The battle for the 12th district senate race is more important than many people realize, because it represents the classic dichotomy so often seen in Louisiana races. It’s a competition  between a candidate with experience running a business, and another candidate who  has “spent a life in public service” (code talk for a lifetime of feeding  at the government trough).

The candidates in the race are conservative Republican Beth Mizell and Democrat Mickey Murphy.

Perhaps unintentionally, Mickey Murphy reveals quite a bit about who and what he really is in the video below.

https://youtu.be/hWNDSB5ibt4

Speaking with Ken Benitez of Action News 17,  Murphy boasts that “public service has been my life.”

His description of his resume is bizarre in that he continually refers to himself in the third- person:

“Mickey Murphy is a guy who has been serving the public in the district for over 40 years. He’s been a teacher. He’s been a welding instructor. He’s been a counselor, and he’s been a college dean.  He’s been a chairmen of the workforce development board. He’s been chairmen of the state board for the community and technical college system. He’s been president of the chamber of commerce. He’s a veteran. He’s been the commander of Magic City post 24 of the American legion.  His total life has been about public service and this is another opportunity for him to serve.”

That last statement should give pause to anyone considering voting for him, especially business owners.

Small business is life blood of Louisiana’s economy, and it’s important to have a senator who relates the the burdens and the struggles faced by he small business community.

Beth Mizell’s resume stands in sharp contrast to Murphy’s.  Her website reads:

Beth Sherman Mizell is a lifelong resident of the Northshore. She grew up in Bogalusa and moved to St. Tammany Parish, where she operated a business for 15 years. She now lives in Franklinton. In 2012, Beth lost her high school sweetheart and husband of 41 years, Bob, to cancer. She is the mother of two grown children and is expecting her sixth grandchild in May 2015. Beth’s daughter, Julie, is a teacher. Her son, Josh, is a U.S. Marine combat veteran who is now contracted with the State Department. The Mizell family has been committed for decades to public service…and to the education of our children.

Beth has been an active Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) since 2001, where she is appointed by judges to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children.

Beth has spent her career as an early childhood educator, owning and operating a preschool in St. Tammany for 15 years, and then working with a national education firm. She is a member of First Baptist Church of Franklinton.

Owning and operating  a preschool for 15 years means that Mizell is not only an experienced educator, but also a person who knows what it’s like to own a business.

She has also shown respect for property rights, a respect no shown by her adversary. For Mickey Murphy is the hand- picked successor of Ben Nevers, who has pushing to build a reservoir in the district for over a decade now.

Building the reservoir means that government will be seizing the property of people living in that district, all because someone wants to get paid to dig a hole and pour some water in it.

The choice is clear, and Murphy’s Democratic party label puts him at a disadvantage.   He’s already shown a willingness to play dirty, however.  Robocalls have been going out across the district smearing Mizell.

Let’s hope that the people in the 12th district are wise enough not to pick Murphy who would not only be bad for the district, but bad for Louisiana.

For the past several days, Senator/ Gubernatorial candidate David Vitter has been in a public feud  with Jefferson Parish President Newell Normand.  The controversy concerns a political operative named Robert Frenzel, who was caught videotaping a private conversation between Normand, state Sen. Danny Martiny, and Democratic donor John Cummings.

Normand had him arrested and according to the Times Picayune,   The Jefferson Parish Sheriffs office has executed warrants to view the video Robert Frenzel recorded and to search his phones and cars.   Normand is a long time political enemy of Senator Vitter, and he has gone on record blaming Vitter for the incident. He also claims that laws were broken and Frenzel committed a felony.

Maybe he did.

Maybe he didn’t.

But in accordance with our Judicial system, Frenzel is currently innocent because he has not plead guilty to any crime nor has he been convicted by a jury of his peers.  This is not going to change between now and  the next election for governor. If in fact a crime was committed, it has yet to be proven in a court of law.

Until that happens,   voters will be influenced based only on their perceptions. And as they say, perception is reality in politics.

It’s entirely possible that some voters will see Frenzel as a political prisoner, a man persecuted by jack booted thugs  whose motives are obviously political. (Note: don’t twist my words. I said this is a possible perception, not the reality). To these voters, Normand is a man using and abusing the powers of his office to deal harshly with those who oppose him politically.  And if Vitter is seen as an enemy of a Sheriff who uses the power of state to crush political enemies, some people will likely rally around Vitter.

Once again, I am dealing with other peoples’ possible perceptions here- not making statements that I am claiming to be facts.

Vitter has a history of picking the right fights with the right people, which in the end always bolsters his political capitol and ultimately leads him to victory.  This conflict with Newell Normad could well be another example of that.

For David Vitter has earned himself a reputation for being a fierce opponent of Obama and his agenda (both of which Vitter depicts as liberal).  Newell Normand, by contrast, has a history of aligning himself with politicians who lean left.  In the governor’s race, he endorsed Jay Dardenne. Out of the three Republicans in the race, Dardenne was  arguably the most liberal.

The website Cajun Conservatism has detailed Jay Dardenne’s voting record, which contains a litany of offenses against the conservative agenda: gay rights, higher taxes, abortion- it’s all there.  And out of Scott Angelle, Jay Dardenne, and David Vitter, this is the man Normand chose to endorse.

But Normand’s craziest endorsement of all was in 2008, when he endorsed U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu.  Mary Landrieu won her third term partly thanks to Normand, and during this third term she was one of the critical votes in the passage of Obamacare.

Clearly Normand and Vitter are political enemies.  If anti- authoritarian conservatives take a close look at Normand’s actions, along with his endorsements, they may well decide that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

And this could tip the scales for Vitter.

UPDATE: At this time, Frenzel has only been charged with one count of criminal mischief– a misdemeanor.   There have been threats aplenty about felony charges and even federal charges, but so far, none are forthcoming.

 

So apparently a guy has been arrested for filming Sheriff Newell Normand.  Sheriff Normand is one the good Republicans who endorsed Mary Landrieu in 2008, thus helping her win a third term. It was  during  this third term that she single-handedly secured the passage of  the controversial Obamacare package.

The article describes Normand as a “long-time enemy of David Vitter,” and Normand apparently blames Vitter  for the taping, or a least suspects him of being behind it.

This is political season, and Newell Normand is a politician.  Especially during this time of year,  politicians are often followed by operatives with cameras. This is not new.

This is the first time in recent memory however, that I have heard of a political operative facing felony charges for doing what operatives do.

 

Every Monday morning at 9:00 AM,  Jeff Crouere is kind enough to share his audience with me on his Ringside Politics radio show.  There are two particular callers whose politics are far to he left of  Jeff and myself.  These particular callers often  refer to “white Christian conservatives,” who they love to   associate with David Duke.

Many Louisiana Democrats love reminding the world that Duke ran as a Republican in the 1991 gubernatorial election.  They have long used the dirty trick  tactic of using Duke to define Louisiana  conservatives.  Some seem determined to elevate David Duke’s importance beyond anything that remotely resembles reality.  We’ve seen how  political pundits have   gone to ridiculous lengths to connect Duke to candidates they are seeking  to destroy.

One example of this was in 2014, when Lamar White of Cenlamar.com unearthed some postings on the White- Supremicist Web Site Storm Front.  The posts appeared to link Congressman Steve Scalise with David Duke. At the time, Scalise was well on the way to being named house majority whip, and the David Duke revelation threatened to derail his ambitions.

We all know how that one ended. Scalise went on to be majority whip, and at one time was  in the running for majority leader.

The truth is that no one cares about David Duke anymore.  No one cares about who may  have run with him back in the day.  No one cares about who bought his mailing list.    David Duke is a dead horse that some people want to keep beating.   They are free to do so,  but no one appears to be listening.

Which brings me to the governor’s race.

Senator David Vitter has long been considered the front- runner.  Our state faces crippling long-term deficits and problems with financing higher education, among other things.  Are we hearing a serious conversation about such things?

Or course not. Instead, we are hearing about David Vitter and prostitutes

In my previous post, I pointed to some flaws in a seemingly failed attempt to revive the David Vitter prostitution scandal.  One of the outlets who ran with the story later found inconsistencies in the story about Vitter’s alleged affair with a New Orleans hooker.

That wasn’t enough to put the issue to rest, of course.

That’s because the alleged  prostitution scandal is “the new David Duke.” What do I mean by that? I mean that in spite of repeatedly failing to gain any traction, Vitter’s foes are hell bent on continually digging it back up and finding a different way to spin it.

Vitter’s 2010 senate victory should have made one thing very clear: people in this state are largely unconcerned about any mistakes he’s made in his personal life.  Those opposing Vitter in 2010 were certain that the D.C. madam scandal would end  his career, and built an entire strategy around this idea

It didn’t work.

We should all ask ourselves, why are some so obsessed with Vitter’s alleged affair?   In the most recent debate, even fellow Republican Scott Angelle got on the bandwagon.  Does anyone believe that Angelle seriously gives a damn about whether or not VItter is a faithful husband?  Does he truly believe that it has any bearing on Louisiana’s future? Or is it just an excuse to go after someone who is a threat to his personal vested interests?

David Duke and the prostitution scandal come  from a playbook that is old and worn.   They are  symptoms of a political class who has long since lost touch with the concerns of everyday people, whose children are graduating college and heading across state lines to greener pastures on a daily basis.    While Louisiana worries over its future,  many politicians and pundits are desperate to revive  the scandals of the past, all in the hopes of advancing some narrow, personal agenda.

Louisiana is facing serious problems and we need a serious discussion. Instead, we are getting tabloid sensationalism devoid of substance.

Predictably, the usual suspects are recycling a familiar story about Senator David Vitter’s past mistakes.  This  time involves an interview with Wendy Ellis- who is also known as Wendy Cortez.  The latter name is apparently an alias, a name that she worked under during her years as a prostitute, and her birth name was Wendy Yow (a person with multiple aliases can always be trusted to tell the truth).

The latest scandal appears to be based on nothing more than her words in an interview found here.

Her latest claim is  that she and Vitter had a child together.

Certain aspects of the piece are questionable, most notably the alleged “love child” itself:

It is very important to her, and very important to me, that the identity of the child remain anonymous and I realize that it would be the one foolproof way to corroborate her story but I believe it can be corroborated by other means than putting the child’s well being at risk.  I do know more about the adoption and I personally believe the information she provided in this interview to be true.

By the author’s own admission, the most important piece of the puzzle is missing.  The child’s identity is being kept under wraps in the name of looking out for the child’s well- being.  So Wendy Ellis and David Vitter had a child together- you just can’t see the child. And don’t ask about the usual evidence required to prove such claims. Ya know, like paternity tests.

If there is a child, how does Ellis know that Vitter is the father? Well, according to her (in one of the interview videos), Vitter was the only man she was sexually involved with at the time. Really?  So she was a prostitute who was also monogamous…  with a married man?

Uh huh.

Yeah.

Apparently, Ellis has told contradictory stories about the nature of her alleged relationship with Vitter. In this segment of the interview, she is  asked about a Times Picayune article where she is quoted describing Vitter as a “customer,” and in the referenced article she apparently denied any romantic relationship.

The Times Pic wrote it, but now she denies having said it.

Also, the article indicates that Hustler magazine, who originally broke the story of the D.C. madam scandal, was pursuing a follow up and was seeking Ellis’s input, but suddenly backed away from the story.

Of course the obvious question is why she is coming forward with this story now.  Aside from her failing health, speaking with her off camera, she explained to me that she was under an exclusivity contract with Hustler up until a few months ago.  Originally Hustler was considering doing a follow up story with her during this campaign cycle but she told me they suddenly changed their mind and terminated their relationship with her.  She said she was told by an employee at Hustler that Larry Flynt had no interest in generating negative press about Vitter any longer.

Larry Flynt has never been one to pass on a good scandal. He unearthed the D.C. Madam Scandal in 2007,  and basically ended Bob Livingston’s career by unearthing an affair that he had.  Apparently, Flynt changed his mind suddenly about pursuing this latest alleged Vitter scandal.

Why?

Why would he back away from promoting Ellis’s latest claims?  Could it be that he found inconsistencies in her story or that certain aspects of it don’t seem to hold water?

At the time of this writing, the lack of some very important details make Ellis’s claims difficult to take at face value.  Also problematic is the fact that they come a week before our next gubernatorial campaign.

Ellis could have come forward with this information at any time.  The story surfacing right now makes it look less like a real story and more like the work of opposition research hacks.

I’m being careful here not to proclaim Vitter’s total innocence or dismiss it merely as a “liberal media attack.”  I’ve done that before with another politician and ended up with egg on my face.

But at the time of this writing, a woman is making some very serious claims while lacking the most important pieces of evidence to prove her allegations.

What makes all of this truly tiresome is that Louisiana faces a litany of problems such as large, looming budget deficits and the Unfunded Accrued Liabilities in the state retirement system.  These are serious issues, and the candidates need to be challenged on them.   Instead, we’re hearing about hookers.

Again.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT

We have previously written about District 12 Senate Candidate Mickey Murphy’s attempts to hide from his Democratic Party label, trying to run as a Democrat… without running as a Democrat.  In a state where being a Democrat isn’t exactly a vote getter,  Murphy has found encouragement wherever he can, namely in the fact that he can vote for himself, and  his wife can vote for him as well. The screen shot below comes from his facebook page.

The Louisiana Lawsuit Fairness Political Action Committee, (LLFPAC) today announced their endorsement of 47 candidates who are running to serve the people of Louisiana in the legislature next year.

“The Lawsuit Fairness PAC endorses candidates who understand the importance of lawsuit reform and are committed to supporting pro-business policies to keep Louisiana’s economy going strong and ensure a fair legal system for everyone,” said Boysie Bollinger, who chairs the group.

“Louisiana is a great state, but our hostile legal environment is holding us back,” Bollinger added. “When it comes to lawsuit fairness, Louisiana has long been ranked among one of the worst states in the country. Our current legal system encourages excessive litigation, discourages economic growth, and increases the cost of settling lawsuits—we all pay these costs through lost jobs and investments and higher insurance premiums. We hope to work with these and other lawmakers in the legislature next year to help change that.”

LLFPAC endorsed the following candidates:

Acadiana

• Sen. Patrick Page Cortez (R – Lafayette, Senate District 23)

• Rep. Nancy Landry (R – Lafayette, House District 31)

• Julie Emerson (R – Carencro, House District 39)

• Phillip DeVillier (R – Eunice, House District 41)

• Greg Fruge’ (R – Eunice, House District 41)

• Andre Comeaux (R – Lafayette, House District 45)

• Jean-Paul Coussan (R – Lafayette, House District 45)

• Jan Swift (R – Lafayette, House District 45)

• Rep. Blake Miguez (R – New Iberia, House District 49)

CENLA

• Joshua Dara (R – Pineville, Senate District 29)

• John Stephens (R – Jena, House District 22)

• Rep. Frankie Howard (R – Hornbeck, House District 24)

• Rep. Lance Harris (R – Alexandria, House District 25)

Greater Baton Rouge

• Rep. Dalton Honore’ (D – Baton Rouge, Senate District 15)

• Scott McKnight (R – Baton Rouge, Senate District 16)
• Tony Bacala (R – Prairieville, House District 59)

• Rep. Kenny Havard (R – St. Francisville, House District 62)

• Rick Bond (R – Baton Rouge, House District 66)

• Rick Edmonds (R – Baton Rouge, House District 66)

• Rusty Secrist (R – Baton Rouge, House District 66)

• Rep. Steve Carter (R – Baton Rouge, House District 68)

• Paula Davis (R – Baton Rouge, House District 69)

• Ryan Heck (R – Baton Rouge, House District 69)

• Franklin Foil (R – Baton Rouge, House District 70)

• Hunter Carter (D – Greensburg, House District 72)

• Clay Schexnayder (R – Sorrento, House District 81)

Greater New Orleans/Northshore

• Sharon Hewitt (R – Slidell, Senate District 1)

• Beth Mizell (R – Franklinton, Senate District 12)

• Rep. Steve Pugh (R – Ponchatoula, House District 73)

• Rep. Nickolas J. “Nick” Lorusso (R – New Orleans, House District 99)

• Rep. Ray Garofalo (R – Chalmette, House District 103)

• Rep. Christopher “Chris” Leopold (R – Port Sulphur, House District 105)

Greater Shreveport Area

• Rep. Henry Burns (R – Haughton, Senate District 36)

• Rep. James H. “Jim” Morris (R – Oil City, House District 1)

• Rep. Alan Seabaugh (R – Shreveport, House District 5)

• Jack McFarland (R – Winnfield, House District 13)

Northeast Louisiana

• Rep. Steve Pylant (R – Winnsboro, House District 20) • Sen. Michael A. “Mike” Walsworth (R – West Monroe, Senate District 33)

South Louisiana

• Beryl Amedee (R – Gray, House District 51)

• James “JJ” Buquet (R – Houma, House District 52)

• Jerome “Zee” Zeringue (R – Houma, House District 52)

• Rep. Lenar Whitney (R – Houma, House District 53)

Southwest Louisiana

• Sen. Ronnie Johns (R – Sulphur, Senate District 27)

• Llewellyn ‘Biscuit’ Smith (R – DeRidder, House District 32)

• Mark Abraham (R – Lake Charles, House District 36)

• Keith DeSonier (R – Lake Charles, House District 36)

• Rep. John E. ‘Johnny’ Guinn (R – Jennings, House District 37)

LLFPAC is the political arm of the Louisiana Lawsuit Fairness Committee, which is working to improve the state’s civil justice system. LLFPAC supports legal reform policies to expedite civil trials, curb judicial activism by the courts and restore everyone’s right to obtain a jury trial in Louisiana.