Is the Louisiana Democratic Party edging closer to reality? Party Chairman Jim Bernhard looks to be getting his footing after a rocky start not only by endorsing state Rep. Yvonne Dorsey’s HB 694, but putting his money where his mouth is by calling Democrat households to stump for the measure, favored by Gov. Kathleen Blanco. The bill creates requirements similar to those concerning the governor, some legislators already covered by other laws, and those required to be followed by Congress.
Yet just because many others do something positive doesn’t mean Louisiana legislators have to, according to Democrat state Rep. Charlie DeWitt, who took offense to the campaign. He said such meddling would drive people out of the party and into the GOP column or into dealigned independence.
I see, so to the likes of the dinosaur DeWitt, the Democrats are the party of as little disclosure as possible and thus weak ethics? He’s probably right, but that’s a version of the party Blanco and Bernhard seem to want to see go to the way of the dinosaur. And at this point, this action seems to show that Blanco has gained considerable control over the party apparatus (in all likelihood much to the chagrin of its erstwhile puppeteer and dinosaur Agriculture Secretary Bob Odom).
It’s a good political move, because if the state Democrats continue to be a party defined either by its good old boys who have gotten the state into the mess it’s in or by its loony left, it will become increasingly irrelevant. His reaction shows just how out of touch DeWitt is: plenty of Democrats for decades have been heading to the Republican Party or to independence because of their disgust with its populist traditionalists in the state and its moonbats who have come into control of the party at the national level. Bernhard’s move is an attempt to stop this erosion.
Ironically, this effort may worsen the party’s standing. When the vast majority of House Democrats vote against this bill, it will send a signal loudly and clearly to the people about how serious the state party is to reform and wanting to move the state forward – not.
2 comments:
And then it appears Blanco cuts the legs out from under Bernhard. From the Times-Picayune, apparently not online:
"Based on 'constructive feedback' from the Legislature, Blanco has asked that House Bill
694 be reshaped to focus on potential conflicts of interest rather than on disclosure of
personal financial information, said Roderick Hawkins, a spokesman for the governor."
(Thanks to C.B. Forgotston for the tip)
When is potential conflicts of interest considered poor ethics? I seem to remember something about a race horse given to Charlie. It woke-up the ha.ha. Ethics Board and they slapped Charlie's hand with a little fine. Charlie is no dinosarur and disclosure didn't drive him to the Republicans either. He still must be a dragon.
Jimmy
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