2010 is beginning to wind down, and with only a week or so left, posting here at the 'fish is going to be rather light.
We saw an incredible year in politics, especially here in Louisiana. Louisiana Progressives had wins at the national level, but a string of losses at the local level. It's time to take stock of this year, and to look forward:
2010: A Quick Review
The most disappointing thing from 2010 was, without a doubt, the reelction of the worst Senator in America. David Vitter, the virus, escaped punishment for his sins and glided to an easy victory over Charlie Melancon. Little can be said about this that hasn't already been uttered. Vitter continues to embarrass the state as a Senator, and as a man. His political skills and tactics are genius, while his moral character is abominable. Enough said.
On the upside, we saw the passage of the President's Healthcare Reform law, which despite its imperfection, will stand as the singular achievement for this administration. No Democrat should forget that Obama did what generations of others couldn't. This is a Big Fucking Deal.
On the other hand, we saw the collision of regulatory capture, moral indifference, greed and political malfeasance create the biggest environmental disaster in American history. BP's Oil Disaster will continue to devastate communities in Louisiana for decades. By the time that we've fully recovered, the oil will be gone and BP will have moved on. This is the Faustian Bargain we in Louisiana have entered with the Oil Cartels.
2010 also saw the worst electoral defeat for Democrats in 30 years. The wipeout in the House of Representatives was nearly complete. Here in Louisiana, we did see the revival of New Orleans' traditional Democratic seat, with Cedric Richmond's easy win in LA-2. As usual, as the country sweeps Democrats out, we here in Louisiana move our own way, restoring a Democratic seat. We wish Congressman Richmond well, and hope he becomes a confident voice for progressives throughout Louisiana.
While the rest of the nation takes a breath from the heated political winds of the past year, Louisiana dives right back into election season with both feet. The entire legislature, and all of the Statewide positions will be up for grabs. 2011 will no doubt be a banner year for politicos. But between the looming budget fight and special redistricting session, this season will also truly will be a carnival. For Louisianians, it's more important than ever to pay close attention. Our future is in the balance.
This coming year, both public policy and personal politics will be at stake. The choices our elected officials make, and the deals they cut, will be as contentious as ever. There's a storm on the horizon; rough waters ahead.
Oh yeah, if that isn't exciting enough, by summer 2011, Edwin Edwards will be a free man...
2011 is also going to be a big year for the Kingfish, with a brand new look, more content, and better social media integration. Looking forward to showing you the new digs.
From all of us at the Kingfish, we wish you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and hope to see you back in 2011.
So Matt and I were invited along with other Louisianans to be in attendance at the White House Press Event in the East Room with the New Orleans Saints and President Obama.
Unfortunately, we, along with 3 other gentlemen, were not cleared in time for the event despite giving our names, addresses, SSN's and birthdates early last week to the nice lady in the Department of Homeland Security who contacted us.
All I can say is, at least I got to see Marine One take off to take the President to Air Force One so he could attend his events in Texas later today.
Just in case you missed it...and don't forget to vote in the poll at the end of the article.
I'm going to tell you a secret about one of the political parties in Louisiana, although anyone who keeps up with state politics in Louisiana already knows what I'm going to divulge.
(We're proud to have Michael as a Guest Contributor, and we're always looking for more. Let us know if you want to write! - promoted by Matt B)
How Dare They!!! I say it again, how dare they!!!
I just clicked on an internet advertisement paid for by the Republican Party of Louisiana, and they are trying to drive a political wedge by saying that Charlie Melancon doesn't care about the oil spill! All one has to do is look at the work Charlie has done since the disaster, and you know it's a bald face lie. Is this really the time to be trying to score cheap political points?
We are facing the greatest environmental disaster in the history of this country - a disaster that could very well be the death knell for several communities in South Louisiana and that will affect us all for generations to come, and they want to play politics. Shame on them! Don't get me wrong, I'm a good Democrat, and I can throw punches with the best of them in a good political fight. But there is a time and place for politics, and this is not it.
Whatever happened to putting Louisiana First? Whatever happened to common decency and common sense? Hell, whatever happened to plain old, simple manners? This is a time for all of us who love the Great State of Louisiana to put politics aside and work together to fix this mess.
Shame on the Republican Party for trying to drive us apart when we should be pulling together! Even more, shame on us if we let them!
Michael McHale (Daily Kingfish Guest Contributor) is an attorney in Lake Charles and First Vice Chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party.
Wow. This site is now 3 years old, with more than 1500 posts, and over 300 users. I never imagined that it would grow by so much, and that more than 215,000 readers would take the time to read my rants, analysis, and critiques of Louisiana politics when I started this site.
I learned a lot about politics and Louisiana during the past three years. I've met quite a few memorable folks in Louisiana politics, and I've made some lifelong friends while I was at it. Y'all know who you are. I traveled the Gret Stet, and I fell in love with it ... its beauty, its culture, her people, and the food. My god, the food.
But in life, all good things must come to an end ... and it won't be the Daily Kingfish that comes to end, but my participation in running it.
Since I graduated from LSU Law last May, I actually moved to NY, and sat for the NY Bar exam this past February. (I passed). I am now applying for admittance to the NY Bar, and will be running a State Senate race in New York this cycle.
With all dat said, let me introduce Matt B, who will be taking over the site. I trust that y'all will stop in from time to time to check out what's happening in Louisiana politics here. I know I will.
In honor of the late Ashley Morris, I am using his FYYFF rant to nail Beyond Petroleum British Petroleum and their sweetheart David Vitter. Yeah, dat's right, Louisiana, BP does not stand for Beyond Petroleum, it stands for BRITISH Petroleum. And yet some of our nation's illustrious conservatives seem to think it's "un-American" to criticize BP for its efforts in responding to the disaster in the Gulf that they wrought because they didn't want to follow proper safety procedures prior to drilling some 18,000 feet under the sea, all in the name of saving a few bucks.
Don't believe me? Then watch this video, and you'll be outraged at British Petroleum:
So ... British Petroleum, FYYFF.
But far worse than calling folks un-American for criticizing British Petroleum is carrying their water up in on Capitol Hill. And guess who is doing dat?
Yeah, dat's right, the Sinning Senator himself.
The bill he asked the Senate to give unanimous consent to - the BP Bailout Bill - caps the economic liability of British Petroleum to $150 million OR it's last 4 quarters of profits, whichever is higher. To be fair, BP's last four quarter's of profits were $20 billion. But the bill doesn't designate any company as the "responsible" party, it simply relates back to the Oil Pollution Action of 1990, which makes the companies holding the lease responsible for any environmental disaster.
Why is this relevant? Because BP doesn't own the entirety of the lease, it only owns 65% of it. Another company, Anadarko, owns 25% of the lease. In the last 4 quarters, Anadarko has lost $135 million, so they would face no more than $150 million in liability, despite the fact that they hold an estimated $50 billion in assets. And take a wild guess at how much money Anadarko has given the Sinning Senator since his campaign for the Senate in 2004?
At least $14,000. That's just the PAC that Anadarko has. It doesn't include their employees' individual giving, but my money is on a lot more cash being given to the Sinning Senator from Anadarko, as he is the #2 recipient of oil & gas campaign cash in the United States Senate for the last five years, to the tune of $389,000.
Thankfully, y'all have the opportunity to kick the Sinning Senator to the curb by voting him out of office this fall. Don't squander the opportunity to do so, Louisiana.
Teddy Roosevelt said that “a great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy.”What does it mean to be progressive though?The word has oft been used by politicians to frame a certain political party or social group . . .but such attempts are really misnomers.What’s the real truth about progressives?A progressive is someone who shares the same belief of Teddy Roosevelt; someone who loves our democracy so much that they understand that we, as a country, must constantly move forward as well as change and grow for the positive in order to keep democracy alive.
How do we ignite progressive cities, progressive states, a progressive America? It’s a difficult question, and at times, public perception indicates that America is failing to retain its progressive foundation.This is certainly true for Louisiana, as well.To combat this, a grassroots movement was created, the New Leaders Council.Its mission: the find the torchbearers of democracy and to provide them the tools to spread a wildfire of progressivism across our cities, our states, and our country.
In 2009, this grassroots effort led to the creation of a Louisiana chapter of the New Leaders Council.This statewide chapter is the first of its kind, and its first class of Fellows is equally unique.From youth outreach, to recovery, to education, to law and politics, each Fellow is a true progressive working to move Louisiana forward.Simply, these Fellows are committed to making Louisiana’s democracy great.
But, they need your help.Louisiana’s chapter is still in its infancy; to find future progressive leaders, they need support from those that believe, like Teddy Roosevelt, our great democracy must be progressive.
One way Louisiana NLC is raising money is through a First Annual Fellows Fundraiser, to be held on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at the M Bar in Baton Rouge.
The Fellows are working hard to make this one of the best progressive events in Louisiana, and they would love for you to attend, or simply to show your support through a donation for the cause.
Your support for a progressive Louisiana is needed today.Please consider buying a ticket or donating now, by clicking here.
If you’d like to make a bigger commitment to Louisiana NLC, please contact Ashley Koch, the Fellows fundraiser chair at 317-652-700, or at askoch@gmail.com. You can also make larger donations, by clicking here.
Where do you want Louisiana to be in 5, or 10 years?If you believe, like Roosevelt, that Louisiana must move forward, please consider attending or donating today.
Just moments ago, Governor PBJ issued a hastily hand-written press release after reading about the Federal government's plans to cut the wasteful Senate program in the name of fiscal responsibility.
Here's his statement:
My Fellow Louisianians:
It has recently come to my attention that President Obama is seeking to one-up me in cutting waste from government by cutting the U.S. Senate out of the federal government, saving all Americans some $300 billion a year. While I applaud such a move, as it will bring our Sinning Senator Vitter and our whoring for Louisiana Senator Landrieu home, I am now announcing a new constitutional amendment that I'd like for the State Legislature to consider:
Abolish the Governor's office after I win the 2012 Presidential Election.
I mean, let's face it ... I'm in the midst of privatizing the Louisiana government to the point that we will not need the Charity Hospital system any longer, nor a Lt. Governor, whose Tourism responsibilities can be better done by, you know, real marketing professionals. Both of these privatizing moves will enable the State of Louisiana to get out of the hospital business, as well as the tourism business.
But I have come to the realization that since most of the governmental functions are going to be privatized under my leadership, it makes sense to simply abolish the Governor's office once I leave Louisiana for the White House. After all, I spend quite a bit of my time out-of-state raising my name ID amongst the conservative faithful and scrounging up cash for my "re-election" bid next year. It's not like anything major happens while I'm gone, so why should that change once I'm elected to be your President?
The Sinning Senator is asked a serious question by a Louisiana voter:
Here's the transcript:
Senator Vitter: Hey! How are you doing?
Concerned Voters: Hi, I have a question for you.
Senator Vitter: Sure!
Concerned Voter: Are you campaigning on family values this year?
Senator Vitter: I'm sorry?
Concerned Voter: This time around are you campaigning on family values again?
Staffer: I'm sorry I've ---
Senator Vitter: I'm campaigning....on all the... things I've...... fought for in the US Senate.
Concerned Voter: You lied to us in '04 what makes us think we can believe you now!
Awww ... the poor Sinning Senator can't even produce a coherent answer, other than what he's fought for in the Senate. Hmmm ... let's see ... damn, I can't even tell you what he's actually gotten passed in the Senate that eventually became law either.
But seriously, he fooled us in 2004 about being the "family values" candidate. Is he lying to us now, and if so, what about?
Over the last few days, there has been some rather idiotic blathering coming from the Republicans and their allies that the Health Insurance Reforms are going to bankrupt some of the nation's top companies and render them unable to compete internationally, such as Prudential, AT&T, Caterpillar, 3M, Verizon, and others. Indeed, The Hayride harps on this in a post, stating that:
" ... we see the fantasies and delusions of Waxman and his left-wing ideologues in Congress running up against the cold, hard wall of the reality-based community."
Fantasies and delusions? Seriously? Let's find out exactly what has got the Republicans and their conservative allies so concerned, from a blog part of the Wall Street Journal's network:
As explained in plain English in today's Wall Street journal, "companies that provide this [Medicare Part D] benefit, as AT&T [and Prudential, Caterpillar, 3M, etc.] does, receive a federal subsidy, plus they can deduct the value of this subsidy from their taxes. The health overhaul cancels the deductibility of the subsidy."
Let me ask a question of readers here in even plainer English: Can anybody actually be upset about the fact that giant corporations have to stop taking tax deductions for welfare checks they get for providing health care to their employees and retirees?
Imagine if you will, the government sending you a check to pay for your prescription drugs and then you getting to deduct that amount from your income tax statement.
Seriously, Republicans? You and your allies like The Hayride support corporate welfare? I wonder where the Louisiana GOP stands on this ...
Now that the Risque Republican National Committee has identified who they reimbursed for the bill, folks really want to know who the guests of Mr. Erik Brown were. Since one of the guests wasn't, according to the RNC, their own Chairman, Michael Steele, might one of them have been a certain Sinning Senator from Louisiana?
Indeed, a Louisiana Democratic official dropped this little gem:
"We are investigating whether this event was a fundraiser for Vitter's campaign or whether Vitter attended the event. Given his past, you never know where David Vitter is going to show up."
So the floor is yours, Senator Vitter ... were you at the Voyeur West Hollywood club with Erik Brown on that February night?
The pivotal first fundraising quarter of 2010 comes to a close this Wednesday, just three days awayTODAY!
While the Sinning Senator David Vitter continues to vie for the title of the most hypocritical member of the U.S. Senate, Democratic Congressman Charlie Melancon has worked hard to lay a foundation for Vitter's defeat in 2010.
You can help further Congressman Melancon's effort with a contribution today via the Expand the Map! ActBlue page. Every dollar he's able to report before the end of the fundraising quarter will demonstrate his campaign's strength against Vitter. It makes a big difference and a real impact.
On the Expand the Map! ActBlue page, Congressman Melancon is just 1 single contribution away from the 25-mark and just $95 awayjust $45 away from the $500-mark! You can help him cross these thresholds with a contribution today.
Please hop on over to the Expand the Map! ActBlue page and support Charlie Melancon (and our other Democratic candidates for Senate) before the quarter ends TODAY!
The following list is a summary of the changes folks will see because of the passage of Health Insurance Reform: (hat tip to Crooks and Liars)
Calendar year 2010
Tax credit assistanceSmall businesses are eligible for a 35% tax credit; non-profits may receive up to a 25% credit.
Medicare Part D "donut hole" begins to close. Seniors receive a $250 rebate for prescription expenses in excess of $2,830.00.
Adoption Credit Increases adoption credit by $1,000, makes it refundable, and extends the credit through the 2011 tax year
Health students' assistance - Expands student loan programs, scholarships and loan repayments for medical services students, also allows exclusions from gross incomes for health professionals serving in underserved areas.
March 23, 2010
Federal grants to states to implement consumer assistance for complaints
April 1, 2010
Medicaid - Allows states to opt to cover parents and childless adults up to 133% of the Federal Poverty Level and receive federal funds under the current (strengthened) formulas.
June 21, 2010
High Risk Pools open for uninsured people. It's my understanding that unlike current state high risk pools, the costs on these will be subsidized and calculated as a national pool, spreading costs and risks across a wider group.
Federal assistance for early retirees - helps companies continue insurance for employees age 55-64
July 1, 2010
The John Boehner Tanning Tax - 10% tax on amounts paid for indoor tanning services
September 23, 2010
Rescissions - Policies may not be rescinded when people get sick. This applies to all new and existing policies, whether through an employer or individual.
Lifetime Limits - All lifetime limits on policies are eliminated.
Annual Limits - All group and individual plans will have tight restrictions on annual benefit limits. There will be no annual benefit limits once the exchange comes online 1/1/2014.
Preventative - 100% coverage for preventative health services.
Improved claims appeal process.
October 1, 2010
Community Health Centers Funding to strengthen existing community health centers and begin new ones in all 50 states.
Primary Care Workforce expansion via additional funding for scholarships and student loans.
The above changes affect all of us. There are more changes this year that apply to those in specific situations. You can find them here.
The day after the House passed health insurance reform by a vote of 219-212, we've heard from the GOP and their conservative allies about how they're gonna repeal the bill next year, (which gave me a good belly laugh, because that would require them to get veto-proof majorities in the Congress, and that's not possible, as there are not 26 Democrats running for re-election in the Senate this fall). Browsing the internet tubes at this late hour, I came across this speech given by the President this past January in remembrance of Dr. King:
The speech resonates ... as there is still work yet to be done. The battle has not yet been won. As a history professor of mine always said, "America is meant to be unfinished. We are meant to keep striving for that more perfect Union."
The transcript is below the fold for those of y'all at work or on dial-up. And a note to the writers of The Hayride ... y'all should take a good hard look at the language below the fold that is in bold. I did that just for y'all.
UPDATE: Cao is taking a "fresh look" at the language to determine if he can support the bill. Give his offices a call:
Washington, D.C.: (202) 225-6636
New Orleans: (504) 483-2325
Now that there seems to be a final bill that we can all look at, we can finally talk about what the bill, if passed, would mean for the citizens of LA-02, the site of what will be a spirited challenge to Rep. Joseph Cao (R), who, at press time, has pledged to vote NAY on the health care bill in the House when it comes to a vote in the next week.
That being said, let's see what the bill means for the folks living in LA-02, which was prepared by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and was done for all 435 districts in the nation:
Improve coverage for 186,000 residents with health insurance.
Give tax credits & other assistance to up to 102,000 families and 11,100 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
Improve Medicare for 61,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.
Extend coverage to 59,500 uninsured residents.
Guarantee that 12,600 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
Protect 400 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
Allow 42,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents' insurance plans.
Provide millions of dollars in new funding for 19 community health centers.
Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $61 million annually.
And Congressman Cao wants to kill this bill because it allows women to buy health insurance that provides abortion coverage with their own money?
So Rep. Cao finally fired his odious direct mail fundraising firm, BMW Direct now d/b/a Base Connect because they were overcharging for their services:
The AP reported last month that the campaign of another Base Connect client, Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA), had a similar financial profile to Russell's, spending around 75 percent of the money it raised on fundraising, leaving it with just $315,00 cash on hand. Cao, a freshman who represents a heavily Democratic district, is considered highly vulnerable this year, and his financial situation only makes things seem bleaker.
But the stellar reporting done by the folks at Talking Points Memo overlooked a thread of the story that is racially divisive, and was mentioned by Jeremy Alford in The Gambit:
Of the $283,000 Cao spent during the last quarter, a great deal went to direct mail. Nearly $39,000 went to Base Connect of Washington, D.C., a firm with connections to various outreach organizations and so-called 527 groups, which have relaxed reporting requirements, like the National Black Republican Association. According to The Washington Post, the NBRA once bankrolled radio ads to "identify Martin Luther King Jr. as a Republican and pin the founding of the Ku Klux Klan on Democrats."
Now y'all might be wondering why that's an important thread to this story. It's important because Base Connect takes an unknown candidate that's running against some "infamous" Democrat, (in this case, Cao, who was an unknown candidate running against Dollar Bill back in '08), and mail off letters to easily pissed off small dollar conservative donors all over the country. They, along with the firms they contract with to help them get this program off the ground, then take nearly 75% of the fundraising take from the unknown candidate. The folks that send money to those running against "infamous" Democrats then get letters from real candidates like Vitter. What's really sketchy about this is that real candidates like Vitter only get charged for the cost of drafting, printing and mailing the fund-raising letter to their list of small-dollar conservative donors.
In short, Cao got robbed, and Vitter's benefiting from the robbery if he is still using Base Connect for his fundraising letter campaign.
So, the question remains ... is Base Connect (or one of their subcontractors) working for the Spinning Sinning Senator David Vitter this cycle?
Ah, poor David Vitter ... every single time a political sex scandal hits the news, the GOP runs out to defend the politician, unless, of course, that politician is a Democrat, because, of course, IOKIYAR:
One would think after Jack Abramoff's former firm, the Alexander Strategy Group, shuttered its doors that the Spinning Sinning Senator David Vitter would stop hanging out with the principals and employees of that disgraced firm. But then again, the Spinning Sinning Senator thinks that such common sense rules don't apply to him:
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Sen. David Vitter (R-La.)
Fundraising Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Location: 330 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002
Hosted by: AT&T Federal PAC and Dan Gans Cost: $1,000 per person/PAC
Another couple of refugees from the defunct Republican Alexander Strategy Group have turned up as the Polaris Government Relations lobby shop.
Daniel Gans , who was chief of staff to then-Rep. Bob Riley (R-Ala.), and Amelia Blackwood recently registered to lobby on behalf of the Association of Kentucky Fried Chicken Franchisees on such issues as estate taxes, "frivolous obesity suits," the minimum wage and avian flu. The association was a Gans client at ASG.
ASG closed in January because of its ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and to former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.). DeLay is under scrutiny in the Abramoff case and faces Texas charges of campaign-money laundering
So he's still hanging out with folks that did business with Abramoff. And lest we forget, the Spinning Sinning Senator did quite a bit of business with Abramoff himself, who was a principal of the Alexander Strategy Group, according to Roll Call:
Former GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff hosted a September 2003 fundraiser for now-Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) just two months before Vitter inserted a provision in an Interior spending bill helping one of Abramoff's tribal clients.
Vitter has stated repeatedly that he only met Abramoff once and had no idea that Abramoff's client, the Coushatta Indians of Louisiana, were funding an anti-gambling group with which Vitter had repeated dealings.
But Abramoff hosted a Sept. 9, 2003, fundraiser for Vitter at the restaurant Signatures in Washington, D.C., a popular GOP eatery that Abramoff has a financial stake in.
Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) wrote to the Federal Election Commission on April 15 to report that he had discovered that the Washington restaurant Signatures had not charged his credit card -- as he said he had directed -- for a 2003 fundraiser for 16 people that cost $1,846. The event was hosted by Jack Abramoff, a lobbyist and part-owner of the restaurant who is now under congressional and criminal investigation for his handling of millions of dollars in fees from Indian tribes.
