Today's edition of the Baton Rouge Advocate talks about how the internet is transforming Louisiana politics. I was quoted in the article:
Louisiana is not exactly at the forefront of technology, said Ryan McLeod who publishes the Daily Kingfish blog, noting that it was just a few years ago that the last town in the state received telephone service.
While working in a U.S. Senate race in Connecticut, McLeod said he noticed that people were learning about political events through a community blog.
McLeod said he started his blog in April 2007 as a way to engage people in state politics.
"Everybody has an opinion about politics," McLeod said. "It's not just pundits."
Sadow is quoted in the Advocate article as saying the following:
Because of the initial interest it takes to get informed, the Internet mainly works to disseminate information through the more politically active members in a community, who talk about their views on a particular candidate or issue, Sadow said.
"I have no idea how many hundreds of thousands it reaches," he said. "It could be substantial. You just don't know."
A friend of mine recently commented to me that he was ecstatic about Bill Cassidy's fundraising prowess. I knew that Cassidy has been helped by national Republicans, such as the Vice-President, but that friend was saying, nah, Cassidy has raised $2 million according to The Advocate:
Cassidy picked up contributions from fellow physicians, business executives and GOP political action committees, having collected $2.1 million, which also includes the money he raised for May's special election.
Read that sentence twice, especially ... "which also includes the money he raised for May's special election." Ummm, I'm not sure where the hell the Advocate was in May, but Cassidy didn't run then. That would the current Congressman from this district - Don Cazayoux.
I wonder if this poor journalism, as that Republican friend insisted. I'm not sure ... I think it's the Republican bias of The Advocate shining through. What say y'all?
"Amid that growing concern, Boustany invited 30 of the most powerful Louisianans living in Washington, D.C., to his home in mid-February to discuss the state and its priorities."
"I called a meeting of Louisiana lobbyists ... to let them know that I'm willing to be the conduit to the rest of the delegation to make sure that we are setting our priorities and all working toward common goals."
As if hanging out with powerful Louisiana lobbyists so they can dictate his agenda was not enough, did you know that Congressman Boustany once attempted to buy an English Title? There was one small problem ... it was a fraud (pdf alert). Apparently, two con artists hoodwinked dumb wealthy Americans like Congressman Boustany that they could buy an English Title, which would give them all sorts of goodies like being called Lord Boustany and a seat to ride in the Queen Mum's 100th Birthday celebration back in the mid-1990's.
Most millionaires like Congressman Lord Boustany would let the money go. But not Congressman Lord Boustany. Noooo.
He went and filed a lawsuit that never went anywhere in Lafayette Parish, and it is available to the public ... I have all three pages of the complaint, but the most relevant one is page 2, which shows how much he paid for the Title - $18,500 - and lists both his name and that of his wife in the pleading, and why they are filing suit.
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, a Republican, toes the line against pork-barrel projects, but Cravins argues that earmarks can have a positive impact, especially for a district still struggling to rebuild in the wake of 2005's Hurricane Rita. "How can Congressman Boustany not believe in earmarks for a district that has been devastated by a hurricane?" Cravins asks. "We need the money, and that's a lack of leadership."
... but like most snobbish Congressmen Lords, he is merely against earmarks for us mere commoners, as he will help out his wealthy friends who donate thousands to his campaign according to a Gerald Shields' article in The Advocate entitled Earmarks remain in 'pay to play' Congress, dated June 8, 2008, which is no longer available online:
One of those members is U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette. Boustany last year sponsored an earmark worth up to $1 million for C&C Technologies in the defense spending bill.
Donors associated with C&C Technologies have contributed $20,300 to Boustany's campaign since his election in 2004, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which analyzes federal campaign contributions.
I guess we common folk don't have the dough to play on Congressman Lord Boustany's level.
