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Jeremy Alford

LaPolitics Notebook by Jeremy Alford - LaPolitics.com

National Dems Expected To Ignore Edwards Campaign

Even though the Louisiana Democratic Party has thrown its support behind former Gov. Edwin Edwards' congressional bid, national Democrats are not expected to follow suit.
The state party offered its endorsement following a vote of its central committee, but the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which helps fund and promote House races around the country, follows a different set of guidelines.
And for now it appears the DCCC is steering clear of the 6th Congressional District, a national party source has told LaPolitics.
While Edwards' campaign has enjoyed wide and far recognition, from New Yorker magazine to CNN, it does not fall into any of the categories that draw the DCCC into a state with money in hand.
"There's a three-tier system in determining which races to back," the source said. "The first, known as 'Frontline,' focuses on incumbents. Then it's whether the seat could flip from red to blue. Finally, it needs to be an emerging race. It's a steep uphill climb in the 6th, where Mitt Romney won 66 percent in 2012 and John McCain won 68 percent in 2008."
That means Edwards will have to largely run on his own dime, with a small assist from the state party. As of early August, Edwards had raised $255,000, spent $109,000 and had $145,000 remaining in his campaign finance account.
There has been some pushback to the state party for endorsing Edwards, who spent roughly eight years in federal prison for racketeering and other charges.
Times-Picayune columnist and former Democratic operative Bob Mann reacted by changing his party registration to "none."
In a blog post, Mann wrote, "As someone who believes Louisiana needs two strong political parties, so as to function like a representative democracy, (the) endorsement further drove the Louisiana Democratic Party into irrelevance. In announcing the endorsement, the state Democratic Party chair, state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, didn't mention Edwards by name."
Not to be outdone, 6th District candidate Cassie Felder, a Republican attorney from Baton Rouge, protested by having yard signs made that ask voters "Don't Vote For The Crook — It's Important!"
It's a play on the slogan — “Vote for the crook. It's important.” — from Edwards' 1991 run for governor against Klansman David Duke
"They passed over two other Democrats who qualified for this election, Richard Lieberman and Peter Williams, to support an unrepentant convicted felon," Felder said. "Amazing."

Palin, Matalin seek to influence Louisiana races

Two of the most recognizable women in Republican politics, Sarah Palin and Mary Matalin, have been heavily involved in Louisiana’s current election cycle.
Palin, the former governor of Alaska and one-time vice presidential candidate, was in Crown Point over the weekend attending a campaign event for retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness, a Republican running for the U.S. Senate. She has endorsed his bid to unseat incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat.
While Palin has not gotten involved in the 6th Congressional District, state Rep. Lenar Whitney, R-Houma, a candidate in that race, did attend the Maness event in Jefferson Parish.
So far the former governor has been drawn to candidates in Louisiana who are running with strong Tea Party support.
For instance, Palin has waded into north Louisiana's 5th Congressional District race and is backing Zach Dasher, who is running in a crowded field to topple incumbent Congressman Vance McAllister, R-Swartz.
Dasher is a Republican from Calhoun who is related to and receiving support from the “Duck Dynasty” family from A&E’s reality TV show.
Meanwhile, Matalin, a GOP superstar consultant who served in several senior positions for former President George H. W. Bush, is helping Monroe businessman Harris Brown in the 5th District.
In a press release, Matalin called Brown, a Republican, "one of the brightest, ethical and energetic public servants I've had the pleasure to meet” and she hosted a fundraiser for him in August.
In the 6th Congressional District, Matalin is helping Garret Graves raise money. Graves is a Republican from Baton Rouge and the former coastal advisor to Gov. Bobby Jindal.
She actually held a fundraiser for him in her home in New Orleans in April and is scheduled to be the big draw at another in Baton Rouge on Oct. 9.

Firm questions attorney general’s rejection

A letter signed by Attorney General Buddy Caldwell rejecting outside counsel for the Cameron Parish Police Jury to sue oil and gas companies was not made known to the law firm in question until it was entered as supplemental evidence in similar proceedings.
The Baton Rouge law firm of Talbot, Carmouche and Marcello is also the lead in nearly identical suits filed by the parish councils in Jefferson and Plaquemines. They’re seeking judgements for coastal damages brought about by alleged violations of the state’s coastal zone act.
“I find it very, very strange that a letter written to me was received via a filing by oil companies in the Plaquemines case, which is unrelated to the Cameron case,” said attorney Vic Marcello. “They had it before I did. This needs to be investigated.”
Laura Gerdes Colligan, Caldwell’s spokesperson, said, “We are going to have to let the rejection letter serve as our comment.”
In his letter, Caldwell claimed that the law firm, in the Plaquemines case, claimed to represent the state as well as the parish and had no standing to do so. Marcello said his firm is preparing a more thorough response, but feels confident it was justified in all of the statements made in that case as well as the one involving Jefferson.
It’s a change of pace for Caldwell, who has approved other resolutions for outside counsel involving coastal litigation that pulls in energy companies. For those decisions, Caldwell took a great deal of heat from the business community, lawmakers and the administration of Gov. Bobby Jindal.
From a political perspective, rejecting the resolution from the Cameron Parish Police Jury for a legal contract may provide Caldwell a small amount of cover as he enters the 2015 election cycle.
So far Caldwell has fielded two challengers: former Congressman Jeff Landry and prosecutor Marty Maley. Both have been fundraising most of the year.
Melissa Landry, the executive director of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch who has been critical of such legal contracts in the past, cheered the move by Caldwell.
“I think this letter highlights the questionable tactics that are being used by the lawyers driving this massive litigation scheme,” she said. “According to the hearing transcript referenced in the A.G.’s letter, the lead attorney made statements which were misleading, at best, to a judge in formal legal proceedings. He either did this knowingly, which is troubling, or was mistaken about who he was representing in court, which is even more troubling. Either way, I would imagine that this revelation would force the parishes to reconsider how they are being represented in these coastal lawsuits.”
Marcello said Landry’s interpretation is completely inaccurate.
What remains to be seen is how the Cameron Parish Police Jury will react and whether a new resolution will be submitted. The original resolution also called for the hiring of the Mudd and Bruchhaus law firm in addition to Talbot, Carmouche and Marcello.

They Said It

"If Louisiana is the deciding seat, pity anyone watching television in the state that month."
—Democratic advisor Matt Bennett on the possibility of Louisiana's December Senate runoff, which could be the last in the nation and attract millions in media buys, in The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
"This entire mess reminds me of Obamacare."
—Treasurer John Kennedy on changes made to the Office of Group Benefits by the administration of Gov. Bobby Jindal

For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Jeremy Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.

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