Jindal, Speaker-to-Be Disagree on Chairmanship

The Fax Weekly broke this story Dec. 14

The talk in the Capitol early in the week was that Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal was supporting Rep.-elect Noble Ellington, D-Winnsboro, to chair the House Appropriations Committee in order to satisfy complaints from northeast legislators about the region being shut out.

Now comes word that Speaker-to-be Jim Tucker, R-Algiers, is resisting. One source said his meeting with the governor on Wednesday did not go well and the matter is unresolved.

House members, especially veterans, are rallying around Tucker for exhibiting a semblance of House independence. There already was grumbling about Ellington moving over from the Senate and being given the top committee. Among the disappointed was Rep. Michael Jackson, D-Baton Rouge, thought to be Tucker's preference before Jindal weighed in.

Republicans view Ellington with suspicion because he supported tax bills and spending policies of Gov. Blanco.

The governor-elect could be moving onto thin political ice, given his earlier statement that he would not get involved in naming legislative leaders. He rationalized his support of Tucker and incoming Senate President Joel Chaisson II as confirming the consensus of both houses. But pressing a chairman on a House leader who doesn't want him is a bigger step.

Ellington had secured the support of northeast legislators, who reminded Jindal of the region's role in his election and his promise to include the region in leadership positions. Rep. Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro, commented, "People are saying he was up here all the time campaigning, now what's he doing for us as governor?"

On the Senate side, Capitol sources say that Chaisson will stick with Sen. Rob Marionneaux, D-Livonia, as his original choice to chair Senate Revenue & Fiscal Affairs Committee over Sen. Robert Adley, R-Benton, who is backed by conservatives.

LSU Chancellor Denies Pressure to Resign

The Fax Weekly broke this story Jan. 4

LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe denies that President John Lombardi is pressuring him to resign, though campus sources say his job performance is under critical review.

Rumors of the exchange have floated for weeks, and were aired publicly in an e-mail that Alexandria business leader Jonathan Martin sent to board member Charlie Weems and others, which began, "The new LSU system president Lombardi has notified Sean O'Keefe that he should be looking for another job. He told Sean that 'the business community does not support him.'" Martin, chairman of Roy O. Martin Lumber, attached a copy of a letter he sent to all LSU supervisors denouncing any attempt to oust O'Keefe.

"I did not have that conversation with President Lombardi," said O'Keefe, but he added, "The bottom line is I serve at the pleasure of the Board of Supervisors. I will give it every effort I have until I am told that effort is unsatisfactory."

A LSU spokesman said neither President Lombardi nor the Board of Supervsiors would comment on the matter. A LSU source dismissed the notion of precipitous action by Lombardi, who has been president only four months, or something dictated by the business community.

Yet the source stated, "Reviewing the performance of high-level officials is constantly under way. . . . This has been going on. There has been a critical unhappiness in his performance." He added, "What happens next is in the chancellor's hands."

Any decision to remove or reassign O'Keefe would be made by the president and LSU board. The chancellor, the former NASA top administrator hired in early 2005, has his supporters and detractors on the board, as he does in the general LSU community.

Under terms of his contract, if dismissed without cause, he could receive his $425,000 a year salary for two more years as a tenured professor of Public Administration. If he leaves LSU, he would receive a one-time payment of about $150,000.

At the time Lombardi was hired, there was discussion among board members of combining the higher education duties of the system president and the chancellor of the main campus.

Breaux Eyes Governor's Race

The Fax Weekly broke this story on Feb. 16

With Gov. Kathleen Blanco's re-election prospects dim, former Sen. John Breaux has told sources he is "very interested" in running for governor if she doesn't. The Fax Weekly spoke to three individuals who say Breaux directly told them of his renewed interest during Washington Mardi Gras.

"He was telling everybody," said one source. Another said Breaux told him so twice, asking him not to commit to another Democrat yet.

"This is the most interested I've seen him than all the other b.s. we've been through," said a friend of the 61-year-old ex-senator turned high-powered Washington lobbyist. He toyed with campaigning for governor in 2003 and for re-election in 2004, holding the political community and other campaigns in suspense until he announced he would not run.

This time, Breaux's caveat is that he will not challenge the incumbent, for whom he hosted a fundraiser during the Washington celebration. News of Breaux's interest both heartens Democrats and puts pressure on Blanco to make her decision soon.

The governor is said to have a poll in the field. Some have thought that if she does pull out of the race, she would wait until the Legislature adjourns at the end of summer. Now some top Democrats say that will be too late for Breaux or anyone else to raise money and organize a campaign before the Oct. 20 primary. "I don't think he would wait that long," a Breaux friend said.

Breaux did not return a phone call for comment.

Short List for No. 2

The Fax Weekly broke this story Nov. 30

When Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal begins naming his top cabinet officers next week, his most important and one of the earliest appointments will be commissioner of administration, who will be the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of state government.

One source familiar with the process says the short list of top prospects is narrowed to: Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach, state Sen. Tom Schedler, R-Mandeville, former Senate President Randy Ewing, Louisiana Recovery Authority member Sean Reilly and Culture, Recreation & Tourism Secretary Angelle Davis.

But whomever the new governor picks won't be his first choice, as several sources say the man heading the search, former commissioner of administration Dennis Stine, was offered the job and declined.

"I'd rather not declare that to you. I'll let Bobby handle that," Stine told the Fax Weekly, adding, "I am extremely busy in my business." The former state representative runs Stine Lumber in Sulphur with his brothers.

He said he would make his recommendation for the No. 2 post soon. "We have a list of folks that we will focus on," he said, but would not comment on the five names above. "We do have a talented group of folks. Any one of them would serve well," Stine noted.

The short list might be shorter by now because, according to a source, Roach has told the Jindal team he is not interested in the job. In his third term as mayor, the former state representative is co-chairing the transition advisory committee on coastal restoration, hurricane protection and storm recovery. Roach did not return a phone call.

If he is out of the running, the choice could come down to these four.

Randy Ewing, 63, Democrat. "I am caught in the peculiar situation of having recommended Randy Roach," said Ewing. But he added, "I would have to consider anything to serve the state. I could not pass that off." The Jackson Parish resident was Senate president, 1996-2000, and ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2003 as a centrist. The wealthy landowner and timber broker has been developing property in North Louisiana. His appointment might mitigate his region's complaints about the concentration of power in South Louisiana, but some question his aptitude for a job that requires telling a lot of people no.

Tom Schedler, 57, Republican. The term-limited senator said he has submitted his resume to the transition office but has not been contacted about the commissioner's job or the other post he has been mentioned for, secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, the largest in state government. He earlier expressed interest in running in the special congressional election in the First District, but now says he will not. The real estate broker and bank director has demonstrated the ability to tackle complex legal and financial issues, including establishment of the state's $1 billion elderly care trust fund. He gets along well with members of both parties.

Sean Reilly, 46, Democrat. The former Baton Rouge state representative, 1988-1996, said he has not applied for nor been contacted about the commissioner's post. The chief operating officer of Lamar Corporation co-chairs the ethics advisory panel that is charged with developing legislation for the ethics special session to be called early next year. He has been a high-profile member of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, working closely with federal recovery coordinator Donald Powell and the congressional delegation to secure block grant funding. He is known for advancing big ideas, such as the constitutional debt limitation he was instrumental in passing in 1993.

Angelle Davis, 39, Republican. The CRT secretary, who reports to Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, is considered the wild card on the list as the only one who has not held elected office. But she has the most experience in the commissioner's office, having served as deputy commissioner under Drennen. She is widely respected and liked by legislators, and also would bring fewer previous political ties to the job. She is married to District Judge Tim Kelley of Baton Rouge.

"Citizen" Breaux?

Fax Weekly broke this story on Feb. 23

Central to the question of will John Breaux run for governor is another: can he? Both Democrats and Republicans are researching his eligibility, according to sources.

As reported last week, three sources said Breaux told them at Washington Mardi Gras that he would consider running for governor if Gov. Kathleen Blanco does not.

But if the qualifying deadline were today, the former U.S. senator would be barred from running, because he is not a registered voter in Louisiana. He was taken off the rolls in his hometown of Crowley in December 2005 when the Acadia Parish registrar of voters was notified by election officials in Talbot County, Maryland, that he had registered to vote there.

Breaux could fix that problem by registering to vote in Louisiana again before the qualifying deadline in August. Yet that would not answer the cloudier question of whether or not he has been a citizen of Louisiana for the preceding five years.

The state constitution, Article 4, Section 2, states, "To be eligible for any statewide elective office, a person, by the date of his qualification as a candidate, shall have attained the age of twenty-five years, be an elector, and have been a citizen of the United States and of this state for at least the preceding five years."

"What is a citizen?" asks a source close to Breaux, adding that attorneys are researching that question now. One could argue that registering to vote in another state interrupts one's citizenship, yet there is barely any Louisiana case law that defines citizenship as it relates to election qualifications.

Breaux owns houses in Easton, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., but not in Louisiana, though he owns a vacant lot in Crowley. That was the case when he claimed state residency while serving in the Senate. But that may be irrelevant because the constitution does not mention residency or domicile in listing qualifications for statewide office, as it does for district offices.

Bipartisan Leadership Bid

Fax Weekly broke this story on November 2

GOP contender might back Democrat Chaisson

Though Sen. Joe McPherson is considered the early frontrunner for Senate president, Sen. Joel Chaisson II, D-Destrehan, is making a bid as a compromise candidate by seeking the support of Senate Republicans. Sen. Mike Michot of Lafayette, the lone GOP contender for the leadership position, said yesterday, "If there is an opportunity to come up with a compromise candidate, I have no problem working with Sen. Chaisson."

Chaisson said of Michot, "I think we would be able to put together a great bipartisan team."

The alliance could result in Michot being tapped chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. "I think he would be an excellent choice," said Chaisson.

The governor-elect, in his meetings with legislators, is telling them he wants bipartisan leadership in both houses, according to a transition source, who adds that a majority of lawmakers have asked Jindal to get engaged in the leadership races.

Michot stated, "I think most members are waiting to see which direction the governor will nod, who is acceptable and not. I think he will do something to weigh in, even if to whisper in a few ears of senators."

McPherson disagrees. "The incredible part would be for the governor to finally extend the recognition of the Legislature as an independent branch of government that has the constitutional responsibility to elect its own leadership and not have the will and ability to accomplish that." He added, "I am trying to make the governor feel comfortable the Senate can handle its own business."

In the Foster and Blanco transitions, candidates for Senate president put together slates of potential chairmen and key committee assignments in seeking the governor-elect's backing.

"Jindal is being told your committee makeup makes or breaks you," said a source close to the transition. "He must be able to assure his bills getting out of committee."

Sheriffs Endorse Jindal

Fax Weekly broke this story on April 27

In what will be seen as a historic political shift, the Louisiana Sheriffs Association has endorsed Bobby Jindal for governor. The endorsement, to be made official today, followed a vote of all 65 sheriffs, only 7 of whom are Republicans.

"The Democrats have left us," said one source among the sheriffs. As for the timing, before the candidate field is set, the source said, "We figured if we went now that there is more reason for him to help us than he has before." He added, "He really politicked the sheriffs. Since the election, he's been in every sheriff's office at least once. He's listened to our problems and conveyed a message sheriffs believe in."

The full political impact of the endorsement might not truly be felt until election day, when sheriffs traditionally have handled the get-out-the-vote operations for the state Democratic Party.

"La La" Making Comeback

Term limits have created a comeback opportunity for a colorful former state representative whose term was limited the old-fashioned way. Raymond "La La" Lalonde says he will run for his old Acadiana seat being vacated by term-limited Rep. Clara Baudoin, D-Carencro, who beat Lalonde in 1995.

"It took a little arm-twisting but then it started to appeal to me," he said. "It looks like I've been in purgatory long enough and paid for my sins." Lalonde, an ally of former Gov. Edwin Edwards, was a staunch defender of cockfighting and, as chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee, sponsored bills to establish the state lottery and the land-based casino. But trouble came with the federal video poker investigation when the FBI issued subpoenas to legislators, including Lalonde's whole committee, two months before the election.

"In a small town, that was big news. You were presumed guilty," he said. He was never charged, but Baudoin, a political newcomer, beat him 55-45 percent, ending his 16 years in the House.

Times have changed, as has Lalonde, 66, who became a Republican in 2000 and then retired as director of a state technical college.

Carencro City Councilman Bobby Badon, a Democrat, plans to run. Businessman Tommy Angelle is also looking at the race. The largely rural district is becoming more suburban on both its Opelousas and north Lafayette ends.

Senator Files Ethics Complaint Against Rep

Fax Weekly broke this story on May 11

State Sen. Robert Adley, D-Benton, confirmed that he has filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Mike Powell, R-Shreveport, over the reporting of campaign expenditures.

It was prompted by political consultant Elliott Stonecipher saying on WWL Radio on April 23 that Powell had been engaged to prepare a direct mail piece for mayoral candidate Jerry Jones last year but that no payment to Powell was listed on Jones' campaign finance report. Instead, a $12,400 payment was shown going to printer Carl Liberto.

Powell denied preparing the mailer or receiving payment but said his daughter Rcahel assisted on the project as a subcontractor for Liberto, who confirmed Powell's explanation. "There is no there there," said Powell, attributing Stonecipher's comments to a personal grudge.

Jerry Jones said he asked Powell as a political consultant to do two direct mail pieces for his campaign. He said he learned later that Powell's daughter Rachel did some of the work, though he did not deal with her. "Having said that, I can't tell you who did what," said Jones.

Adley said if that is the case Powell should have no problem, but that he felt compelled to alert the Board of Ethics because Stonecipher had made the charge on the radio and had said that no legislators would respond to his complaint.

"My concern is," said Adley, "if I don't do something, I could be accused of a coverup." Adley said he would try to amend the ethics code this session to require that candidates list all payments to subcontractors on campaign finance reports, not just the payment to the main vendor. Powell said he would support those changes.

The controversy was a hot topic of private conversations among legislators this week. Adley said he was not motivated by politics, but several other North Louisiana legislators have complained about Powell encouraging opponents to get in their races over the years.

"I have a lot of friends in races," said Powell, but he denied recruiting challengers to run against colleagues or making money from those campaigns.

District Attorney Might Challenge Charlie Foti

(Oct. 21)

Buddy Caldwell, a veteran district attorney in North Louisiana, is considering running against Attorney General Charlie Foti next year.

"I have had people coming out of the kazoo calling from everywhere in the state who are dissatisfied," said the Tallulah Democrat, adding that he is forming an exploratory committee to gauge the level of support he can get.

Some challenge to Foti is expected following his controversial arrest of three New Orleans healthcare professionals for allegedly administering lethal drugs to elderly hospital patients in the days after Hurricane Katrina.

Republicans are also bound to field a candidate, following the perceived weakness of Democrats from the recent statewide elections.

Caldwell, 60, has been district attorney in East Carroll, Madison and Tensas parishes for 28 years. He said he is motivated by more than his disagreement over the handling of the healthcare arrests, claiming there is "a lot of dissatisfaction in the office itself."

Though he has taken some lumps, Foti will be a formidable re-election candidate with a big warchest and many of the same friends in law enforcement that Caldwell claims.

They Said It

"I have a picture of it in my mind but I don't have it with me."

--Rep. Gil Pinac

"Right now, people in Washington are afraid to buy somebody a cup of coffee."

--Congressman Rodney Alexander, on the Abramoff scandal, in the News Star

"They (Republicans) steal more in one day than Democrats have stolen in the whole history of Louisiana."

--Democratic consultant James Carville, in the Picayune

"Take whatever idiot they have at the top of whatever agency and get me a better idiot. . . . Just don't give me the same idiot."

--Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard

"The old timers, the first four years you were here, they wouldn't tell you if you were on fire."

--Rep. Charlie DeWitt

"Thank God my daddy didn't need a car to run over his mule to tell him he needed a tractor."

--Rep. DeWitt, responding to Rep. Troy Hebert's story about how his grandfather resisted change until his mule was killed in an accident.

"I am always surprised at how much they do not know."

--BESE member Louella Givens on the Legislature's funding of education, in the Advocate

"I'd rather be a rooster in a cockfight any day of the week instead of a chicken at Winn-Dixie."

--Rep. Troy Hebert, opposing the bill to ban cockfighting

"All these damned notes we're writing to each other as if we're talking, as if the FBI is watching."

--Congressman Bill Jefferson on FBI wiretap

"I would say he is in the deepest of deep doo doo."

--Norman Orenstein of American Enteprise Institute on federal investigation of Congressman Bill Jefferson, in the Advocate

"You go to St. Bernard and the only communications they have are paper cups with a string between them."

--Rep. Juan LaFonta

"This bill is good for the economy. Every lobbyist got a job out of it."

--Rep. Billy Montgomery on cable competition bill

"I believe that a lot of problems that presently exist in my life are directly connected to this nickname."

--Convicted murderer and rapper C-Miller on changing his name from C-Murder, in the Advocate

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Copyright John Maginnis 2003-2007.

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