As free speech advocates gear up to
oppose revival of the so-called “Fairness Doctrine,” another
Orwellian-named government effort to dictate the content of radio and TV
news and opinion has been hatched by the Bush administration’s Federal
Communications Commission (FCC). So far, there’s been much less focus on
the “localism rule” – even though it would have a similar chilling
effect on First Amendment rights.
Under the FCC’s proposed regulations, owners of
radio and TV stations would become subject to
permanent advisory boards whose members – aka
“community organizers” - would be chosen
according to politically correct multi-cultural
nostrums requiring representation of all
“stakeholders.” These boards would be empowered
by the FCC to decide if stations were airing a
“sufficient amount of community-responsive
programming”- with neither “sufficient” nor
“responsive” defined. A negative advisory board
finding could mean loss of a station owner’s
broadcasting license.
The proposed regulations would also require broadcasters to maintain a
24/7 physical presence at broadcasting
facilities, limit their use of celebrity “voice
tracking” and network programming, require them
to fund journalism schools, and give their music
playlists to the FCC. Whatever else might be the
FCC’s intention with this proposal, it is clear
its application would vastly increase the cost
of operating a station, while reducing the
economic and editorial freedom of the owner. To
what end? Experts warn that such rules will kill
talk radio – one of the few mass media that
favors conservatives. But more is at stake here
than protecting the right of 12 million
Americans to continue tuning in to Rush Limbaugh
on the radio.
If this proposed regulation is adopted, political activists with
ideological agendas on advisory boards will be able to
dictate content by producing allies to complain that
their interests are not being considered. Christian
radio stations will be forced to air programs advocating
abortion and gay marriage, which they oppose as a matter
of religious conviction. Conservative talk radio
stations will be forced to subsidize liberal programming
that can’t attract commercial support. Failing to do so
would mean loss of the broadcast license. This proposal
is clearly antithetical to the First Amendment’s
guarantee of freedom of speech and religion. It will
undermine an uncensored, independent press in a free
society as a tool for holding politicians and
bureaucrats accountable, and make government the arbiter
of acceptable religious doctrine.
Separate Vote For
President Must Be Cast
From the Secretary of State's
office:
The Secretary
Of State's office said they have received numerous reports about
information on voting the 'straight party ticket' as seen on the
ballots for Tuesday's election.
...if you want to vote for a Presidential
Candidate...
A SEPARATE VOTE FOR PRESIDENT
must be cast
Then, if you wish, you may proceed with voting the
PARTY TICKET
The office of President is NOT included on the Party
Tickets
Make sure your vote counts!
A sample of statewide ballot is attached with the
Proposed Constitutional Amendments included for your your
convenience. A reminder that three-minute time limit in the
balloting booth may be imposed; know the amendments prior to
entering the voting booth.
Kennedy Alert!
Treasurer John N. Kennedy,
candidate for the US Senate, will hold a press conference at the
GOP HQ, in Alexandria (address on the Home page), at 2pm,
Wednesday, October 29.
Please come and bring a crowd!
NRSC Reverses Decision to
Pull Out Ad Dollars From Senate Race
From Mandy Fletcher,
John Kennedy's Campaign Manager:
I
want to share an important polling memo with you that shows what
we've known all along – this race is tightening up. With less
than three weeks to go, John Kennedy has narrowed Mary
Landrieu's lead to just five points (47%-42%).
And we also
learned today that the National Republican Senatorial Committee
(NRSC) is staying in this race, placing a new TV buy next week.
[This is good news, given the NRSC decided, earlier this
week, to pull its ad dollars. The poll numbers had to be the
deciding factor.]
It's crunch time and we need
your help to close the five point gap. Please take a moment to
read the memo and
make a contribution now
to ensure a win for John Kennedy on November 4th.
By invitation only:
Congressman Alexander
Welcomes President Bush to Area
Bush, Alexander to discuss economy with local
business leaders, Chamber
WASHINGTON, D.C.
– U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-Quitman, today announced
President George W. Bush will visit
Alexandria,
La., on October 20, 2008.
Alexander
said Bush is coming to the region to meet with local business
leaders to discuss the economy and the Administration’s efforts
to stabilize the financial system.
“I am
honored to have the President visit my congressional district to
discuss this important issue,” Alexander said.
“I am
pleased that our President is taking the time out of his busy
schedule to talk with our business, civic and Chamber leaders
who rely on the economic engines of
Main Street.”
“President Bush’s presence in
Alexandria
is truly a significant occasion for the 5th District as well as
our state, and his visit would not have been possible without
the efforts of Elton Pody and other business leaders in the
area.”
T’is an
evening of debates.
This evening, Wednesday, October 15, 2008,
Treasurer John Kennedy and Senator Mary Landrieu will square
off, at UNO, in another debate. It will air on C-SPAN-2, at 6pm
CDT.
Later tonight, McCain and Obama will go nose to nose in their
last debate, at Hofstra University, in Hempstead, New York. It
will be widely broadcast at 8pm CDT. Hopefully, we’ll see the
fighter pilot once again.
Has an ACORN affiliate infected Caddo Parish?
Tip of the iceberg?
Potential voter
registration fraud investigated in Caddo
Posted: Oct 14, 2008 03:12 PM CDT
Updated: Oct 14, 2008 09:46 PM CDT
By Fred Childers
SHREVEPORT, LA - "They walked in here just mounding up cards,"
said Registrar of Voters for Caddo Parish, Ernie Roberson while
looking over a box full of thousands of voter registration
cards. "They" are a group called Voting is Power, that
went door to door in Caddo Parish to register people to vote,
"They turned in about 8600 applications, out of that number 1400
new ones, sorted out the new and then we had around 1400 address
changes, the rest of them were non existent," says Roberson.
Before the organization ACORN appeared in the headlines for
reported registration fraud, VIP caught the attention of
Louisiana authorities over the summer. "They swamped all of us
with a lot of applications but we haven't had the problem since
we aggressively started dealing with that group and I think they
just picked up and left Louisiana," says Roberson.
The
Louisiana Secretary of State's Office is investigating the
group, Voting is Power. The Secretary of State won't comment on
the investigation, only to say all the findings will be turned
over to the parish district attorneys in the parishes where the
cards were turned in. The fear here in Caddo is: The damage has
already been done "What I'm afraid of is a lot of people think
they are registered, and that's going to cause problems on
election day," says Roberson. That's because many of the
applications turned in, even with real names, were
incomplete. A big headache that's resulting in thousands of man
hours. "It costs money, democracy is very expensive whenever you
have to sort through hundreds and even thousands of forms that
are either duplicates or completely bogus that costs us time.
Ultimately costing the tax payer money.
Carefully examine your
credit card statements, kids. Unbelievable…
Northland Couple
Warns of Political Credit Card Fraud
Last
Edited: Tuesday, 07 Oct 2008, 10:23 PM CDT
Created: Tuesday, 07
Oct 2008, 8:58 PM CDT
NORTH KANSAS CITY, MO. -- A North Kansas City couple has been
left scratching their heads after they became the victims of a
political scam.
Steve and Rachel Larman say a strange credit card charge
appeared on their statement this month -- a $2300 donation to
Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The Larman's say they
don't want this to be about their political affiliation, but
they say they're not about to give the Obama campaign any help
from their pocketbook.
They said they notified Chase, their credit card bank, to report
the fraud.
"(They) said that they had seen-they were familiar with this,"
said Steve Larman. "It was fraud, they believe through
telemarketing but they were going to be doing some more
investigations."
The Larman's don't want their politics to enter into what is
essentially just a fraudulent charge. But they say that the
charge involves the Obama campaign adds insult to injury for the
registered Republicans.
"They (Chase) kept on asking me 'are you sure you wouldn’t have
gone to a site in support of Obama'," said Rachel Larman. "And I
repeatedly said 'I’m voting for McCain - I would not be going to
an Obama site'."
Chase dropped the charge from the Larman's card. The couple is
thankful they caught the charge on the card, but worried that
others may not see that type of fraud on their own credit cards
before it's too late.
"You always get emails saying be on the lookout," said Rachel.
"So I just wanted to get the word out, that there's someone out
there perpetrating this against people, and to pay attention."
The Obama campaign said they were aware of the Larman's story,
but did not have any comment.
Update: It's more widespread than once thought. As well,
some of the charges to the cards are small (far less than the amount
that must be reported), so examine the bills closely.
Rodney Alexander goes back to
the US House, Larry Jeane is re-elected in a landslide and Danny
Willett wins it outright!
US Representative Rodney M. Alexander mopped the
floor with his opposition, in the Republican Primary, winning by
89.66%. Given Alexander has no opposition in the General
Election, he's back in D.C., where he belongs.
Larry Jeane won the race for Pineville City
Marshal, in a landslide, as well, winning by 78.48%.
Whoa, Pineville. Tell us what you really think!
Warren Daniel "Danny" Willett, in a three-way
race for the 35th Judicial District bench, in Grant Parish, won
by 56.86%. Fantastic job, Danny! The robe and gavel
are yours.
President Bush Responds to
House Passage of Economic Stabilization Bill
The resolution to bailout the financial markets failed
passage: 227 nays to 206 yeas. Shortly after the
gavel fell, the C-SPAN screen changed and the anchor, then,
reported different numbers: 228 to 205. That
statement either reflects a last minute change or is a mistake.
Whatever the case, the resolution failed.
Congress now has a chance to revisit the
sensible, Republican alternative.
Update: The final tally is, indeed,
228 nays to 205 yeas, with 95 Dems voting nay.
Shocking Video Unearthed: Democrats in their
own words covering up the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac scam that
caused our economic crisis
Early voting for the Oct. 4 elections begins Saturday, Sept. 20, and
ends Sept. 27.
Thanks to Hurricane Gustav, party primary elections were moved from
Sept. 6 to Oct. 4. Apparently, there was a concern election workers who
were displaced by Gustav could not be in place to work on election day,
Sept. 6.
In the Oct. 4 elections, party primaries will be held in congressional
district races across the state, including the 5th District of Louisiana
in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The 2008 congressional elections mark the first time closed primaries
will be held in Louisiana in years. The Legislature changed
congressional elections from the open primary system to closed primaries
not long ago, though it remains unclear to this day why state lawmakers
felt closed primary elections were necessary. Suffice it say, party
politics played a role, but that is another topic for another day.
Closed primary elections mean Democratic candidates will battle one
another for the right to advance to the general election as the
Democratic Party nominee. The same scenario will play out among
Republicans, including the 5th District race where Congressman Rodney
Alexander, R-Quitman, currently represents the 5th District in the U.S.
House.
Alexander will face a challenger in the Oct. 4 Republican primary. The
challenger is Andrew Clack of Richland Parish.
Though he has not been excessively visible, Clack is running a staunch
conservative campaign on a shoe-string budget. He claims the Republican
Party has become too liberal.
While Clack certainly has made a valid point or two in shedding some
light on a host of the big-government, liberal tendencies that plague
the state and national Republican parties, we feel 5th District
Republican voters should give Alexander the nod in the Oct. 4 election.
If Alexander wins the Republican primary on Oct. 4, he automatically
will be declared the winner in the 5th District congressional race. That
would be case since no Democrats qualified for the Democratic primary.
And since no Democrat is running in the Democratic primary, the winner
of the Republican primary will be elected outright to represent the 5th
District when the new Congress takes office in January.
Since he was first elected to the U.S. House in 2002, Alexander has done
a commendable job representing the fairly conservative views many 5th
District voters possess.
Alexander, though, is no party animal, meaning he has a track record of
recognizing when the positions or views of the national Republican Party
conflict with what is in the best interest of the people of the 5th
District. When the national Republican Party's positions or views were
at odds with what is or was in the best interest of the people of the
5th District, Alexander is known for standing by constituents.
That's what a good congressman does; he protects the interests of his or
her constituents first and foremost while appropriately placing party
politics on the backburner.
New Voting Dates
For The Primary
Louisiana Secretary
of State Jay Dardenne has postponed the Primary election, initially set
for Saturday, September 6, 2008, to Saturday, October 4, 2008.
Early voting begins on Saturday, September 20, 2008 and ends on
Saturday, September 27, 2008. Early votes cast in
August will not be discounted, although US Representative Rodney M. Alexander will
be on the ballot. Please vote and do so early, particularly if you
voted early in August. It will prevent some confusion.
Alaska
Governor Palin to be Named as McCain Running Mate
Friday,
August 29, 2008
DAYTON, Ohio —
John McCain will introduce Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his vice
presidential running mate at an event here at noon Friday, senior
campaign sources confirmed to FOX News.
Palin emerged
earlier in the day as the hot name in the vice presidential sweepstakes
after reports circulated that two short-listers — Mitt Romney and Tim
Pawlenty — were out of the running.
Adding fuel to the
Palin candidacy was a report that a charter aircraft from Anchorage
owned by a McCain supporter had arrived at a small airport outside
Dayton, Ohio, where McCain has scheduled a noon ET rally to announce his
choice.
FOX News reported
the jet flew to Flagstaff, Ariz., on Thursday before heading landing in
Middletown, Ohio.
Palin is
considered a rising star in the Republican Party. She is the state’s
first female governor, the mother of five — and at 44 is its youngest
chief executive.
The choice of
Palin was kept under such tight wraps that even Palin’s mother said
Friday morning that she had not yet heard from her daughter that she had
been selected for the No. 2 spot on the GOP ticket.
“I’m sure she’s
trying. We haven’t been off the phone for a second,” Palin’s mother,
Sally Heath, said.
The McCain camp
issued a statement calling Palin a reformer who can work across the
party aisle.
“Governor Palin
has challenged the influence of the big oil companies while fighting for
the development of new energy resources. She leads a state that matters
to every one of us,” the statement said.
“In Alaska,
Governor Palin challenged a corrupt system and passed a landmark ethics
reform bill. She has actually used her veto and cut budgetary spending.
She put a stop to the ‘bridge to nowhere’ that would have cost taxpayers
$400 million dollars.”
A McCain campaign
aide described her as a perfect complement to the presumptive Republican
presidential nominee.
“A maverick with a
record of reform picks a maverick with a record of reform. With this
pick John McCain is putting Washington on notice. There’s a shake-up
coming,” the aide said.
Informed of the
selection, a senior official with Barack Obama campaign questioned
Palin’s executive experience,
“After making
experience a central issue of the race, McCain picks, on his 72nd
birthday, a peron who 3 years ago was the part-time mayor of a city in
Alaska with a population of about 8,000 - that’s 1/20th the size of
Obama’s state Senate district. That virtually takes the experience
argument off the table. She’s also complimented Obama’s energy plan and
is under investigation in her own state for pressuring the firing of a
relative from the state safety department,” the official said.
Earlier this
month, the Anchorage Daily News reported that Palin has been under
investigation after she her chief of staff, other aides and her husband
had contacted the Public Safety Department about firing Palin’s
brother-in-law, a state trooper who was in a custody battle with Palin’s
sister. Palin said she did not know about the phone calls before they
were made, but acknowledged that “such pressure could have been
perceived to exist.”
However, Palin is
well received among both economic and social conservatives. She is
quoted saying in 2002 that she is as “pro-life as any candidate can be.”
The Club for Growth, a government spending watchdog, described Palin as
a “genuine reformer.”
“At a time when
many Republicans are still clinging to pork-barrel politics, Governor
Palin has quickly become a leader on this issue,” said Club for Growth
President Pat Toomey. “She is a principled reformer who understands how
badly wasteful spending has marred the Republican brand.”
Born in Idaho,
Palin moved to Alaska with her parents, to Charles and Sally Heath, when
she was 3 months old.
She grew up in
Wasilla, just outside of Anchorage, and played on the Wasilla state
championship girls’ basketball team. She was crowned Miss Wasilla in
1984 and was a runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant.
Palin studied
journalism and political science at the University of Idaho and
graduated in 1987. She eloped with her high school boyfriend, Todd Palin,
in 1988 to save money on an expensive wedding. She helped out in her
husband’s family commercial fishing business and appeared occasionally
as a television sportscaster.
Palin won a seat
on the Wasilla City Council in 1992 as a new face and a new voice, and
by opposing tax increases. Four years later she was elected mayor at 32
by knocking off a three-term incumbent. At the end of her second term,
party leaders encouraged her to enter the 2002 race for the Republican
nomination for lieutenant governor. Against veteran legislators with far
more experience, Palin finished second by fewer than 2,000 votes, making
a name for herself in statewide politics. She was elected Alaska’s
youngest and first woman governor in 2006.
Sarah and Todd
Palin have five children: boys Track, 19, and Trig, 4 months, and
daughters Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 7. Track Palin joined the
Army last September and will deploy to Iraq on Sept. 11. Palin had kept
her pregnancy with Trig a secret as she worked in the governor’s
mansion, confirming only weeks before the birth that she was going to
have a son who she knew would have Down syndrome. She returned to work
in April three days after giving birth.
Palin will be the
second female vice presidential candidate from a major political party.
The first was New York Rep. Geraldine Ferrarro, who was Walter Mondale’s
Democratic running mate in 1984.
FOX News confirmed
Thursday that McCain had made his selection and would appear with his
pick at the Dayton rally.
On Friday, sources
told FOX News that Romney was not going to be McCain’s choice, even
though the former Massachusetts governor is scheduled to appear at the
Dayton rally.
And Pawlenty told
a Minneapolis radio station that he was not going to be in Dayton for
the McCain announcement.
“I’m going to be
at the [Minnesota] state fair,” Pawlenty said on WCCO.
“I will not be in
Dayton, Ohio, so I think that’s a fair assumption,” the Minnesota
governor said when asked if this was an indication that he would not be
McCain’s running mate.
“It was an honor
to be considered,” he added.
Former Arkansas
Gov. Mike Huckabee, who like Romney was a rival to McCain in the
primaries, sent an e-mail to supporters on Thursday evening saying he
would not be at the rally. Sources later told FOX News that Huckabee was
not in the running.
Early Voting for
1st Party Primary
Early voting, for
the 1st Party Primary, begins Saturday, August 23, 2008 and ends
Saturday, August 30, 2008. The voting will take place at the
Registrar of Voters office, in the Rapides Parish Courthouse.
Although the office will be closed, Sunday, August 24, on the other
days, the office will be open between the hours of 8:30am to 6:00pm.
Election day, for the 1st Party Primary, is scheduled
for Saturday, September 6, 2008.
Update: With Gustav headed for us,
please vote early.
Giuliani to
Keynote at the Republican National Convention
Additions to the program appear with an asterisk
(*).
Monday, Sept. 1 Service "Love of country, my friends, is another way of saying love of your
fellow countryman." --Sen. John McCain
John McCain’s commitment to his fellow Americans, a commitment forged in
service to his country, is one of the defining hallmarks of his life.
Monday’s events will highlight John McCain’s record of service and
sacrifice and reflect his commitment to serving a cause greater than
one’s own self-interest.
Speakers will include:
President George W. Bush
Vice President Richard
B. Cheney
First Lady Laura Bush
Gov. Tim Pawlenty
(Minn.)*
Gov. Rick Perry (Texas)*
Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger (Calif.)
Senate Republican Leader
Mitch McConnell (Ky.)*
U.S. Sen. Richard Burr
(N.C.)*
U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman
(Minn.)*
U.S. Sen. John Ensign
(Nev.)*
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch
(Utah)*
U.S. Sen. Joseph
Lieberman (Conn.)
U.S. Rep. Michele
Bachmann (Minn.)*
U.S. Rep. Tom Cole
(Okla.)*
U.S. Rep. Lincoln
Diaz-Balart (Fla.)*
U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake
(Va.)*
U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk
(Ill.)*
U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy
(Calif)*
Maria Cino, President
and CEO of the 2008 Republican National Convention*
Jo Ann Davidson,
Chairman of the 2008 Republican National Convention Committee on
Arrangements*
Tommy Espinoza*
Maj. Gen. Rick Goddard,
U.S. Air Force (Ret.)*
Bill Gross*
Ashley Gunn*
Chris Hackett*
Doug Leatherdale*
Jay Love*
Cynthia Lummis*
Erik Paulsen*
Capt. Leslie Smith, U.S.
Army (Ret.)*
Program participants will include:
Victoria Blackstone,
Stars and Stripes Winner, will lead the Pledge of Allegiance
Boy Scout Troop 738 of
St Louis Park, Minn. will serve as the Color Guard
Tuesday, Sept. 2 Reform "If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you
are disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and
correct them." --Sen. John McCain
John McCain’s life is a testament to the fundamental truth that every
American can be a force for change. A restless reformer who has
dedicated his career to taking on special interests and the status quo,
John McCain will deliver the right kind of change and reform to meet the
great challenges of our time. On Tuesday, the convention program will
underscore his vision of a government that is transparent, principled
and worthy of the American people it serves.
Speakers will include:
Former New York City
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani
Gov. Jon Huntsman (Utah)
Gov. Linda Lingle
(Hawaii)
Gov. Sarah Palin
(Alaska)
Former Gov. Mike
Huckabee (Ark.)
Former Gov. Tom Ridge
(Pa.)
Former Lt. Gov. Michael
Steele (Md.)
U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn
(Okla.)*
Former U.S. Sen. Fred
Thompson (Tenn.)
House Republican Leader
John Boehner (Ohio)*
U.S. Rep. Marsha
Blackburn (Tenn.)*
U.S. Rep. Luis Fortuño
(Puerto Rico)*
U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam
(Fla.)*
State Sen. Dennis
Hollingsworth (Calif.)*
Rosario Marin,
California Secretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency and
former Treasurer of the United States
Chris Collins*
Carolyn Dunn*
Phil Hayes*
Lisa Keegan*
Ruth Novodor*
Dr. Elena Rios *
Shirley Sadler*
Joe Watkins*
Program participants will include:
Mary Leavitt will lead
the Pledge of Allegiance
The VFW of Red Lake,
Minn. will serve as the Color Guard
Rabbi Ira Flax will lead
the convention in prayer
Dr. Robert Certain will
lead the convention in prayer
Wednesday, Sept. 3 Prosperity "America’s best days are still to come." --Sen. John McCain
The American story is one of perseverance. Even in the face of tough
times, the ingenuity and spirit of the American people has ushered in a
new era of prosperity. Wednesday’s program will focus on John McCain’s
plans to get our economy back on track and continue our long tradition
of meeting the challenges we face and using our prosperity to help
others. The day will conclude with an address by the vice presidential
nominee.
Speakers will include:
Mrs. Cindy McCain
Republican Party’s Vice
Presidential Nominee Gov. Bobby Jindal (La.)
– unless Gustav hits Louisiana
Former Gov. Mitt Romney
(Mass.)
U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman
(Minn.) U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey
Hutchison (Texas)*
U.S. Rep. Mike Pence
(Ind.)*
Mayor Mick Cornett
(Okla.)*
State Sen. Abel
Maldonado (Calif.)*
Carly Fiorina, Victory
‘08 Chairman for the Republican National Committee and former
Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co. Meg Whitman, National
Co-Chair for McCain 2008 and former President and CEO of eBay
Renee Amoore*
Anne Beiler*
Jessica Colon*
Christy Swanson*
Raul "Danny" Vargas*
Program participants will include:
Sharon Clahchischillage
will lead the Pledge of Allegiance
The Law Enforcement
Memorial Association of Minnesota will serve as the Color Guard
Father Edward Reese will
lead the convention in prayer
Rev. Eva Rodriguez will
lead the convention in prayer
Thursday, Sept. 4 -
CONVENTION WATCHING PARTY NIGHT! JOIN US FOR
THE FUN AT THE HQ, 6 PM UNTIL BYOB. Peace "Our next president will have a mandate to build an enduring global
peace on the foundations of freedom, security, opportunity, prosperity,
and hope." --Sen. John McCain
John McCain understands the challenges that America faces in the world
and the sacrifice necessary to defend our freedom in a way that few
others can fathom. Thursday’s events will reflect his vision of an
America in pursuit of peace and seen as a beacon of goodwill and hope
throughout the world. The evening will close with John McCain accepting
the Republican Party’s nomination for the Presidency of the United
States.
John McCain
Gov. Charlie Crist
(Fla.)
Gov. Tim Pawlenty
(Minn.)
U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback
(Kan.)
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham
(S.C.)*
U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez
(Fla.)
Former U.S. Sen. Bill
Frist (Tenn.)*
U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin
(Okla.)*
Michael Williams,
Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission*
David Flaum*
Christopher Fussner*
Lt. Gen. Carol Mutter,
U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.)*
Charlie Smith*
Program participants will include:
The 934th
Airlift Wing Air Force Reserves Joint Color Guard of Minn.
Pastor Dan Yeary will
lead the convention in prayer Archbishop Demetrios
will lead the convention in prayer
Mary Jo Mansour
Sadly, long-time
Republican Party leader and activist, Mary Jo Mansour, passed away,
Thursday, August 14, 2008,
after a serious illness. She will be sorely missed.
Please keep her
husband, Judge Alfred Mansour, and her family in prayer.
Funeral arrangements
are pending.
Update:
Plans have been finalized. Please go
here for the details.
Loren Lampert
Receives Key Endorsement
Loren M. Lampert,
candidate for Judge, 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal, received the
endorsement of the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police.
Rep.
Chris Hazel, R-Ball, was named the Fraternal Order of the Police's
Legislator of the Year at the group's recent conference in New Orleans.
Hazel,
a rookie legislator, represents House District 27. Hazel previously
served as a Rapides Parish assistant district attorney where he was
responsible for prosecuting drug cases within the parish. He was a U.S.
Marine and U.S. Border Patrol Agent before becoming a prosecutor.
Louisiana: Republican John Kennedy is among the GOP’s best hopes to oust
a Democratic incumbent. He leads Democrat Sen. Mary Landrieu, 47%-41%.
To prevent a defeat, Landrieu will need a large turnout among women,
moderates, African-Americans and low-income voters. Her task was made
more difficult due to population loss in New Orleans after Hurricane
Katrina.
Landrieu is the daughter of former New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu. She
is going for her third term, and has often voted with Republicans,
including on issues such as tax cuts, offshore drilling and court
appointments. Kennedy is a three-term State Treasurer, and a straight
line conservative.
Landrieu wins among all voters with annual family incomes below
$100,000. She leads among women, but her margin of 13% is not enough to
overcome the state’s large conservative voting bloc.
Kennedy has a very solid hold on those conservatives, including 16% of
self-identified Democrats. His lead is also very dependent on older
voters.
The wild card here is the presence of Barack Obama on the ballot, and
how many new minority and young voters he will bring out. The survey
included 431 likely voters in Louisiana and carries a margin of error of
+/- 4.8 percentage points.
State Treasurer's
Republican opponent drops out of race for Mary Landrieu's senate
seat
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Republican Treasurer John Kennedy's only
GOP opponent in the U.S. Senate race has dropped out.
That means Kennedy can skip the September party primary election
and immediately advance to the November general election against
Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu.
A spokesman for the Secretary of State's Office says Jacques
Boudreaux, a little-known Republican candidate for Senate,
withdrew his name Tuesday.
Boudreaux is a self-employed landscape contractor who had never
run for office before.
The general election is November 4.
Alexandria native Morgan Levy working at Republican
National Convention
Just the ticket
July 20, 2008 By David Dinsmore ddinsmore@thetowntalk.com
Not many in the political arena would leave the heart of our
country's government in Washington for Minneapolis-St. Paul, but that
was just the ticket for Morgan Levy.
The former Alexandria native will be working at the 2008 Republican
National Convention Sept. 1-4 as an assistant to the general contractor.
"It's been a real learning experience," Levy said.
(Courtesy photo)
The convention, however, won't be her first time to work with the
nation's leaders. After graduating from LSU-Baton Rouge with a degree in
political science, Levy moved to Washington to work for U.S. Sen. David
Vitter, R-La., she said.
She followed that with a position on U.S. Rep. John Sullivan's, R-Okla.,
staff before getting the job with the convention, she said.
But her interest in politics began before she even went to college.
She watched her parents, particularly her mom, take part in state and
federal campaigns.
"I was kind of on the sidelines," she said. "It's a lot of fun and
kind of addicting."
[Dr.] Jo Lea Levy, Morgan's mom, had been politically active as a
teenager and young adult, but the responsibilities of raising a family,
however, took her out of the game quite a bit until about 2000, she
said. After retiring from practicing dentistry, those around her say she
is a full-time political activist.
"When I get involved, I get really involved," Jo Lea Levy of
Alexandria said.
Dad [Dr.] Robert [L.] Levy of Alexandria said his daughter also
exhibits this determination.
"She's a go-getter," Robert Levy said. "We're extremely proud of
her."
Morgan's determination doesn't only apply to her professional or
academic pursuits, Robert Levy said. She not only set a goal to compete
in pole vaulting, but she also was the first-ever statewide 4A women's
champion in the sport in Louisiana.
In college, she made the dean's list soon after switching her major
to the competitive political science program at LSU, Robert Levy said.
"If you can do that, you're cut out for (politics)," Robert Levy
said.
Part of the inspiration to succeed came from her instructors --
particularly Kirby Goidel.
"He was a really big ... inspiration to move to D.C.," Morgan Levy
said. "Sometimes I don't think teachers get enough credit."
Additionally, Jo Lea Levy said, her daughter has always been
principled and has never had trouble expressing her values, though the
Levys raised their children to have values beyond simple political
lines.
In fact, the family has helped promote candidates from more than one
political party, Robert Levy said.
"We look at the candidate more than the party," Robert Levy said.
For Morgan, the party is the Republican party for this election, and
she is looking forward to the road ahead as she will try get a job
campaigning for presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. John McCain.
And her parents are looking forward to the work she'll do beyond this
year's campaign.
"What is her next adventure going to be?" Robert Levy wonders.