic partisan rebuke, he will have my support against whatever sanction he may receive from GOP leadership.

This is our last chance to convince Congressman Cao to do what is right and to do what is wise.

Please let the Congressman know how important it is to you, this district, and the country that we increase access to care and lower costs.

It is time to be resolved.

Make sure the Congressman's staff gets your name. Make sure they know you are registered to vote in the 2nd district.

Tell them why you expect a yes vote out of your Congressman.

Washington Office 2113 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-6636 Fax: (202) 225-1988

.

New Orleans Office 4640 So. Carrollton Ave. Suite 120 New Orleans, LA 70119 Phone: (504) 483-2325 Fax: (504) 483-7944

Federal Charges, Brah

Mef lab goes down. US Attorney Jim Letten will be holding a press conference at 12:30.

It is starting earlier than one might expect because it will take so much time to read off the counts. Don't they normally do these things starting at 1:30 or 2?


The Times-Pic is reporting that it isn't just Greg Meffert and Mark St. Pierre who will face a rap sheet. His wife Linda Meffert will also be indicted for accounting work that she did for the St. Pierre syndicate.

David Hammer describes the charges for Linda as "a surprise," which I think is accurate.

It tells you something that Letten is going after Mrs. Muppet.

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This bit is unadulterated speculation but nonetheless, the charges against Lady Mef indicate to me that Greg Meffert has refused to cooperate or turned down generous plea agreements. I imagine that Letten and his people used the threat of charges against his wife to get him to talk and now they're making good on the threat.

Greg Meffert, as AZ, as pointed out earlier in the week, has seemed in denial about what was coming down the tracks.

I hope for the sake of their young kids that Greg and/or Linda Meffert capitulate to inquiry from prosecutors.

What combination of fraud, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy counts are we going to see on the rap sheet?

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Because this has been anticipated for so long, it is perhaps easy to lose track of just how disgusting this is.

Greg Meffert wasn't just in charge of the Office of Technology. This guy was Deputy Mayor. He was almost Recovery Director. He was the Mayor's right hand man. It's not just the millions of dollars lost to the Russian nesting doll contract schemes these people were facilitating, it's also the unquantifiable corruption of the city decision-making engine and the cynical truth that our city's recovery effort rested in hands that dropped us to satiate the impulsive desires of their own sticky fingers.

Clown Car: Some quick notes on the Mayor's race

School Board killer and yurp magnet Leslie Jacobs is almost guaranteed to announce her candidacy for Mayor, from what I've been hearing. She can self-finance, perhaps almost to the level that local monopoly man parody John Georges can.

Jacobs' likely entry into the race means that rumors of a possible reentry by Mitch Landrieu are untrue. Jacobs would not be doing focus groups and polls and taking possible campaign organizers out to lunch if she hadn't been personally assured by the Lieutenant Governor that he was not going to be running. Jacobs and Landrieu are deferentially close.

I generally agree with AZ's analysis that Jacobs might be wiser to take on Jay Batt in District A and also with the general point about how important catering ability is for a potential Mayor.

I have not heard any inkling, however, that Jacobs is considering anything less than a full-out run for Mayor. She was also recently seen at a GOP heavyweights for Jay Batt fundraiser.

Aaaand, I've just thrown up in my mouth a little bit.

I don't understand why Jacobs (or those that are personally close to her) think it is in her or her family's best interest to run for Mayor right now. Not only do I think she has little chance of winning but I also think she could potentially undermine her efforts outside and adjacent to government.

I'm told that her focus groups indicate that African American women are open-minded to her candidacy. I don't want to by cynical but I have never in my readings about the politics ever heard of gender trumping race in a municipal election, especially a municipality with the poor civil rights record that this one has.

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Former Judge Nadine Ramsey is actually running she says. I have seen two Nadine Ramsey bumper stickers so it must be true. Her climb is so steep - I have no idea why she's running or how she plans to compete financially.

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Troy Henry is also running kind of sort of I think. Troy Henry was President of United Water when United Water was gunning to get New Orleans to privatize the water board. Henry was in charge in Atlanta when that city actually did. That experiment failed in spectacular fashion amidst staff problems, financial issues, and multiple instances of water contamination. There were boil orders. Lots of them. Thankfully, New Orleans learned from Atlanta's mistake.

I'd like to know if Henry has had a change of heart about whether privatizing basic and critical municipal services is smart policy.

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Rep. Austin Badon has announced his exit from the Mayor's race and entrance into the race for District E. The pay raise likely made this office more palatable. I see no reason he won't take it easily though I am excited to see what seems at first glance to be a progressive challenge out of the Vietnamese community.

James Perry has announced a leave of absence from the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center so that he can concentrate on running for Mayor. Though he claimed a fund-raising victory for the last filing deadline, his new campaign staff is seems to be sucking up a huge share of whatever was taken in. I doubt they'll have enough money to invest in advertising. Will they have enough for yard signs or mailers?

I've seen some calls for volunteers but I'm not sure the extent to which those calls have been met. Is the Perry campaign planning on doing any organizing work? Have they been knocking on doors?

Maybe I'm missing something but I don't see much evidence that the campaign has done anything to penetrate the electorate. An underdog won't win using traditional campaign tactics.

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Giant Ed Murray signs are proliferating like crazy. He's the front-runner until further notice.

Breaking: Impossible looking increasingly possible

The Senate healthcare reform bill will create a national public option with an opt-out provision to allow states to choose not to participate.

Remember four weeks ago when the public option was declared dead?

A few thoughts:

1. The progressive grassroots organizations that took all that heat for running tough ads against wayward Democrats deserve some credit. They refused to cave.

2. Harry Reid deserves some credit. Though grassroots pressure made success on the public option absolutely critical to the Senate leader's reelection next year, Reid had to do the heavy lifting to get Baucus and other moderates on board with a public option. He is forging ahead with the preferable opt-out compromise even though the trigger policy seems to have had more votes. That shows backbone.

3. The White House deserves slightly less credit. Though I wish we'd used single-payer as a starting point and think we'd be much further along if we had, you have to give the White House some applause for preaching patience and for allowing space for the Senate to negotiate.

4. We have a bit of a ways to go and a lot more work to do. Call Mary Landrieu and urge her to support the opt-out compromise. Reach her in New Orleans at (504) 589-2427. Reach her in D.C. at (202)224-5824.


We are so close to passing a pretty damn good healthcare reform bill.

Simple solutions to simple problems

Louisiana University chieftans have been talking recently about having too many students.

Due to a handshake agreement, I can't name names but recently I heard a brief talk by the head of a local public university who was proudly describing the course of action he took when faced with a surplus of aspirant students.

"We doubled the price."

For him, it was a no-brainer. That is what you do when demand outstrips supply, right? That this policy clearly discriminates against poorer applicants is a consequence of the marketplace.

I wonder if it occurred to him that an alternative choice for an institution of higher learning looking to deal with over-enrollment would be to raise the academic standards for admittance.

I can tell you that this University head honcho was not Chancellor John Lombardi of LSU, though he shares Mr. Lombardi's strategy.

The Chancellor of LSU is already on the record favoring higher tuition for his students instead of the consolidation of university boards populated by people who make enormous six-figure salaries from the money students and their parents often go into debt to pay into the system.

To Chancellor Lombardi and his compatriot from another public institution of higher learning in Louisiana, consolidating university patronage positions and raising academic standards is the bad choice here.

I think they're confused about what their mission is.

GO PHILLIES!

The best team to ever come out of my home town is going back to the Series for seconds!

CBS: Nation will be pulling for non-phony, non-corporate Phillies