I'd Be Honoréd

Late last week, rumors surfaced that Gen. Russell Honoré would run in the Louisiana Senate primary as a Republican. Today, Honoré not only dismissed the rumor, but claimed that he's not even a Republican.

Retired Army Gen. Russel Honoré, who has been on a daylong media tour trying to knock down rumors that he was looking at a possible run for Senate in a Republican primary challenge against Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), has given his most specific denial to date, the Louisiana Weekly reports.

Honoré said he did not even know Joe Berry, the Republican consultant who claimed to have met with him to discuss a bid. "I am not running for office," said Honoré. "I don't know who this is. I was not at my home two weeks ago. I have no idea who this gentleman could be."

He also strongly disavowed that he was even a registered Republican, and that an official spokesman named Charles Lamley had said he was not ruling out a run: "I never declared myself as a Republican during the Reagan Administration. I have never lived in Zachary as he claimed. I have never heard of Charles Lamley."

Well, if I was intrigued by Honoré before, I'm REALLY intrigued now. He never denied that he would run for the seat, saying that "as of this time, I'm not running for any political office." That means he's susceptible to a draft effort. Honoré has made no mention of his political ideology other than saying he never declared himself a Republican. But we know he has some sense of honor and a take-no-prisoners style. That puts him at least a notch above self-serving Blue Dogs like Charlie Melancon, the Democrat running for the seat. And Louisiana has an open primary, where Honoré could run statewide instead of having to beat Melancon in a primary.

I'll say this, an Honoré candidacy as a Democrat - or even an independent - would be extremely strong, if he could raise the money. Who'll start the draft effort?

The Nelson/Landrieu Conundrum

A recent AARP poll shows 79% support for a public option competing with private insurance companies, although the poll question is kind of odd and doesn't reflect what's on offer. Nevertheless, other polls that accurately depict the public option show support in that range. However, that is not equally spread throughout the country. For instance, in a conservative state like Nebraska, more people don't support a public option (by a plurality) in health care reform, for whatever reason, and Democrat Ben Nelson gets 56% support for his handling of health care thus far. We don't have hard data on Louisiana, but Mary Landrieu, who has actually more strongly opposed a public insurance option than Nelson, may also be more in line with the interests of her state than some realize.

Speaking before what was described as a friendly crowd at the Monroe Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Sen. Mary Landrieu said she was opposed to much of the Democrats' legislative agenda.

Asked under what circumstances she would support a public option, Landrieu responded, "[v]ery few, if any. I'd prefer a private market-based approach to any health care reform that would extend coverage," according to the Monroe News Star.

"I'd like to cover everyone -- that would be the moral thing to do -- but it would be immoral to bankrupt the country while doing so," Landrieu said. The public option as currently conceived is expected to be a deficit reducer.

Dishonest? Absolutely. But out of step? Perhaps not.

What can we realistically expect from Democrats like this in red states? Obviously, under a "split the bill" scenario, they could signal support for the more broadly popular elements of reform, like insurance regulations, while opting out of the more controversial elements that only require a 60-vote standard. Or, they could simply opt to allow cloture, the wish of the majority of their caucus, while voting against the final bill. Markos polled this in the case of Nelson:

If Ben Nelson joined Republican Senators in filibustering and killing a final health care bill because it had a public health insurance option would that make you more or less likely to vote for him or would it have no real effect on your vote?

	More	Less
All	21	15
Dem	7	24
GOP	31	9
Ind	19	15

We can assume Nelson will vote against any bill with a robust public option. The big question is whether he will join Republicans in filibustering such a bill. Nebraska Republicans would sure love that, but at the end of the day, they'll vote for a real Republican in a contested election. Nelson would gain a small sliver from Independents, per this poll, but his real danger is among Democrats -- where he would lose a full 17 points of support [...]

If Nelson was to play this properly, he'd vote against any robust public option (and be justified doing so, given his constituency), but allow an up-or-down vote on the bill. Given the political realities of his state, that's the best we could hope for.

How can we position this so that Nelson comes around to this reality? I would look at how Republicans are pressuring Chuck Grassley. Grassley has something only the caucus can give him - the ranking membership of the Senate Judiciary Committee or the Budget Committee. And so he feels the pull from his members to not join in any bipartisan deal. Nelson and Landrieu both have pretty low seniority at the moment, although there's been a near-historic amount of turnover in the Senate recently. But if they have any designs on better committee assignments, or eventual chairmanships, the caucus should inform them of how they would do best to stay in their good graces. This pressure, by the way, should theoretically be much stronger on a Max Baucus or Kent Conrad, who already have that seniority. In addition, Landrieu and Nelson should be asked, pointedly, if they want to go down in history as having stopped access to health care for all Americans for a generation.

"The Boston gig's canceled. It's OK, it's not a big college town."

I'm finding the Ian Faith logic in noted diaper-wearing Senator David Vitter's decision to put a hold on Craig Fugate's nomination to helm FEMA. It's not like Louisiana has any need for a working FEMA director. Not at the start of hurricane season, anyway.

By the way, if you think this is about the Louisiana Senator having serious concerns about FEMA response to natural disasters in the New Orleans area, well, no, it's about flood insurance and development.

Vitter's fellow Louisiana senator, Democrat Mary Landrieu, backs Fugate. She said, however, that she understands Vitter's concerns, which apparently relate to FEMA's maps of controversial "high-velocity flood zones," a designation related to coastal areas that are at high risk in a hurricane or an area that faces significant risk in the event of a flood. Federal regulations currently prohibit FEMA from funding new construction in such zones, and Louisiana officials want more flexibility.

"When we all understand the problems with a particular nominee, we can all work to address those issues," Landrieu said in a statement.

FEMA doesn't actually want to have to constantly address emergencies, and rebuild homes and businesses in areas which might not be sustainable. And they simply don't want to add to the mess by funding new development in areas that will obviously flood again. But development whores like Vitter and Landrieu don't see a problem with it. Some communities are developed enough that moving them is impractical; New Orleans comes to mind. We have to come to terms with the fact that, in an age of climate change, there are certain parts of this country in which it makes sense not to build. That requires political leadership. Which is sorely lacking in Louisiana.

Let Them Eat Crawfish Cake

Kicking off his 2012 Presidential campaign, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has decided to screw over poor people.

When President Obama signed the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act last week, it included three different provisions to benefit unemployed workers. The first provided funding to states that allowed for a $25 per week increase in benefits. The second extended the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program which gives 20 weeks of federally-funded unemployment benefits to individuals “who had already collected all regular state benefits,” while the third provision widened the pool of people eligible to receive unemployment benefits.

Today, however, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal announced his intention to oppose changing state law to allow his Lousiana citizens to qualify for the second two unemployment provisions. Jindal said the state would only be accepting money to increase the unemployment insurance payments for those who currently qualify for unemployment insurance.

In all, Jindal turned away nearly $100 million in federal aid for his state’s unemployed residents.

I know a big state on the West Coast that can use it.

For the most part, these "principled" Southern governors have been talking the talk about rejecting stimulus funds but not walking the walk. Jindal is sufficiently crazy enough to go all the way. And of course, he didn't reject the new homebuyers' benefit or anything that would hit someone of less modest means, he rejected aid for the desperate. Unemployment benefits are among the fastest forms of stimulus there are, with really big multipliers, because people in that situation spend the money. But it's considered good strategy now in the Republican Party to try and sink the economy, and it's always been good strategy to harm the poor at the expense of the rich. Jim Clyburn is right here, though I think it's a function of class and not quite race.

The highest-ranking African-American member of Congress on Friday accused Southern governors who oppose economic stimulus spending of indifference to the plight of poor blacks who might benefit from the federal money.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, amplified earlier statements that the governors' hesitation in accepting stimulus money had insulted him because "these four states are in the heart of the black belt."

Clyburn singled out Republican Govs. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Rick Perry of Texas, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Haley Barbour of Mississippi for criticism.

This isn't about traditionally poor communities anymore. Due to the length and breadth of this recession, middle class professionals are now showing up at food banks. And Bobby Jindal wants to make sure that they get no help from the state that they could use to get themselves back on their feet and ready to contribute to the economy again.

Good Presidential material.

...if Jindal wants to really make a name for himself, he could reject federal support to rebuild New Orleans. Now THAT would make him look like a tiger!

Another Campaign Trip Blows Up In McCain's Face

So John McCain has decided to head out on an oil rig in Louisiana to prove once and for all that we need responsible, environmentally safe drilling to lower gas prices (even though they won't for ten years, and even then only a nickel).

And then this happens.

The DEQ has sent out this notice concerning the major oil spill occurring on the Mississippi River in which 9980 barrels of oil were lost:

On July 23, at approximately 2 a.m., a collision between a ship and a barge occurred on the Mississippi River at mile marker 98, near Harahan, splitting the barge in half. The barge was carrying #6 fuel oil and lost all of its contents, estimated at 9980 barrels. The barge came to rest at mile marker 97 at the Crescent City Connection Bridge.

Because they're TOTALLY safe.

And now, McCain has cancelled the oil rig trip. Due to "weather." Right, either that or the 10,000 barrels of oil floating down the Mississippi River right now. Anyway, how could there be a weather problem, I thought no oil was spilled during Katrina!

They really are running the worst campaign of all time.

UPDATE: Check out this activism at the GOP's ridiculous "drill now" presser:

House Republican leaders were caught off guard Wednesday afternoon when, during the official unveiling of their "all-of-the-above" energy package, some 200 protesters showed up with pre-printed signs and in costumes to boo the proposal's call for drilling offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The 15-minute GOP event on the West Capitol steps was overrun by members of environmental groups, including the National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters.

Protesters booed during the news conference and waved signs that read, "Grand Oil Party" and "Climate Action Now;" one person dressed as a polar bear carried the sign, "I love wilderness."

The GOP didn't even know about it. Here's a good point-by-point rebuttal to the Republican's plan put out by Ed Markey's group, too.

UPDATE II: Wow, this is up to 400,000 barrels of fuel oil. This could effectively end the "drill now" campaign.

Something that Rhymes With Obama Connoting Excitement

Looks like Obama swept Washington state, Nebraska, the Virgin Islands (!) and Louisiana yesterday. And all of them were dominant victories in all areas of the states. Maine might be the only stand Clinton can take between now and March 4. And the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio's largest paper, just endorsed Obama, although I don't think newspaper endorsements much matter.

The Obama camp claims they're now up in total delegates, and even if they're not right now, they will be by Tuesday. I really think Ohio and Texas will be extremely significant, and if Obama sweeps, I can't see how Hillary stays in the race. That's supposed to be her firewall. There's an extremely detailed analysis of the Texas delegate situation at the Burnt Orange Report, and Obama has some natural advantages in the delegate fight. But he would need clear, 5-10 point victories in both states to end this on March 4. If Hillary wins both, she has the momentum back. For political junkies this is truly like the Lakers vs. the Celtics in the 1980s.

I haven't seen Obama's whole speech at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Virginia, but you can:



I have to say that this part is tremendous:

It’s also time to bring the cost of living down for working families who are struggling in this economy like never before. They’re facing rising costs and falling wages, and we owe it to them to end the Bush-McCain tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% and put a tax cut into the pockets of the families who need it.

Lovin' it.

Jena, The Day After

The NYT story claims 10,000 but other accounts have up to 50,000 Americans marching in central Louisiana yesterday to condemn unequal justice and to support civil rights. It was certainly an evocative moment that captured simmering frustrations in the black community with the persistent theme of "racism is over, it's not an issue anymore."

“That’s not prosecution, that’s persecution,” the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the founder of the RainbowPUSH Coalition and an organizer of the demonstration, told a crowd in front of the LaSalle Parish Courthouse. “We will not stop marching until justice runs down like waters.”

And while President Bush reported being "saddened" by the events in Jena (I wonder why), Grandpa Freddie Thompson, as if to prove how far we still need to go with race relations in this country, does not recall.

Asked about the Jena Six case today on his way into a San Antonio fundraiser, Thompson said, "I don't know anything about it."

The fact that only yesterday did this start getting broadcast news coverage is both a testament to the power of activism and and an indictment to the Freedie Thompson-like ignorance of broadcast news. Here's a month-old story from Newsweek with plenty of astonishing details.

Decades of suppressed racial hostility spilled forth at the appearance of those swaying nooses. Word spread quickly that day; before long, scores of black students congregated under the tree. "As black students, we didn't call it a protest," says Robert Bailey Jr., one of the Jena Six. "We just called it standing up for ourselves." School officials convened an assembly in early September, where local District Attorney Reed Walters appeared, flanked by police officers. "I can be your best friend or your worst enemy," he told students, warning them to settle down. "With a stroke of my pen, I can make your lives disappear." A visit to the school, along with the fact that the three white boys who admitted to hanging the nooses were only dealt a few days' suspension, further inflamed the African-American community. "It felt like they were saying, 'We can do what we want to those n-----s'," says Marcus Jones, Bell's father.

Things reached a boil later in the semester. During the Thanksgiving holiday, someone set fire to the school, reducing the main academic wing to rubble (no one has been arrested, and though a link between what was ruled an arson and the racial discord hasn't been proved, many suspect there is one). The following day, Bailey was punched and beaten with beer bottles when he tried to enter a mostly white party in town. The white kid who threw the first punch was later charged with simple battery and given probation. The next day, Bailey ran into a young white man who was at the party. Bailey and parents of the Jena Six say that when the man pulled a gun on him, he tangled with him and stripped it away. He was later charged with theft of a firearm.

The tension culminated back at school the following Monday. Justin Barker, a white student who says he is friends with the kids who hung the nooses, reportedly taunted Bailey at lunch (Barker denies this). A while later, an African-American student allegedly punched Barker from behind, knocking him unconscious. Then, say white witnesses, a group of black students that included Bailey continued to assault Barker, kicking and stomping on him. (Jena High student Justin Purvis and other black witnesses dispute this.) Barker, who was treated for injuries at a nearby hospital, was released later that day, apparently in strong enough shape to attend a class-ring ceremony that evening.

We know the rest. The white boys got suspended, the black boys got charged with attempted murder.

Yesterday in Alexandria, Louisiana, a driver hung nooses from his truck and drove through an area where protesters were gathering to drive to Jena. The ugliness of this country is coming to the fore during this unfortunate incident. Good. It needs to be out in the open so we can deal with it, instead of tucked away somewhere.

UPDATE: What an a-hole:

O"REILLY: You know, I was up in Harlem a few weeks ago, and I actually had dinner with Al Sharpton, who is a very, very interesting guy. And he comes on The Factor a lot, and then I treated him to dinner, because he's made himself available to us, and I felt that I wanted to take him up there. And we went to Sylvia's, a very famous restaurant in Harlem. I had a great time, and all the people up there are tremendously respectful. They all watch The Factor. You know, when Sharpton and I walked in, it was like a big commotion and everything, but everybody was very nice.

And I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks, primarily black patronship. It was the same, and that's really what this society's all about now here in the U.S.A. There's no difference. There's no difference. There may be a cultural entertainment -- people may gravitate toward different cultural entertainment, but you go down to Little Italy, and you're gonna have that. It has nothing to do with the color of anybody's skin [...]

O'REILLY: That's right. That's right. There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, "M-Fer, I want more iced tea."

WILLIAMS: Please --

O'REILLY: You know, I mean, everybody was -- it was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun. And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all.

Black people don't shoot each other while eating!!!!