Times Picayune Does a Democratic Hit Job on Alexander

    On Tuesday, September 11, 2007, The venerable Times Picayune decided that the front page should be devoted to media hit jobs against Republicans.  I guess there wasn't anything better to write about on National Patriot Day.  Remember this event,

    
  Well, rather than focusing on the Long War or the events of September 11, 2001, the Times Picayune decided to focus upon rehash the old story of David Vitter and his propensity for prostitutes and a new non-story concerning Republican Candidate for Louisiana Attorney General, Royal Alexander.  The Picayune ran the same old story on Vitter because Larry Flint has supposedly made this news - again.  The voters of Louisiana can make a decision concerning Vitter when he is up for re-election.

    In regard to Alexander the Picayune writes a below the fold front page article on an email sent by Alexander to certain health care "supporters".  The online version of the story was entitled, "AG candidate offered to lobby for health care providers".  However, this must not have been splashy enough for the front page so the editors changed it to, "Candidate's offer trades help for cash - He suggests his lobbying aid should get something in return". Same exact article, different headline.  The headline is worse than the article.

     The gist of the email is that Alexander, a private attorney and former Congressional Chief of Staff, was approached by "Rob Miller, an executive with Medical Management Options LLC in Baton Rouge, who had sought his help with proposed Medicaid and Medicare rate cuts, which could hit mental health providers particularly hard".  The two recipients of the email Lansing Kolb and Paul Broussard confirmed the exchange, and said Miller had conceived the idea of Alexander helping the group as he had when he worked in Rodney Alexander's congressional office.

   The email appears to be a response to this request and merely points out that Alexander is "extremely busy" working on his campaign and does not have time to work on the issues that they requested.  The email also points out that Alexander has asked them for support for his campaign in the past but that Lansing has "hemmed and hawed" for several months over helping him.  The email then ask for a $5,000.00 contribution. The email then points out that Alexander has spent hours working on his own time helping the industry and that he does not "have time to waste on projects for people who don't care about helping me."

    This email is a non-story.  First, there are no legal impediments to Alexander being asked to lobby on behalf of an industry.  Alexander is, at this time, a private attorney for whom there is no prohibition against his acting on behalf of a particular client.  The email is not offering to do something in the future as AG in exchange for a contribution, rather the email is offering to do something in the present, as a private attorney, in exchange for support for his campaign.  There is no abuse of the public trust, there is no improper or illegal quid pro quo. Alexander has no public authority or power to trade. 

    Both Kolb and Broussard the recipients, found nothing wrong with the email. Broussard called Alexander's letter "a legitimate ask." He said, "I didn't feel pressured in any way."  Said Kolb, "I kind of sluffed it off. I'm sure he needs the money to run against the incumbent. But I didn't react to it one way or the other." Kolb added that he has worked with Alexander before. "Royal's a good person," he said. "I thought well of him before and I think well of him now."  Alexander, Broussard and Kolb each said there has been no follow-up by either side since the e-mails.

    Essentially, this alleged email was a put up or shut up by Alexander and served as a brush off to Kolb and Broussard. They were evidently wanting Alexander's help, as a private attorney, on an issue that benefited them. Evidently, Broussard and Kolb decided that what they wanted Alexander to accomplish wasn't worth it. Alexander is not a public  official, he has no duty or obligation to help Kolb or Broussard.

    As stated earlier there was no mention in the article about "Cash".  The Times Picayune is trying to make a fire where there is no smoke.  This was nothing but a hit piece and the citizens of Louisiana need to see it for what it is. The "Good 'Ole Boys" see an end of their era and they are going to stoop to any low necessary to try to win.

   

 

Comments

[Foti-Caldwell Peas in a Pod]

Unbelievable that they focus on this nonsense when Foti and Bud Caldwell wear corruption around them like an old tie.

[Foti-Caldwell Peas in a Pod]

In the highly publicized case of State of Louisiana v. Patricia Hedges, Bud Caldwell got a grand jury to indict a sitting district judge, Patricia Hedges, on charges of bribery, extortion, and malfeasance. Caldwell also indicted Randolph Sloan, Jane Triola, and two other people on similar felony charges. Like Charles Foti in the Dr. Pou case, Caldwell announced the indictments only after actively seeking media attention and engaging in shameless grandstanding in order to maximize the embarrassment to Judge Hedges and the other accused. At no point did Caldwell have sufficient competent evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Nonetheless, after securing the indictments, Caldwell recklessly stated "we are just getting started". When the presiding Trial Judge later ordered him to produce evidence favorable to the accused which every prosecutor must do, instead of complying with the Court order and his constitutional obligation Caldwell sought frivolously and unsucessfully to have the Trial Judge removed from the case. Caldwell repeatedly defied the Court's order to produce the evidence, prompting the Court to compare Caldwell's behavior to that of a vindictive child. After nearly 6 months of direct contempt of a Court order, and 6 months of subjecting decent people to extreme public embarrasment and humiliation, Caldwell abruptly dropped all criminal charges against Judge Hedges and the others, and was forced to concede that that he had no competent evidene of wrongdoing. To nobody's surprise Caldwell never apologized to those whose reputations he had unfairly tarnished. Stunningly, Caldwell, when backed into a corner, admitted that he had operated from a "presumption of guilt". After destroying Judge Hedges' public reputation and subjecting her and her co-defendants to extreme public humiliation, Caldwell was forced to dismiss the case and to pay over $100,000.00 in legal defense fees incurred by the accused. Well, actually, $100,000.00 of money paid by the hard working people of Madison Parish. This is a man who desires to be elected as out Attorney General.

We have an obligation to study the actual public record of the candidates who seek the high office of Attorney General. Bud Caldwell and Charles Foti's combined 65 years at the public trough has produced a record of corruption, selfishness, and personal ambition that has broken our state and abused our people. They are poster boys for precisely what our state is courageously attempting to move away from. Caldwell and Foti have spent their entire public lives perpetuating the widespread public mistrust of our government officials. Neither has earned by his public example the privilege to serve as guardian of our most sacred rights. Both lack the honor and courage to steadfastly defend the principles for which our fathers pledged their "lives, fortunes, and sacred honor". They have not earned our trust, but only our scorn. They must both be left behind, like the remnants of a blown out tire on the side of an old road. Aristotle fittingly said that "injustice ocassions rage". Do we have rage enough to reject the doers of injustice? Royal Alexander is the only choice for Attorney General of this great state.

[David M]

Trackbacked by The Thunder Run - Web Reconnaissance for 09/12/2007
A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.

http://thunderrun.blogspot.com/2007/09/web-reconnaissance-for-09122007.html