Is Mary Landrieu Louisiana’s $300 million woman? In exchange for her cloture vote on Saturday to move the healthcare bill forward, Landrieu secured that money for the state’s Medicaid program. According to Landrieu, the state needed the “fix” and “she was not going to be defensive about it.”
Whether the $300 million payment is needed or not, it should be debated on its own merits and not lumped with the healthcare bill. It is typical of what is wrong with WashingtonD.C. and the reason that bills are 2,074 pages long.
While some in the Jindal administration and in the media say that Landrieu should be “applauded” for her move, it will not register with most Louisiana voters. In contrast, her vote to end the filibuster and move the healthcare bill forward will not be soon forgotten.
In the days leading up to the Saturday night vote, Landrieu’s offices across the state were inundated with calls, faxes and e-mails from opponents of the plan. The volume of calls was so large that her office’s voice mail box was full and people were unable to register their opposition. This led many opponents of the plan to personally visit one of Landrieu’s state offices to express their disapproval. As a commentator and talk show host, I interact with Louisiana voters everyday and I can attest that this plan is very unpopular. In Landrieu’s one town hall meeting on the issue, opponents expressed their distaste for the bill and clearly outnumbered supporters.
Yet, Landrieu must sense some sort of unreported or unrecognizable support in the state for this plan. Like the fictional bionic woman on television, Mary Landrieu must have bionic hearing, very fitting for a $300 million woman. Landrieu must be hearing voices of support in her home state that are inaudible to the rest of us.
Another possibility is that Landrieu is doing the bidding of her party leaders, such as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). In a case of bad timing, on the day Landrieu announced her support for cloture and moving the healthcare bill forward, it was revealed that she is hosting a New Orleans fundraiser for Reid at a mansion on St. Charles Avenue. It does not look good to see Landrieu secure $300 million for Louisiana from Reid right as her fundraiser for the Majority Leader is being announced.
Landrieu does not have to worry about re-election for another five years, but Reid faces a tough fight next year. Reid is the liberal face of the Senate Democrats and is becoming more unpopular each day in his home state. He is associated with the radical liberal agenda of President Obama, which includes the stimulus plan and this newest outrage, the healthcare bill.
As Reid and company are pushing the bill, the American people are turning against it in droves. The latest Rasmussen poll shows only 38% of Americans support the bill while 56% oppose it. It could be one reason why Democrats are rushing to pass the bill as soon as possible, hoping that Americans might forget come election time next year.
Because of her vote, Landrieu is facing plenty of outrage in Louisiana. Some people are calling for a recall campaign, even though that is unconstitutional and impossible. Others are planning to protest in front of the mansion where Reid and Landrieu will be having their fundraiser.
All of this makes for an interesting political environment for Landrieu in her home state. Louisiana re-elected Landrieu last year, but also voted for John McCain over Obama in huge numbers. Louisiana is largely a conservative state and one that remains skeptical of the benefits of this healthcare plan. At least that is what my ears are telling me. I might have a different outlook, if only I possessed Mary Landrieu’s bionic hearing.
Jeff Crouere is the Host of “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7 till 11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. He is the Political Analyst for WGNO-TV ABC26 and a Columnist for selected publications. For more information, visit his web site at RingsidePolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com
All I can say with regards to that last statement of fact which does have a certain universal nugget of truth is: “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely”. And ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg’, ‘scale or rote’, ‘nature or nurture’, ‘Prince or Pawn’, ‘divide and conquer’ and on and on and on the adages can go.. Capitalism is the only format that has truly exploded on a global scale in the quantity and value that it currently rests in as a result of democracy, and diplomacy (oh, and having a large stick in many instances didn’t hurt none either to cause that paradigm to become advent to the extent recognized today.) I forget who, but before Ben Franklin, or Thomas Jefferson (or was it as a result of both their endeavors as well as a few more peas in the pod?) the concept of ‘Intellectual property’ was never considered. And before them, the idea of insurance aside from a band of armed men escorting the trade caravan was unknown until the advent of Lloyd’s of London. And before them, the ideas of banks were unknown until the Templar Knights (although in Hebrew times there were ‘money changers’ and the wisdom of neither a ‘lender nor a borrower be’ was coined (Ha-ha-ha!!! ‘Coined’, another one of those two faced words that can have two meanings!! Ha-ha-ha-!!!!! There I go again, Coin, two faced, paradigms, oh the paradigms, ha-ha-ha!!!). Anyways, rule of law is good to have, and compartmentalization of power and checks and balances (Oh waiter, check please!!!! Ha-ha-ha!!! More of that money or finance talk there!!!) is paramount to the success of any gathered society in civil endeavors. But at the core of all that is the old adage “Buyer beware”. One cannot look to the government to legislate laws on every molecule of our existence, but at the same time, we do need a certain amount of instruction to continue on with our democracies… Such a worldful of inherent contradictions we are constantly faced with Kp. I would suppose it all depends on those that would seek out the loopholes necessary to exploit their fellow man and chain it to a life of drudgery and meaningless soil that would take the salt out of their life which is truly in question here. Moral compasses? Ehhh, when in Rome do as the Roman’s do to get by or forge or arrive at some kind of understanding I suppose. But in the end, one should be allowed to choose free will where it is a prudent and acceptable thing to do. Void of over ride, or insidious plans to keep it restrained and bound away from the public’s utilization if it truly is in harmony of conditions desired by that frail human condition, which apparently can only be guaranteed by democracy. Written by
on 11/27/2009
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Capitalist system or Communist system, it doesn't matter. In either system those who "make the rules" will have ALL their needs (and "greeds") met; while the "commoners" can fight over what's left. It is this distrust of ANY AND ALL who have power that was responsible for the form of governmental checks and balances the Founding Faters put into place, and why Liberitarians desire to follow the Constitution. "Distrust of those who attain power" is the ONLY approach to "government" that makes sense to me. Those who desire to have "the right people" elected will ALWAYS suffer disappointment. Unfortunately it is the people's own greed (to keep their "government $$$ coming to them) that blinds them to this fact. One need only look at how "revolutionaries" who attain power switch from "liberators of the people" to "oppressors of the people" to realize this obvious fact. Written by kpf
on 11/27/2009
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That is a nice thought Kp, but then again one only has to contemplate how many tic-toc's will pass befoe an elected libertatian will become as tainted and foul as any other party member of the now in place status quo? To err is human, to screw everything up is an absolute human condition when greed is allowed in the bull pen. Written by
on 11/27/2009
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Look for the "silver lining" - all of them. The polls are showing an increasing objection to the far left agenda of the Democratic Party. The midterm elections are less than one year away. Libertarianism is growing on our college campuses. The American public is not yet disarmed. The left has a long way to go before they can declare "victory." Their arrogance may yet be their undoing. Written by kpf
on 11/25/2009
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Senator Landrieu and her democrat party 'commander' in chief... The Fundamental Transformation of America (it’s underway) • When Obama wrote a book and said he was mentored as a youth by Frank Marshall Davis, an avowed Communist, people said it didn’t matter. • When it was discovered that his grandparents, were strong socialists, sent Obama's mother to a socialist school, introduced Frank Marshall Davis to young Obama, people said it didn’t matter. • When people found out that he was enrolled as a Muslim child in school and his father and step father were both Muslims, people said it didn’t matter. • When he wrote in another book he authored “I will stand with them (Muslims) should the political winds shift in an ugly direction,”people said it didn’t matter. • When he admittedly, in his book, said he chose Marxist friends and professors in college, people said it didn’t matter. • When he traveled to Pakistan after college on an unknown national passport (not USA-granted), people said it didn’t matter. • When he sought the endorsement of the Marxist party in 1996 as he ran for the Illinois Senate, people said it didn't matter. • When he sat in a Chicago Church for twenty years and listened to a preacher spew hatred for America and preach black liberation theology (which he does not recall hearing), people said it didn’t matter. • When an independent Washington organization, that tracks senate voting records, gave him the distinctive title as the "most liberal Senator", people said it didn’t matter. • When the Palestinians in Gaza, set up a fund raising telethon to raise money for his election campaign, people said it didn’t matter. • When his voting record supported gun control, people said it didn’t matter. • When he refused to disclose who donated money to his election campaign, as other candidates had done, people said it didn’t matter.
• When he received endorsements from people like Louis Farrakhan and Moammar Kadafi and Hugo Chavez, people said it didn’t matter. • When it was pointed out that he was a total, newcomer and had absolutely no experience at anything except community organizing, people said it didn’t matter. • When he chose friends and acquaintances such as Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn who were revolutionary radicals, people said it didn’t matter. • When his voting record in the Illinois senate and in the U.S. Senate came into question, people said it didn’t matter.
• When he refused to wear a flag, lapel pin and did so only after a public outcry, people said it didn’t matter. • When people started treating him as a Messiah and children in schools were taught to sing his praises, people said it didn’t matter.
• When he stood with his hands over his groin area for the playing of the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance, people said it didn’t matter. • When he surrounded himself in the White house with advisors who were pro gun control, pro abortion, pro homosexual marriage and wanting to curtail freedom of speech to silence the opposition, people said it didn’t matter. • When he aired his views on abortion, homosexuality and a host of other issues, people said it didn’t matter.
• When he said he favors sex education in Kindergarten, including homosexual indoctrination, people said it didn’t matter. • When his background was either scrubbed or hidden and nothing could be found about him, people said it didn’t matter. • When the place of his birth was called into question, and he refused to produce a birth certificate, people said it didn’t matter. • When he had an association in Chicago with Tony Rezco, a man of questionable character, who is now in prison and had helped Obama to a sweet deal on the purchase of his home, people said it didn’t matter. • When it became known that George Soros, a multi-billionaire Marxist, spent a ton of money to get him elected, people said it didn’t matter. • When he started appointing czars that were radicals, revolutionaries, and even avowed Marxist/Communist, people said it didn’t matter.
• When he stood before the nation and told us that his intentions were to
"fundamentally transform this nation" into something else, people said it didn’t matter. • When it became known that he had trained ACORN workers in Chicago and served as an attorney for ACORN, people said it didn’t matter. • When he appointed a cabinet members and several advisors who were tax cheats and socialist, people said it didn’t matter. • When he appointed a science czar, John Holdren, who believes in forced abortions, mass sterilizations and seizing babies from teen mothers, people said it didn’t matter. • When he appointed Cass Sunstein as regulatory czar and he believes in "Explicit Consent", harvesting human organs without family consent, and to allow animals to be represented in court, while banning all hunting, people said it didn’t matter. • When he appointed Kevin Jennings, a homosexual, and organizer of a group called gay, lesbian, straight, Education network, as safe school czar and it became known that he had a history of bad advice to teenagers, people said it didn’t matter. • When he appointed Mark Lloyd as diversity czar and he believed in curtailing free speech, taking from one and giving to another to spread the wealth and admires Hugo Chavez, people said it didn’t matter. • When Valerie Jarrett was selected as Obama's senior White House advisor and she is an avowed Socialist, people said it didn’t matter. • When Anita Dunn, White House Communications director said Mao Tse Tung was her favorite philosopher and the person she turned to most for inspiration, people said it didn’t matter. • When he appointed Carol Browner as global warming czar, and she is a well known socialist working on Cap and trade as the nation’s largest tax,
people said it doesn't matter. • When he appointed Van Jones, an ex-con and avowed Communist as green energy czar, who since had to resign when this was made known,
people said it didn’t matter. • When Tom Daschle, Obama's pick for Health and Human Services Secretary could not be confirmed, because he was a tax cheat, people said it didn’t matter. • When as president of the United States, he bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia and the Emperor of Japan, people said it didn’t matter. • When he traveled around the world criticizing America and never once talking of our greatness, people said it didn’t matter. • When his actions concerning the middle-east seemed to support the Palestinians over Israel, our long time friend, people said it doesn't matter. • When he took American tax dollars to resettle thousands of Palestinians from Gaza to the United States, people said it didn't matter. • When he upset the Europeans by removing plans for a missile defense system gainst the Russians, people said it didn't matter. • When he played politics in Afghanistan by not sending troops the Field Commanders said we had to have to win, people said it didn’t matter. • When he started spending us into a debt that was so big we could not pay it off, people said it didn’t matter.
• When he took a huge spending bill under the guise of stimulus and used it to pay off organizations, unions and individuals that got him elected, people said it didn’t matter. • When he took over insurance companies, car companies, banks, etc., people said it didn’t matter. • When he took away student loans from the banks and put it through the government, people said it didn’t matter. • When he designed plans to take over the health care system and put it under government control, people said it didn’t matter. • When he set into motion a plan to take over the control of all energy in the United States through Cap and Trade, people said it didn’t matter. • When he finally completed his transformation of America into a Socialist state, people finally woke up - - - - - but it was too late. Any one of these things, in and of themselves probably does not really matter. But when you add them up one by one you get a phenomenal score that points to the fact that Obama is determined to make America into a Marxist/Socialist society. All of the items in the preceding paragraphs have been put into place. All are verifiable and easily documented. Before you disavow any of this, ask yourself, “Is it the truth as I know it to be or not?” Then do an internet search. The last paragraph alone is not yet cast in stone. You and I will write that paragraph. Will it read as above or will it be a happy ending for our great nation?
Written by
on 11/24/2009
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Senator Landrieu and her thought processes. Fairly simple to understand actually because she has none. Speaking of thought processes, consider this: Can a good Muslim be a good American? Theologically - no. Because his allegiance is to Allah, the moon god of Arabia. Religiously - no. Because no other religion is accepted by his Allah except Islam. Scripturally - no. Because his allegiance is to the five pillars of Islam and the Quran (Koran). Geographically - no. Because his allegiance is to Mecca, to which he turns in prayer five times a day. Socially - no. Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews. Politically - no. Because he must submit to the mullah (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and Destruction of America, the great Satan. Domestically - no. Because he is instructed to marry four women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him. Intellectually - no. Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt. Philosophically - no. Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic. Spiritually - no. Because when we declare "one nation under God," the Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in The Quran's 99 excellent names. Now I am sure it is a stretch for some of you, but try to think of any good that Mary Landrieu serves aside from agreeing with a bunch of folks to tax you to death, set you up for the very real possibility of getting tossed into jail, or worse, allow you to be overworked and if you do survive all of that allowing your tax dollars to be wasted anyway her and cronies much like her please. At least now she has shown that there isn't much difference between Republicans and Democrats being as she explained that our Governor wants the same things she and the Democrat party wants.
Written by
on 11/24/2009
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You're just unhappy that real health care reform is moving forward in the Senate Jeff. 61% want real health care reform and 59% believe the Republicans are acting in bad faith on health care reform. Mary Landrieu is working for real health care reform and looking out for Louisiana at the same time. David Vitter would be wise to do the same. Olympia Snowe has indicated she would vote for a public option with a trigger and opt-out provision. Written by David Quidd
on 11/24/2009
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Sen. Landrieu: The Louisiana Bionic Woman? No brains or batteries included get one now in the amazing booble head style while supplies last!!!!!! Written by
on 11/24/2009
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You are wrong on this one Jeff. We already have one Senator from our state ineffectually kicking and screaming against the closed door of the US Senate. He does a fine job of representing the interests of the far right wing of the GOP, but fails repeatedly to deliver for the constituents of our state.
Our senior Senator has taken advantage of the way the game is played in Washington to the benefit of her constituents. If you have your heart set on changing the way the game is played, save it for a different day.
But back to the ineffectual mouthpiece of the GOP. He would best serve that job as a talking head on Fox News. He could just as well run his mouth from a house seat, but it is unfortunate that he is in the Senate, where he is in a position of parity with leaders from much larger states yet he fails to deliver to the needs of the citizens of Louisiana.
Congratulations to Mary Landrieu for negotiating for her state from a position of power. In the end I am certain that she will again represent the will of her citizens and join with Lieberman in spiking the Public Option. Written by ClarkT
on 11/24/2009
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Wow. Apparently, the new party line is that Afganistan is a civil war. During the campaign Obama pounded and pounded on the previous administration that the war should have been focused in Afganistan. He also rattled sabres against "Pockeestan." 9-11-01 did not happen? The numerous attacks over the years have not happened because it is now politically incorrect to mention Muslim or Islam with the phrase terrorists. The KSM trial in New York is a mere stage production for the administration. The terrorist attacks in Little Rock and at Fort Hood are now being massaged into something more palatable to the administration. And let's continue to blame Bush for everything. I've been a little irregular lately, damn that Bush! And the logic from the party line is that because of the war on (terror) healthcare must be passed! Interesting? Nixon tried to pass comprehensive healthcare reform during his term. Granted it wasn't as oppressive as these two democratic/lobbyist written bills, it was a great attempt to fix the problem. Ted Kennedy led the charge to defeat the proposal and reform was killed. Later in his life Teddy said that was a mistake he truly regreted. Now we have a senate bill that will insure almost everybody, except about 12 million Americans...what, you mean it doesn't cover everybody? i thought that's why we needed healthcare reform? maybe not? We have bills that will send you to jail if you don't purchase the insurance. Bills that tax you for five or so years before they go into effect in order to make it look fiscally appealing. bills that do have "death squads" even though they have nicer more cuddly names. Bills that will allow a state run insurance carrier(public helath option) to cross state lines and compete against private insurance that is not allowed to cross state lines to compete, seems fair to me if I were a union organizer. So because of Bush and his Daddy we must pass this so called healthcare legislation, even though we don't want it. but we can amend the bills...to make them bigger and create more confusion and bureauracy? I think I am beginning to understand. We must accept the mandates of the ruling elite right? These bills are not reform...they are bills that will expand government into an area they should not be involved with. If you think these bills won't cost us dearly, then you refuse to acknowledge that government has not been fiscally responsible on any program they have mandated. All the cost projections have been exceeded by double and triple digit percentages. But let's just blame Bush. Written by CN
on 11/24/2009
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Everybody's right to a degree, since the politicians ALL act like...politicians. There is nothing but wheeling and delaing because that is what they think it takes to remain in power. And it is ALL about POWER. It CANNOT be refuted by a serious person that Landrieu completely went against her own constituency in voting FOR cloture. Period. Would she have done so if her election were next year? Not a chance. Will the voters remember this in five years. You bet your ass. She wouldn't have survived either re-election campaign if the City of New Orleans didn't vote blindly democratic every time. Thatis, before Katrina.... See ya, Mary. Written by Not a Fan
on 11/24/2009
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Well, the LSU fans should love her actions. LSU is primarily responsible for the massive overspending on Medicaid because of their inept and overly expensive costs for running the indigent health system. Just a warning of how it will be if/when LSU gets its overly unnecessary and overly expensive hospital. Who are they kidding; LSU can never compete with Baylor or Univeristy of Alabama hospitals. Written by Noladude
on 11/24/2009
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Sonny is right on. I,too, agree with his comments. Written by Concerned
on 11/23/2009
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I will save a lot of words of my own by saying I echo Sonny's sentiments 100%. Written by deanslist2
on 11/23/2009
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CN, where was Bush on health care. In fact, where were George W. Bush and George H. Bush? Nada. Zilch, So, we can send hundreds of thousands of young men to war to fight a enemy that did not exist and allow another enemy to fester. We can spend hundreds of billions of dollars and that is fine. Talk about government taking over our lives so that son George can make up for Daddy. You have no problems with the US government regulating our kids lives for "patriotism" and for the presidential bravado, but when it comes time to provide a decent affordable health care environment to our families, our businesses and to our youth, then it is overbearing. The Bushies could have done something for healthcare but they were too busy taking their hormone shots. So, let's let the GOP take over next fall. See how fast we fix the health care problem. Right. Written by Sonny
on 11/23/2009
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Always got to bring Bush and crew into the equation, even though it has nothing to do with the subject. I never realized that we operated under an oligarchy form of government. I never knew that Congress was not involved in the country for the eight years that Bush and Cheney were stomping on the Constitution, thanks for informing me. But I can't say a program is successful when it is bordering on insolvency like medicare and medicade. Now we have two 2,000+ page bills that we can add amendments to, oh joy, more paperwork to make a bad bill better? This is madness. Landrieu is a political whore, she always has been and she thinks we are idiots. Healthcare reform can be done in a more reasonable manner without letting government takeover the system and with a much smaller carbon footprint. Written by CN
on 11/23/2009
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Jackie's comments really illustrate either a lack of research, lack of intelligence, or an overt disregard for neutrality from this author. I find it a bit appalling that the health care legislation has, by many "journalists", been lumped into a heap called the "radical Obama agenda" when it really isn't radical- it's sensationalist. As a medical student, I see the ridiculous number of people who enter the emergency room w/o health care and an expansion of an already successful program (Medicare/Medicaid) is not radical. If it were to be accurately described, it should be called the "same old song and dance". A truly radical agenda was Cheney's usurpation and circumvention of authority while in office, and the Bush administration's disregard for the constitution as it pertains to due process and obtaining warrants for search and seizure. It amazes me that anyone could be more concerned about providing healthcare to all than being concerned about someone deciding to put you in jail without due process. Written by atw
on 11/23/2009
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Jeff, Just what legislation was in the hopper that could have been relevant to the medicaid issue? Tell me specifically what legislation was in front of Congress where this provision could be attached? Also, if you are so against political deals, then, why have you not spoken up about the Pickering-Barbour-Vitter razzle dazzle. Contributions from Pickering to Barbour and then Barbour to Vitter for 5000 in one week? Coincidence? Why didn't Pickering send money to Vitter? Could it be because they both had sex and women issues and the transferring of the money just would not look very good? And get real, political deals are made every day. You don't think the arm-twisting goes on from both the republican and democratic side? You know that is exactly how this game works and then you act shocked when someone from the other side of you tries to make a deal for the state's benefit that the Governor supports. Nothing like being fair and unbiased Jeff. Then, what would we expect from a GOP right wing radio talk show host who follows the party line and can't think out of the box. You know this vote was about cloture, not the main course. Now, at least we can have a debate on the health care issue rather than not have a debate. We can now have amendments to legislation. Who knows--we might even get the feds to help this state with the unfair medicaid issue that governor Jindal has been complaining about. Written by Jackie
on 11/23/2009
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ehhhhhhhhhhhh,,, maybe she is hearing that Nero fiddles while Rome burns? Written by
on 11/23/2009
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s Mary Landrieu 
