Senator Mary Landrieu: News

Senate bill would extend chemical security rules

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

WASHINGTON, DC, Feb. 8 – Four members of the US Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee introduced bipartisan legislation to extend by 5 years existing federal regulations on chemical plant security.

Refiners and petrochemical plant operators have expressed concern that proposals for new chemical plant security requirements ignore a program that has not been fully implemented while attempting to indirectly impose new environmental regulations.

Sens. Susan M. Collins (R-Me.), Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.), Mark L. Pryor (D-Ark.), and George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) said their bill, S. 2996, would give the US Department of Homeland Security sufficient time to fully implement standards that it developed in 2007.

Collins, the bill’s primary sponsor and the committee’s ranking minority member, praised DHS for its work in developing a comprehensive chemical security program.

“This industry is vital to our country’s economy and important to advancements and innovations, but it can also be a dangerous threat in the event of a terrorist attack,” she said. “That is why it is critical that we enable [DHS] to continue this important work. The legislation passed by the House of Representatives would unwisely bring this progress to a screeching halt.”

In her floor statement introducing the bill, Collins said DHS’s Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) establish 18 risk-based performance standards covering items such as securing the perimeter and critical targets, controlling access, deterring theft of potentially dangerous chemicals, and preventing internal sabotage.

“CFATS, however, does not dictate specific security measures,” she continued. “Instead, the law allows chemical facilities the flexibility to choose the security measures or programs that the owner or operator of the facilities decides would best address the particular facility and its security risks, so long as these security measures satisfy the department’s 18 performance standards.”

Phased implementation
She said since 2007 DHS has hired and trained more than 100 chemical facility field inspectors and headquarters employees and hopes to employ 260 more by the end of fiscal 2010. DHS also has received more than $200 million to date to support CFATS, she indicated.

Collins explained that to determine which facilities posed the highest risks, DHS first required chemical plants possessing certain threshold quantities of specified chemicals to complete an online security assessment called “top-screen.” Based on this assessment and any other available information, DHS then determined whether a facility presented a high security risk level and preliminarily divided such plants into four tiers of escalating risk.

While all covered facilities must satisfy DHS’s performance standards, security measures sufficient to meet them are more robust in higher tiers, Collins said. For plants that qualified as “preliminarily high risk,” DHS required preparation and submission of security vulnerability assessments that enabled the department to more accurately identify each plant’s risk and assign final risk tier rankings. Based on those rankings, facilities must develop site security plans and submit to inspections or audits to ensure compliance, the senator said.

DHS employees involved in CFATS have processed a tremendous amount of information in relatively short time, she noted. “According to the department, since establishing CFATS, it has reviewed almost 38,000 Top-Screen submissions and notified more than 7,000 facilities of their high-risk designations and preliminary tiers,” she said.

As of December, however, CFATS covered only 6,000 facilities, according to Collins. “Some facilities closed; others made material modifications that altered their risk profile,” she said. “Of those remaining, the department has assigned final tiers to almost 3,000, including all of the facilities in Tiers 1 and 2, and is now reviewing their site security plans.”

‘Swap horses’
DHS has received generally positive reviews as it has implemented CFATS in partnership with the private sector, and the program has been praised as a model for security-based regulation, she continued. “Notwithstanding the department’s success in the program and the considerable costs that facilities have incurred in complying with it, some now want to ‘swap horses in midstream’ by radically overhauling the law,” said Collins, adding that a bill the House passed in November would dramatically alter CFATS’s nature and stop its progress dead in its tracks.

She and the bill’s three co-sponsors were particularly critical of the House measure’s provision requiring the use of inherently safer technology (IST) in CFATS Tier 1 and 2 plants. “IST is an approach to process engineering involving the use of less dangerous chemicals, less energetic reaction conditions, or reduced chemical inventories,” Collins said. “It is not, however, a security measure. And because there is no precise methodology by which to measure whether one technology is safer than another, an IST mandate may actually increase or unacceptably transfer the risk to other points in the chemical process or elsewhere on the supply chain.”

Forcing chemical plants to implement IST could wreak economic havoc on some facilities and affect availability of several commonly used end products, she warned. A mandatory IST program could encourage chemical companies to move their operations overseas, she added.

“To be clear, some owners and operators of chemical facilities will want to use IST. But the decision to implement [it] should be that of the owner or operator, not a Washington bureaucrat,” Collins said. “In fact, the evidence is quite compelling that many chemical facilities, based on an assessment of many complex factors, have already taken steps to avoid the use, storage, and handling of extremely dangerous chemicals in favor of safer alternative processes. [DHS’s] own data indicate that nearly 1,000 facilities voluntarily adopted safer alternative processes.”

The House bill also includes provisions directing the US Homeland Security Secretary to establish new risk-based performance standards and allowing third-party lawsuits against DHS over CFATS’s implementation, she said. S. 2996, in contrast, would not only continue work already under way but also establish a voluntary chemical security training program for federal, state, and local governments; chemical industry employees; and government and non-government responders, and a voluntary program to test these capabilities, Collins said.

Two victories for Landrieu

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

After celebrating "one of the greatest weekends in the history of New Orleans," Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) was losing her voice Monday.

Not only did her beloved Saints win the Super Bowl, but she was still celebrating with her brother, Mitch, the newly elected mayor of New Orleans.

“It was a huge weekend,” Landrieu said in a telephone interview with POLITICO. “I’m just a little hoarse. But my happiness will make up for my hoarseness.”

“The margin of victory ... was beyond what any of us had imagined,” she said of her brother’s victory. “Now we have a great quarterback in city hall. Not just in the dome.”

Both Landrieus received multiple offers to fly to Miami to watch the Super Bowl, but they "decided we wanted to be in the city with our extended family,” the senator said.

At game time, more than 60 family members gathered at Landrieu’s younger brother’s home, which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and rebuilt exactly how it had been before the storm. The home, she said, “has become a symbol in our family.”

After the big win, the family filed into the street for an impromptu parade and lit fireworks, the senator said.

Landrieu said she would be at the airport to greet the Saints when they flew home.

Monroe Fire Department to get $176,000 in funding, Landrieu announces

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., announced Friday that the Monroe Fire Department has been awarded $176,000 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Monroe Fire Department will use the funding to enhance the new fire station’s exhaust systems.

“A healthy and safe community starts with providing our first responders all the necessary equipment and resources to carry out their jobs,” Landrieu said in a prepared statement. “In Monroe, that starts with a new fire station. These FEMA grants that I was proud to support will greatly increase the safety of the city of Monroe, reducing response time during emergencies and better protecting the citizens in the community.”

Last fall, Sen. Landrieu wrote a letter in support of this grant being awarded to the Monroe Fire Department. The source capture exhaust systems that will be purchased with grant funds will help to clear the diesel fumes out of the fire stations.

Senate bill aims to boost small business contracting

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Civilian agencies might soon be required to set aside a percentage of funds from multiple-award, multiagency contracting vehicles for small businesses.

The provision, included in the 2010 Small Business Contracting Improvements Act introduced by Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, on Thursday, would require agencies to reserve for small firms a yet undetermined portion of orders placed against federal supply schedule, multiple-award and other governmentwide acquisition contracts. The Office of Management and Budget's administrator for the Office of Federal Procurement Policy would be responsible for writing guidelines to implement the change.

The measure also depends on a variety of tactics to put large and small contractors on a level playing field. For example, it would take the biggest swipe to date at contract bundling -- a maneuver in which several small and common procurements are combined into one large acquisition. Bundled contracts generally are out of reach for small businesses.

Before bundling any contract worth more than $2 million, agencies would have to conduct market research, identify alternative contracting approaches, and justify that the consolidation is necessary and would save taxpayers substantial money. In addition, agencies would be required to publicly disclose all bundling decisions.

The bill would not apply to Defense Department contracts, which made up the majority of the government's $523 billion in contract spending in fiscal 2009. Much of the language has been introduced before, but failed to garner significant support.

Still, Landrieu and Snowe said the legislation would help the government meet its obligations to small businesses. For the past three years, federal agencies have fallen slightly short of the governmentwide goal of awarding 23 percent of all contract dollars to small firms. And, while small firms captured a bigger dollar amount in fiscal 2008 than in 2007, they still earned a smaller share of total contracting dollars.

"By increasing contracts to small businesses by just 1 percent, we can create more than 100,000 new jobs -- and today, we need those jobs more than ever," Landrieu noted.

Snowe said she is "confident that this legislation will result in the changes necessary to reduce fraud and waste while paving the way for the federal government to maximize the use of America's innovative small businesses in the contracting arena."

The bill also would establish a joint venture and teaming center at the Small Business Administration that would, on a pilot basis, provide technical support and grant funding to associations and businesses interested in joining together to bid on larger contracts.

The act appropriates $5 million in grants annually through fiscal 2015, but SBA would be forced to use its existing staff to run the new Center for Small Business Teaming, according to a Senate source familiar with the bill.

SBA declined to comment on the bill.

In addition, the legislation would end SBA's Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program. Established in 1988, the initiative assesses the ability of small businesses to compete successfully in certain industry categories without set-asides. It also uses targeted goaling and management techniques to enhance small businesses participation in 10 other industry categories.

Snowe reportedly asked for the repeal, but her office did not respond to a request for comment on the program.

Other provisions in the act would:

Establish guidelines for reviewing and evaluating subcontractor participation on prime contracts.
Mandate speedier payments to small business subcontractors that have successfully completed work on behalf of the prime contractor. The government would be able to withhold funds from contractors that fail to pay their subcontractors.
Direct OFPP to issue guidelines on how employees can purchase more goods from small businesses with government-issued credit cards.
Require agencies to include meeting small business contracting goals in the performance evaluation of contracting and program personnel.
Develop training programs for contracting and enforcement personnel based on small business size standards.
Call for SBA to conduct a detailed review of the size standards for small businesses and make appropriate changes.
Establish a presumption of loss to the government when a large business performs a small business contract.
Require the Government Accountability Office to study the effectiveness of SBA's mentor-protégé program.

Landrieu pushes for more aid for Haitian orphans

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

WASHINGTON - Sen. Mary Landrieu joined other lawmakers Tuesday to press for better coordination between the U.S. and Haiti to help orphaned Haitian children find new homes.

“American hearts are open. Their homes are open to children who have lost everything,” said Landrieu, a Democrat.

A bipartisan group of about 40 lawmakers is calling for the federal government to reduce bureaucratic red tape so more Haitian children can be adopted by families here. The lawmakers also urged passage of a bill proposed by Landrieu that would set up an office within the State Department to help orphans in other countries.

Lawmakers also called for federal officials to provide more security for orphans waiting to leave Haiti and join families in the United States. They also pressed for more help for thousands of orphans who will be left in Haiti.

“We need a strategy to deal with it,” said Sen. Christopher Bond, R-Mo.

Landrieu said the United Nations estimated there were 300,000 orphans in Haiti before the earthquake, and that number has surely grown.

The earthquake in Haiti killed more than 100,000 people and left many children without parents.

Landrieu, a long-time advocate of adoptions, said the children should be placed in homes, not orphanages. The first priority is to place them with family members, if possible, she said.

“They don’t deserve life in an orphanage,” Landrieu said.

Lawmakers related the stories of several U.S. families who are waiting for Haitian children they have adopted. Landrieu pointed to a picture of twin boys whom David and Rebecca Erickson of Shreveport are in the process of adopting.

The Ericksons began working in 2003 to adopt the brothers, now 11.

“We’ve just been hoping and praying that it would work out. It just never did,” said Rebecca Erickson. She said one problem was verifying that both the boys’ parents were dead.

The couple was still waiting when the earthquake took place.

The Ericksons, who have three children, were relieved to learn the twins were safe, even though the second floor of their orphanage had collapsed. They were also excited about a recent announcement that federal homeland security officials would help push through adoptions that were underway before Jan. 12.

Since the earthquake, “the opportunity for these children to get adopted is quicker,” said Erickson. “It’s amazing that it’s happening. I’m excited about the possibility of getting them home.”

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida blamed much of the adoption delays on red tape made worse by the disaster.

“Bureaucracy does get in the way,” he said.

Landrieu said Haitian officials may be ill-equipped to deal with orphaned children, and the U.S. shouldn’t wait for them to take the initiative.

“We’ll be waiting for the next 50 years,” she said. But she acknowledged that most of the bureaucratic delays originate in the U.S.

Landrieu said the U.S. and Haitian governments should work together to speed the adoption process.

“Give these children a chance to live... with families who will love them and nurture them as their own,” she said.

Children's needs shouldn't fall through the cracks during a disaster

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

SENS. MARY LANDRIEU (D-La.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) introduced a bill this month that seeks to ensure that the needs of children are met in the event of disaster. Ensuring children's well-being requires special consideration that until now has been an afterthought.

The first three sections of the Child Safety, Care and Education Continuity Act would provide an array of financial assistance to schools and students from pre-kindergarten through college in the event of an emergency. There would be tuition reimbursement for displaced students. Funding would be provided to school districts that take in students from disaster areas. College loan requirements could be waived or modified for students or schools. And many rules regarding child care and Head Start would be waived in an effort to hold the safety net in place. These provisions would kick in only if 10 percent or more of students enrolled in public or private elementary school in the affected state were displaced for more than 60 days after a presidentially declared disaster.

Probably most important is a provision on emergency planning for child-care centers. We were alarmed to learn from a report by Save the Children in June that 29 states, including Virginia, don't require licensed child-care facilities and schools to have both evacuation and reunification plans. In our area, only Maryland has both. The District mandates only an evacuation plan. This legislation would require federally funded child-care centers to develop emergency plans for evacuation, reunification and special needs. With 67 million children under the age of 18 in schools or child-care centers across the country on any given day, this is vital.

The legislation acts on many of the recommendations issued by the National Commission on Children and Disasters in September. The body was established by Congress in 2008 to look at the gaps in planning, response and recovery related to children that were exposed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The commission has succeed in getting the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse local and state governments for the costs of training, planning and purchasing equipment for children. In addition, shelter designs and supply lists have been changed. Areas will now be designated for families with children and will be furnished with diapers, formula, cribs, baby wipes and other essentials.

The Landrieu-Alexander bill shows that more needs to be done. We hope Congress will move on this quickly in the new year. Emergency preparedness won't be complete without thinking of children.

SBA extends pilot loan program for small business exporters

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Small Business Administration has extended its Export Express pilot loan program for another year.

The pilot had been scheduled to end Dec. 31, 2009. Through the program, small business exporters and lenders benefit from a streamlined approval process for loans of up to $250,000. The number of Export Express loans doubled this year, and the SBA wants more time to analyze and refine the program.

Exports by small businesses grew to $475 billion in 2007, up 58 percent from 2002, according to the Commerce Department. The 250,000 small businesses that export account for nearly 30 percent of all U.S. exports.

Legislation introduced Dec. 9 by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., would increase the limit on Export Express loans to $500,000. The bill would increase the maximum size of conventional SBA trade loans from $2 million to $5 million.

The Small Business Export Enhancement and International Trade Act also would increase the number of SBA export finance specialists and direct the SBA to hire an associate administrator to carry out its trade programs.

"This bipartisan legislation will ensure that small businesses seeking to export their goods and services will have access to the resources they need to successfully expand into foreign markets," said Landrieu, who chairs the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.

Snowe and Landrieu also introduced legislation that would create an assistant U.S. trade representative for small business, who would ensure that the interests of small firms are represented in trade negotiations and U.S. trade policy.

Landrieu supports health-care bill

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

WASHINGTON — In a critical move for passage of the U.S. Senate health-care overhaul, Louisiana U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu said Tuesday that she will support the bill.

Landrieu, a moderate, was considered one of a handful of Democratic senators whose backing was necessary if a bill is to be passed. Although she still wants to see a report on the final costs of the measure, the package has her endorsement, Landrieu said.

“I’m ready,” Landrieu said.

Landrieu’s decision comes at a time when U.S. Senate leaders are still trying to corral the 60 votes needed to pass the legislation. On Tuesday, they also gained the support of Independent U.S. Sen. Joe Leiberman, of Connecticut.

Leiberman threatened to hold out if a proposal to allow people 55 and older to buy into Medicare were included. Landrieu had opposed the measure because it contained a public option — the government-run insurance program — that was removed.

The announcements left Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, of Nebraska, as the lone holdout. Nelson wants to continue to allow insurance companies to be exempt from anti-trust laws. He also wants to increase restrictions on abortion coverage.

Last week, Landrieu joined with nine other moderates and liberals in negotiating an alternative that includes expanding Medicaid, the insurance program for the poor, and creating a system that calls for the agency that administers federal employee health benefits to oversee a new system of national health insurance plans.

“While many of us expressed cost and bureaucracy concerns about early drafts of the health-care reform legislation, it is clear that the product the Senate is debating is a dramatic improvement,” Landrieu said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is hoping to get the bill passed by Christmas. Democrats met Tuesday with President Barack Obama, who said the senators were “on the precipice” of a historic accomplishment that has vexed presidents and Congress for generations.

If approved, an estimated 30 million uninsured Americans would get coverage, Democrats estimate.

“I told my former colleagues today … that we simply cannot allow differences over individual elements of this plan to prevent us from meeting our responsibility to solve a longstanding and urgent problem for the American people,” Obama said after the meeting.

The Senate bill contains a proposal to create insurance “exchanges” through which consumers could shop for policies. In addition, hundreds of billions in subsidies will be dedicated to defray the costs of insurance for families of four with incomes of up to $88,200 a year.

The legislation in its current form blends private and public approaches, expands coverage, and increases choice and competition, Landrieu said. Landrieu said even without the public option, 900,000 Louisiana residents who do not now receive coverage could get it. Another 558,000 could qualify for a subsidy to help them afford coverage, she said.

“The bill is greatly improved from the time it came over from the House,” Landrieu said.

Landrieu, who chairs the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, also said small businesses will be aided through available tax credits to make premiums for employees more affordable.

“These are monumental gains that will help restore fiscal responsibility to a system that has run amok with waste, fraud and abuse,” Landrieu said. “While there is some work to do, I am confident that we have found enough common ground for the Senate to seize this historic opportunity.”

Also on Tuesday, the U.S. Senate blocked an amendment that would have allowed prescription drugs to be imported from Canada and elsewhere. The 51-48 vote that needed 60 was a particular setback for Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana, who campaigned on the issue in 2004.

Vitter, who co-sponsored the amendment, took the Senate floor Tuesday calling on colleagues to support it.

“Every year, Americans spend hundreds of billions of dollars on prescription drugs and every year, prescription prices have continued to skyrocket,” Vitter said. “Americans should not have to choose between their life-saving medicine and other basic needs like food or other bills.”

Many amendment opponents raised concerns that the practice would increase the safety risks of Americans. Landrieu voted against the amendment. Though she said lifting the restriction would lower prices, Landrieu feared opposition to the proposal would sink the passage of the health-care bill.

“Normally I would support it,” Landrieu said. “But it will take down the bill.”

The U.S. House approved its version of the bill earlier this fall, and final negotiations between the two houses would follow a vote in the Senate.

The legislation would be financed by about $460 billion in cuts in projected Medicare payments to health-care providers over a decade. It also includes higher payroll taxes on individuals making more than $250,000 annually and higher taxes on high-cost insurance policies, drugmakers, medical device makers and others.

A measure of the men

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The story goes that years ago a young New Orleans congressman, a newly elected Reaganite and foe of the Democratic leadership, was seeking federal assistance to refurbish the sadly neglected streetcar line in New Orleans.

As a member of the minority party, he was frustrated at not being able to get an important project for his city done, one justified financially and in terms of restoring the troubled city’s fortunes. He explained the problem to his New Orleans colleague one day on the floor of the House.

Lindy Boggs told the young Bob Livingston that she would see what she could do.

She calmly walked up to the imposing dais, where the equally imposing Thomas P. O’Neill was presiding as speaker and leader of the Democratic majority. She quietly whispered in her old friend’s ear about New Orleans’ need for federal transit assistance.

One need not ask whether the assistance was granted, across party lines in the House and across generations in New Orleans’ political leadership. The streetcar line, despite its battering from Hurricane Katrina, remains today one of the nation’s signature cultural and transportation assets.

That was only one of many times that Boggs and Livingston served the people of Louisiana in tandem until the elder Democrat left the House. Livingston went on to serve as a highly successful chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

The moral of this story: What would the Louisiana delegation have said if a blowhard Republican officeholder or commentator had made vicious aspersions about Mrs. Boggs’ morals? That she had traded her vote for a project in her home state as though she were a prostitute?

Again, the question is answered by asking it.

The gentlemen of the delegation, without regard to party or residence, would have responded with indignation. A public hanging of the miscreant would have been thought appropriate, but averted by a fulsome and abject apology.

That is why we have trouble understanding why there is not more of an outcry against the aspersions by prominent Republican commentators Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh about U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.

Was her vote in a key procedural matter bought, for a clause benefiting Louisiana’s interests, in the manner of a fallen woman?

Of course not.

She was doing what senators ought to do, on a health-care-related issue in a health-care-related bill. Landrieu. a Democrat, was asked to seek help from the Senate by Louisiana’s Republican governor.

The attacks on Landrieu didn’t come from obscure people but from commentators who have asserted their own leading role in the Republican Party, who are fawned over at conservative political events, and who are seen as kingmakers.

That Gov. Bobby Jindal and U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., have talked all around the “prostitute” question is a measure of a sad decline in manners, not just in discourse.

We commend the Republicans with more guts, and more class.

“That sort of language is inappropriate. Differences can be expressed without the use of degrading insults,” U.S. Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, R-New Orleans, said in a statement. U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, also issued a statement deploring personal attacks.

Cao holds the seat once graced by Boggs; Scalise serves from the district once represented by Livingston.

We are pleased to see that the great city of New Orleans sent the two gentlemen to the House.

Natural Gas: Cheap, Clean Energy that's Made in America

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

This week, the world will be watching America’s participation in the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. As our nation works to reduce climate-altering emissions and plans for a low-carbon energy future, many Americans may be surprised to learn that a key piece of the puzzle — a clean, reliable and readily available energy source — is right here under our feet: natural gas.

America is experiencing a natural gas revolution. Prices are 33 percent lower than they were last year, and the industry is producing significantly more gas, thanks to technology that has uncovered enormous new supplies of natural gas.

The United States has three times the amount of natural gas it thought it had in 1966 — and 40 percent more than just a few years ago. In fact, more than 2,000 trillion cubic feet of natural gas is estimated to be available; at present consumption levels, that’s enough to heat all U.S. households for the next 519 years. In northwest Louisiana alone, the Haynesville Shale reserve has 251 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, almost 11 times the amount consumed by Americans last year.

More Americans are embracing this clean energy source. More than 20 percent of our electricity is generated by natural gas, and it is an important feedstock in chemical and fertilizer production. Natural gas eliminates soot, for cleaner diesel fuel, and is used as a raw material in lightweight cars, wind-power blades and solar panels.

This new abundance and growing demand present our country with a unique opportunity. With proper support from the federal government, natural gas will help us meet several immediate challenges confronting the United States:

Improving our environment. Natural gas must be a part of any plan to reduce America’s carbon emissions. Not only is it produced in accordance with the strictest environmental standards in the world, but it is also undeniably one of the cleanest fuels in existence. Use of natural gas simultaneously addresses several environmental concerns, including smog, acid rain and greenhouse gas emissions. Put simply: Natural gas should be the bridge to a low-carbon energy future while playing a key role in developing the next generation of energy, such as solar and wind power.

Enhancing our energy security. America simply cannot allow foreign countries to meet our nation’s increasing demands. The federal Energy Information Administration estimates that if the natural gas industry had access to more federal lands — areas that are now off limits — America could supply 98 percent of its own natural gas needs by 2030. And keeping the money it takes to produce and consume natural gas within our borders would provide natural gas companies with capital to make the necessary investments in our energy future.

Strengthening our economy. A reliable, affordable supply of U.S. energy has a profound impact on every sector of our economy, from shipping to trucking, agriculture, chemicals, manufacturing and textiles. With production in 33 states, the natural gas industry is also critical to employment. Some 1.3 million people are directly employed by companies that drill, ship and supply natural gas to U.S. consumers. Almost 3 million Americans work in positions that support the development of domestic energy. And technological advancements have led to additional discoveries of natural gas reserves that could grow employment opportunities in nontraditional producing states, such as New York and Ohio.

To raise the profile of this clean energy source and promote its many benefits, we recently formed the Senate Natural Gas Caucus. This group will educate members of Congress and the public about energy and manufacturing issues related to natural gas and provide a forum for members to exchange ideas and influence national policy.

To stabilize our energy future and put thousands of unemployed Americans back to work, we must work together — across party lines — to block attempts to levy burdensome taxes on gas producers, provide incentives for coastal states to tap their gas production potential through a fair revenue-sharing scheme and ensure that climate change legislation does not unfairly penalize this burgeoning industry.

This will provide natural gas companies the freedom to continue their cutting-edge research and production of this clean resource even when prices are low. Positive changes to national policies will result in a stronger economy and a healthier environment.

Through our bipartisan leadership of the Senate Natural Gas Caucus, we will urge our colleagues not to compromise America’s economic and energy security. The opportunity is too great, and our energy and environmental challenges are too urgent, for us to fail to work together.

Landrieu votes in favor of heath care

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu has emerged as an influential moderate in the national debate over health care reform — a fact made evident Saturday evening as political observers closely watched Landrieu’s cloture vote.

After days of uncertainty, Landrieu ultimately cast a vote in favor of cloture for the Senate’s version of the health care bill — a key vote the Democratic Party needed to move the bill forward. Opponents back home seized on an opportunity to criticize Landrieu’s vote, with the Louisiana Republican Party expressing disappointment and the “tea party” movement mulling a shot at recalling the Democratic senator.

The cloture motion passed on party lines, 60-39, with one Republican Senator not voting. Louisiana’s Republican Sen. David Vitter voted against the procedural motion.

Landrieu expressed reservations about portions of the health care bill despite supporting the procedural measure to move the bill forward. Landrieu and other Democratic moderates have relayed skepticism about including a public option in a health care bill.

“My vote should in no way be construed by the supporters of this current framework as an indication of how I might vote on the final bill,” Landrieu said in a statement on the floor of the Senate on Saturday. “My vote is a vote to move forward, to continue the good and essential and important and imperative work that is underway.”

Landrieu was one of a handful of Senators closely watched by members of both parties and identified as a crucial swing vote. Landrieu was the second to last Democratic holdout during Saturday’s Senate debate, slightly alleviating a tense, cliff-hanger atmosphere hanging over the evening vote.

The Louisiana Republican Party quickly blasted out a news release, eager to jump on the opportunity to cast Landrieu as a loyal Obama-supporting Democrat who supports “socialized medicine.”

“[Landrieu] could have killed the bill today, but instead she will show her true allegiance lies not with the citizens of Louisiana but with the liberal Democrats in Washington who are intent to expand the size and scope of government by bankrupting our country,” Roger Villere, chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party, said in a statement.

Critics also seized on language Landrieu secured in the bill giving Louisiana $300 million in additional funding to help defer the effects of budget shortfalls.

Conservative and nationally recognized news aggregator Drudge Report trumpeted a headline reading “The Louisiana Purchase — $300 million for my vote!”

Landrieu was blunt about requesting the funding in her midday statement Saturday.
“It is not a $100 million fix, it is a nearly $300 million fix,” she said. “I am proud to have fought for it.”

But she insisted the $300 million was not the reason she ultimately voted for cloture.
“The reason I am moving to the debate, as I expressed in this statement, is that the cost of health care is bankrupting families and it is bankrupting our government,” she said. “We cannot afford the status quo.”

Saturday was the second weekend health care vote to attract national attention — the first coming when the House voted for its own version of Democratic-led reform, and Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, R-New Orleans, was the only Republican to support the bill.

“The tea party movement is very disappointed in the way Sen. Landrieu handled the situation,” said Robert Gaudet, national tea party organizer and founder of the Bossier tea party organization. “She certainly didn’t vote in a way that her constituents want.”

Gaudet said the movement was going to consider options to move forward Sunday night, convening meetings with their legal team to determine how to proceed with a potential recall measure against Landrieu.

“Retaliation is not what we’re about — we’re about pushing things forward in the right direction,” Gaudet said. “Removing people from office through the right channels is our right.”

Geothermal energy emering as another alternative

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

BATON ROUGE — A process that relies on heated, pressurized water to create significant amounts of energy from either natural or manufactured sources continues to gain momentum in south Louisiana.

The U.S. Department of Energy awarded $5 million in federal stimulus money Monday to Louisiana Geothermal, an up-and-coming company that boasts it will be able to produce enough energy within the next two years to power all of Cameron Parish.

In fact, research suggests there’s enough of the alternative-energy source there to last more than 130 years.

In this case, geopressured energy, one of a group of potential power sources classified under the geothermal umbrella, is derived from hot, pressurized waters trapped deep in the earth’s sedimentary formations. The water, heated by the earth’s natural processes, can be used to generate electrical power.

Scientific research, some of it sponsored by the federal government, suggests that the area around Turtle Bayou Gas Field in Terrebonne Parish could potentially hold similar promise as a geothermal energy source.

In Cameron Parish, locals have known that a geopressured-geothermal system existed in Sweet Lake since the 1980s, but only recently have investments started to surface to support what’s being called the Sweet Lake Geopressured-Geothermal Project.

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana, is among the lawmakers pushing the issue in Washington for the Bayou State.

“Louisiana may be sitting atop a mother lode of clean, renewable energy if we can successfully harness the earth’s natural heat through geothermal energy,” Landrieu said.

George Jordan, president of Louisiana Geothermal, added that the political climate couldn’t be better for the state to embrace this new energy source, especially since other states are already ahead of the curve.

“We believe that this grant, combined with current national support for developing clean, renewable energy, provides Louisiana Geothermal with a cost-effective opportunity to develop this new energy,” he said.

The federal funds will be used to pay for a portion of the total costs associated with the Sweet Lake Geopressured-Geothermal Project. The project will include the drilling of a well, as well as the construction of a new geopressured power plant.

This is one of 11 projects selected for the development of new low-temperature geothermal fields nationwide.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently estimated that geothermal energy projects similar to Louisiana Geothermal’s could supply as much as 10 percent of America’s electric power within the next 20 years — an extraordinary potential, given that geothermal resources currently supply only a fraction of a percent of U.S. electricity needs, Landrieu said.

On the horizon, there may be other opportunities for Louisiana to explore more geothermal projects.

For instance, the Haynesville Shale in north Louisiana is positioned to become the nation’s top-producing natural gas field within the next six years.

But when the shale eventually plays out and producers make their exit, state officials contend the same gas wells could potentially become a source for electrical production thanks to the heat that’s trapped in the Earth.

Additionally, geothermal energy has become a buzz phrase in the oil-and-gas industry, since geothermal energy can be captured through traditional processing operations.

About five years ago, Enterprise Products’ natural-gas-processing plant in St. Mary Parish, a facility known as Neptune that employs people from the Houma-Thibodaux area, launched such a project that has since gained national recognition.

Engineers at the Neptune plant oversee a 4.5-MW Ormat Energy Converter that generates electrical power by capturing waste heat produced by a pair of gas turbines.

Today, the $4 million converter — the first of its kind in the U.S. — is producing a significant portion of the plant’s energy needs. There’s even a steady flow of excess power being churned out that is exported and sold to the local energy company in the region.

When the state Legislature meets next year, there’s a chance that the industry issue could become a policy issue.

That’s because neighboring states like Texas have already jumped on the technology bandwagon and are offering companies tax exemptions for producing geothermal energy in association with oil and gas production.

Landrieu Cosponsors Bill to Bolster Reservist Employers and Military Families

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

WASHINGTON- United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., cosponsored a bill introduced by Senator John Kerry, D-Mass., to extend through next year a tax credit for small businesses that pay the salary differential to reservist employees called up for active duty. This small business tax credit provides incentive for small employers to eliminate any pay gap between civilian and military pay. The bill comes as the nation honors its veterans.

"Our soldiers put their lives on the line each day to protect our country," Senator Landrieu said. "As they keep us secure, we must keep them secure. Yet, as these soldiers serve millions of miles away, the families they leave at home often suffer as reservists take a pay cut. This tax credit has helped small businesses pay the salaries of reservist employees called to active duty and must not expire. Our brave soldiers should not be penalized for their dedicated service, nor should the small business owners who want to help their employees, but who are already suffering in these harsh economic times."

The bill extends for one year a provision that provides small businesses with less than 50 workers with a 20 percent tax credit of the salary differential they pay for reservist employees called up for active duty, with a maximum tax credit of $4,000. Without this legislation, the tax credit would expire January 1, 2010.

FDA Backs Off Oyster Plan

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration -- under pressure from politicians and the shellfishing industry -- said it will reconsider its plan to halt distribution and consumption of untreated oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico during the warmest months of the year.

Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu announced the development on Friday. Earlier in the week, she and other members of the Louisiana congressional delegation told the FDA they would pursue a "legislative solution" if the agency did not relax the proposed restrictions.

"The FDA's decision today is a major win for our oyster industry and all of Louisiana," Landrieu said. "By reversing course, the FDA has acknowledged that its original plan was unreasonable and that we need a commonsense approach to protecting the small number of at-risk consumers.

"I commend Commissioner (Dr. Margaret) Hamburg for listening to Louisianians' unified voice and for being willing to partner with the industry to find a path forward that does not put oystermen out of business," she said.

That path, Landrieu said, involves working with the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Commission to implement a 2001 plan designed to minimize the threat posed by a virus that can be carried by oysters.

The virus is blamed for about 15 deaths in the United States each year, though most of the victims suffered from ailments that compromised their immune systems.

Rep. Charlie Melancon, who also attended the FDA meeting, characterized the initial plan as overkill.

“Banning fresh Gulf oysters in the name of food safety is like killing a fly with a sledgehammer,” Melancon said. “Now it appears the FDA is coming to realize the harm this ban could have on Louisiana and is reaching for a fly swatter instead."

Landrieu pushes for increased domestic oil and gas production

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

WASHINGTON – U. Sen. Mary Landrieu highlighted the need to expand domestic energy exploration during a Senate committee hearing Tuesday.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee conducted the hearing on the role of natural gas in mitigating climate change.

Landrieu, D-La., who has long advocated expanded domestic oil and gas production, cited the continually increasing assessments of oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico and expanded gas plays throughout the country as compelling reasons to expand production.

“There is generally a lot more oil and gas domestically than we acknowledge, and we fail sometimes to realize the dynamic and exciting changes in the industry that are providing more supply,” Landrieu said. “I am an unabashed advocate for more domestic drilling of oil and gas, not because I think it solves all of our nation’s problems, but because I think the American people have a right to benefit from resources that they own.”

In the past 33 years, estimated oil and gas reserves in the Gulf of Mexico have increased from 5 billion barrels to more than 30 billion barrels.

During today’s hearing, Landrieu addressed concerns about oil exploration’s impact on the environment.

“Drilling-related spills are less than one percent of spills in the ocean; tankering of oil is 4 percent; runoffs from boats and jet-skis is 32-percent, and natural seepage is 63 percent.”

Landrieu also pressed the need to diversify energy sources, particularly by expanding the use of natural gas.

Last week, Landrieu joined Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., in the formation of the bipartisan Natural Gas Caucus, which will work to highlight the positive aspects of natural gas in the United States.

“A reliable and affordable supply of U.S. energy is the backbone of a healthy U.S. economy and a cornerstone of our nation’s employment base,” said Landrieu. “As we transition to more clean-burning, low-carbon fuels, natural gas must be part of the equation. It is an ideal energy to both produce and consume.”

Landrieu vows to fight proposed ban on untreated oysters

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

HOUMA -- U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu vowed to fight a new FDA proposal that would ban the sale of raw Gulf of Mexico oysters that are not treated for potentially harmful bacteria.

This Food and Drug Administration regulation would adversely affect the state’s oyster industry and could cripple many south Louisiana restaurants that feature oysters on their menus, Landrieu, D-La., said Tuesday.

She cited industry figures that say Louisiana's oyster industry employs 3,500 Louisianians and has an estimated $318 million impact on the state.

“While the FDA’s goal of protecting consumers from oyster-related illnesses is necessary, this regulation is not the appropriate response. The FDA’s plan would severely burden Louisiana’s oyster industry, putting independent fishermen and mom-and-pop oyster dealers out of business at a time when our economy is facing many challenges,” Landrieu said in a news release. “I will work with other members of the Louisiana delegation to fight this proposal and to protect our oystermen and related industries that are so critical to our state’s economy.”

Last year, the U.S. recorded more than 87 million cases of food-related illnesses, 371,000 hospitalizations and 5,700 deaths. However, only 15 people, all with pre-existing conditions died from eating raw oysters last year, she said.

“The FDA has bigger fish to fry and should let our seafood industry continue to educate consumers about the risks associated with eating raw products," Landrieu said. "Imposing burdensome federal regulations that may take away 3,500 much-needed jobs in Louisiana is not the answer."

Landrieu recalls Kennedy's concern in time of Katrina

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu said the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy was the first of her colleagues to contact her when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.

"He said Vicki (Kennedy's wife) was just hysterical and that he was beside himself at the devastation," said Landrieu, D-La., when recalling the conversation. "The first thing he said was, 'What can we do to help?'"

Landrieu reflected on her relationship with Kennedy, D-Mass., during a Monroe Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Wednesday.

"I was heartbroken when I heard of his death," she said. "People really don't realize what an extraordinarily personable and gentle person he was.

"One thing that so surprised me when I first met him was his generous spirit and his willingness to share."

Landrieu said Kennedy spearheaded a school voucher program following Hurricane Katrina so more than 300,000 displaced children could attend school.

"It was the first stand-alone voucher program of its kind, and he did it even though he opposed school vouchers in general," Landrieu said.

"I think he was without peer in the Senate," she said. "Sen. Kennedy was one of the finest men and public servants I have ever known. I have the deepest respect for him and his service to Massachusetts and our nation."

LINK TO ARTICLE

How We Can Achieve Bipartisan Health Reform

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

We refuse to let partisanship kill health reform -- and we are proof that it doesn't have to.

As 12 U.S. senators from both sides of the aisle who have widely varying philosophies, we offer a concrete demonstration that it is possible to find common ground and pass real health reform this year. The process has been rocky, and slower than many had hoped. But the reports of the death of bipartisan health reform have been greatly exaggerated. Now is the time to resuscitate it, before the best opportunity in years is wasted.

Democratic activists have long campaigned for universal coverage and quality benefits. Republican activists zero in on empowering individuals and bringing market forces to the health-care system. Our approach does both. In our discussions on the Healthy Americans Act, each side gave a bit on some of its visions of perfect health reform to achieve bipartisanship.

The Democrats among us accepted an end to the tax-free treatment of employer-sponsored health insurance; instead, everyone -- not just those who currently get insurance through their employer -- would get a generous standard deduction that they would use to buy insurance -- and keep the excess if they buy a less expensive policy.

The Republicans agreed to require all individuals to have coverage and to provide subsidies where necessary to ensure that everyone can afford it. Most have agreed to require employers to contribute to the system and to pay workers wages equal to the amount the employer now contributes for health care. The Congressional Budget Office has reported that this framework is the only one thus far that bends the health-care cost curve down and makes it possible for the new system to pay for itself. It does this by creating a competitive market for health insurance in which individuals are empowered to choose the best values for their money and by cutting administrative costs and spreading risk across large groups of Americans.

First, we allow all Americans to have the same kind of choices available to us as members of Congress. Today, more than half of American workers who are lucky enough to have employer-provided insurance have no choice of coverage. Members of Congress who enroll their families in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program often have more than 10 options. This means that if members of Congress aren't happy with their family's insurance plan in 2009 or insurers raise their rates, they can pick a better plan in 2010. Our plan would give the consumer the same leverage in the health-care marketplace by creating state-run insurance exchanges through which they can select plans, including their existing employer-sponsored plan.

Beyond giving Americans choices, our approach also ensures that all Americans will be able to keep that choice. We believe that at a time when millions of Americans are losing their jobs, members of Congress must be able to promise their constituents that "when you leave your job or your job leaves you, you can take your health care with you." Our approach ensures seamless portability.

Our point is not that our framework is the only way to reform the system or to reach consensus. But our effort has shown that it is possible to put politics aside and reach agreement on reforms that would improve the lives of all Americans. Insisting on any particular fix is the enemy of good legislating. A package that will entirely please neither side, but one which both can agree, stands not only the strongest chance of passage but also the best chance of gaining acceptance from the American people.

We didn't undertake this effort because we thought it would be easy; in fact, we started working together because we knew it would be hard. Passing health reform is going to require that we take a stand against the status quo and be willing to challenge every interest group that is jealously guarding the advantages it has under the current system, because health reform isn't about protecting the current system or preserving the advantages of a few. We can't forget that we are working on life-and-death issues facing our constituents, our families, our friends and our neighbors.

It's time to stop trying to figure out what pollsters say the country wants to hear from us and focus on what the country needs from us. The American people can't afford for Congress to fail again.

Ron Wyden is a Democratic senator from Oregon. Robert F. Bennett is a Republican senator from Utah. The other authors of this op-ed, and co-sponsors of the Healthy Americans Act, are Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ted Kaufman (D-Del.), Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), Michael D. Crapo (R-Idaho), Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.).

Federal government may expand teachers' merit-based pay program

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

THIBODAUX--A federal program to reward teachers with more pay for better work could soon get more money than ever before.

President Barack Obama wants to revitalize the Teacher Incentive Fund as part of his “Race to the Top” education initiative. A Senate plan to help that along is supported by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans.

The fund gives money to state and local school districts to study or start programs that reward teachers for rising student achievement.

Some educators say performance-based pay is a way to improve the quality of teaching and produce better students.

“It provides incentives for going above and beyond,” said Terrebonne schools Superintendent Philip Martin. “It provides rewards for those who have tangible, objective, measurable achievements with students.”

The president seeks to direct another $487 million to the program, nearly 5 times the amount given in any previous year.

In a recent letter signed by 9 other senators, Landrieu asked the Senate Appropriations Committee approve the new money.

Seeded with $99 million of federal money in 2006, there was only enough money for 34 of about 150 program applications.

Another $97 million received in 2008 was enough to allow those programs to continue.

Landrieu and other supporters say an influx of new money will allow the program to expand.

Martin has already launched a performance-based program to begin this fall in the Terrebonne school system. This “merit-based pay” program will reward all the employees at schools showing increased student test scores.

Martin said he “absolutely” supports the federal government directing more money toward such programs.

Lafourche schools officials have looked into performance-based pay and found “drawbacks,” said school system spokesman Floyd Benoit.

He said those drawbacks included complications like determining how to evaluate student performance or who would perform the evaluations.

Benoit said the Lafourche School Board would be interested if federal money became available to develop a performance-based pay program.

Opposition to performance-based pay comes largely from teachers’ organizations, when it is linked standardized test scores such as the LEAP.

“They don’t tell us everything about our students’ abilities,” said Joyce Haynes, president of the Louisiana Association of Educators.

Haynes said using the performance-linked pay models like those found in business should not be used. She said when it comes to educating children, there are too many parameters for that kind of system to work.

Les Landon, public relations director for the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, said teachers must be part of the discussion on a fair evaluation method for performance-linked pay.

“If this money is going to be based on one test--which is the case now, one high-stakes test judges every student--then we’re absolutely against it,” he said.

Lake foundation leaders urge members to continue battle to salvage vanishing coastline

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Even as the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation celebrated the 20 years of activism that helped to save its once-sullied namesake, organization leaders exhorted their members Monday to refocus on the even more critical battle of salvaging Louisiana's vanishing coastline.

"We've come a very long way, but the biggest challenge is yet to come," foundation Executive Director Carlton Dufrechou said during his biannual state of the basin report. "You've helped us save our lake. Please help us now to restore our coast."

It is an effort that is being stymied now by the choke hold of red tape that keeps the Army Corps of Engineers from swiftly starting restoration projects that can help protect from killer storm surges, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu told a large group of foundation members gathered in Metairie.

Bureaucracy in the current process also prohibits state and local entities from doing any of the critical work, even when they can do it faster, the state's Democratic senator said.

"More than the money, the big challenge is integrating the planning and construction," Landrieu said. "If we can reform the corps -- it takes them too long, and it's too expensive--we'll (develop) the more integrated system that will save the coast."

Landrieu said it literally will take an act of Congress to get the coast rebuilt before it's too late, and she's now drafting a bill that she hopes will do just that.

The still-unnamed legislation will create a paradigm shift in the way coastal restoration projects are identified, planned and constructed. She said she hopes to greatly reform the corps' role in the process, as well as replace the politics of coastal restoration with science.

"We're going to have to do these (projects) in an efficient, cost effective and expedited way," she told the group. "This is the great work of our life...We have no choice. This is a matter of life and death. There is no Plan B."

Dufrechou said the lake foundation must bring the same grit and focus to coastal restoration that it brought to lake restoration when the nonprofit organization was formed to clean up the 621-square-mile lake that had become so filthy that the first ban on swimming was announced in 1962.

The foundation had helped drive such a wide range of improvements that by 2006, the lake was removed from the Department of Environmental Quality's "Impaired Waterbodies List," and earlier this year, the swimming portion of the Ochsner Ironman competition put 2,500-plus swimmers in the lake to race 1.2 miles from Bayou St. John to Pontchartrain Beach.

"We've got to do this thing much like we did restoration of the lake," he said. "We started on a shoestring and widespread support grew."

Had the foundation waited on support from the federal government, Lake Pontchartrain might today still spike fecal coliform bacteria counts of 10,000 colonies, instead of the less than 200 colonies that makes for such good swimming today, he said.

"We have to again take the bull by the horns and do more on a local basis," Dufrechou said. "Coastal restoration isn't rocket science. All we need to do is prioritize restoration projects that mimic nature and rebuild our natural lines of defense."

In addition to great marks for Lake Pontchartrain, water quality of the Tchefuncte and the Bogue Falaya rivers has improved so much that both also are being removed from the Impaired Waterbodies List.

The pair joins not only Lake Pontchartrain, but the Tangipahoa River in being delisted for fecal coliform, which is an indicator of sewage contamination.

"The short story is the lake is doing great, but our coast is falling apart," Dufrechou said. "We must apply this kind of focus and determination to our coast."

Senators target millions for local levees

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

HOUMA — Louisiana’s two U.S. senators say they have included $8 million for local levee and dredging projects in a bill winding through Congress.

The money is now in the Senate’s Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, which passed the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday.

The bill is expected to head to the Senate floor for a vote later this year.

“We have made a substantial commitment to flood-control and storm-mitigation efforts in Louisiana,” said U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. “There are still many more projects to fund, and federal, state and local governments must work together to channel resources to the most-essential projects. But the legislation passed today is a good start.”

A total of $5.8 million will help raise the Larose-to-Golden Meadow hurricane-protection levee.

That money will go to the Army Corps of Engineers, which is now studying if it’s feasible to bring the levee up to a 100-year level of protection. That would protect the communities inside the system from all but the strongest storms.

“This funding will help improve hurricane protection for citizens who live along Bayou Lafourche and for the fisheries, oil and gas and other industries based in this area,” said U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La.

No money was included for Terrebonne’s Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane-protection project. The corps is re-evaluating costs and working to update designs to post-Katrina hurricane-protection standards.

Local levee officials are working on their own scaled-down version of Morganza along the federal system’s proposed route.

“We are also working to advance Morganza to the Gulf, which is being re-evaluated due to cost overruns,” Landrieu said. “It is important that Congress continues to support this project to ensure it moves forward in a swift manner. Louisiana’s coastal communities cannot afford further delay on Morganza-to-the-Gulf and other key initiatives.”

Officials also wrote in $2.5 million for dredging and maintenance of the Houma Navigation Canal, used by local oilfield fabricators to move large structures in and out of the Gulf of Mexico. The money will be used to dredge the channel to its federally authorized 15- to 18-foot depth.

“The Houma Navigation Canal plays a key role in the local economy,” Vitter said. “These funds are needed to ensure that ships, barges and other vessels can access this important channel.”

Barksdale ramp funding a step closer

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Barksdale Air Force Base, recently named home of the new Global Strike Command, moved a step closer to securing funding for ramp improvements with inclusion of $12.8 million for construction for the 2nd Bomb Wing.

The money is in the Fiscal Year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill that the Senate Appropriations Committee passed Tuesday, a release from Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, states.

“To ensure that Barksdale remains one of the finest military installations in the nation, Congress must make investments to strengthen the base’s worn infrastructure,” she said in a release. “During inspections, Barksdale has received poor marks for its ramp used to park 2nd Bomb Wing aircraft. This $12.8 million will be used to address the problem and ultimately prevent expensive damage to engines of bombers and jets operating out of Barksdale.”

The funding also was championed by the state’s junior senator, David Vitter, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, which has jurisdiction over the Air Force and Department of Defense. Last month, he ensured the project was in the 2009 National Defense Authorization bill.

Now, the military construction and National Defense Appropriations bills will go the Senate floor for consideration.

The $12.8 million will support a fifth phase of replacement of ramps that are for the most part about 50 years old. Landrieu said weather and heavy use have caused the concrete to crack and chip, resulting in objects that can be sucked into jet engines causing damage and down time for maintenance.

The measure also directs the secretary of Defense to provide Congress with a detailed barracks capacity and modernization status report. A provision also will enhance blind veterans outpatient programs.

Overall, the legislation provides almost $134 billion in total funding for military construction, veterans affairs and related agencies.

Sen. Mary Landrieu Speaks; 3,427 Receive Degrees at LSU's 268th Commencement Exercises

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu delivered the commencement address and 3,427 students received degrees during LSU's 268th commencement exercises held May 15.

Landrieu addressed the graduates at the main commencement ceremony, where degrees were conferred for all students, and Ph.D. candidates were recognized individually.

Separate diploma ceremonies for each college followed the main ceremony, at various times and locations across campus. At those ceremonies, every student was recognized individually.

Some 411 students graduated with honors, including 44 who received University Medals for graduating with the highest undergraduate grade-point averages. University Medalists were recognized at a special ceremony at the LSU Faculty Club on Thursday, May 14.

The oldest graduate was 70 and the youngest graduate was 20, receiving graduate and undergraduate degrees, respectively. The May 2009 graduating class represented 60 Louisiana parishes, 44 states and 52 countries. Fifty-six percent of the graduates were women, and 44 percent were men.

The Honors College produced 118 graduates. Forty-four, who received Sophomore Honor Distinction and completed the upper-division honors program, graduated with College Honors. Seven, who completed the upper-division honors program, graduated with Upper Division Honors Distinction.

Also during the main ceremony, LSU Chancellor Michael Martin recognized the LSU class of 1959 and the Golden Tigers, or those who graduated at least 50 years ago. LSU Board of Supervisors Chairman James P. Roy conferred degrees, and LSU Faculty Senate President and Professor of English Kevin Cope served as mace bearer.

The processional and recessional music was provided by the LSU Commencement Band, conducted by Director of Bands Frank B. Wickes. Leanne Pettit, candidate for Doctor of Musical Arts, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the LSU alma mater. The invocation and benediction were by Rabbi Corie Yutkin.

Lt. Col. Phillip Pugh Jr., professor of military science, recognized 23 newly commissioned Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC cadets who graduated. The cadets were officially commissioned at a separate ceremony on Thursday, May 14, at 10 a.m. in the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student Athletes.

LSU Alumni Association President and CEO Charlie Roberts welcomed the graduates to the association, and LSU System President John V. Lombardi delivered closing remarks.

Posthumous degrees were awarded to Luke Stewart Bashore, Bachelor of Mass Communication, and Chandrasekar Reddy Komma, Ph.D., biochemistry. Relatives of Bashore, who was a native of Fork Union, Va., will his degree during the Manship School of Mass Communication’s degree ceremony. Komma’s widow, brother and sister-in-law travelled from Kurnool, India, and accepted the degree during the main ceremony.

Twenty-five students were also honored with the Distinguished Communicator Award, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation. These students earned this honor by meeting high standards set by faculty in various colleges and by the LSU Communication across the Curriculum, or CxC, program. The students earned high grade-point averages in communication-intensive courses – based on written, spoken, visual and technological communication – and have built digital portfolios, displayed as public Web sites, that include their communication projects from courses, internships, leadership roles and public service. Names of the distinguished communicators can be found at http://appl003.lsu.edu/UNV002.nsf/(NoteID)/24C21B7CA622E9388625744900778407?OpenDocument.

Three members of the USA Today All-USA College Academic Team received their degrees as well: Brian Goh of Baton Rouge, who was one of 20 students nationwide to earn first-team honors, and John Casey of Mandeville and Michael Rhea of DeRidder, who were named to the second team. Goh and Casey are also recipients of the national Barry M. Goldwater Scholar award, presented to students who excel in the academic fields of science and engineering. Goh is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, while Casey is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biological engineering and Rhea with dual bachelor’s degrees in political science and international studies.

For a list of other noteworthy graduates, including Uyanga Erdenebold, who overcame blindness to receive a Master of Library & Information Science degree, LSU’s first graduate of the School of Coast & Environment and WNBA star Sylvia Fowles, see an accompanying release.

The names of students who received degrees can be found at http://www.lsu.edu/commencement/grads.html. This list is for May graduates who have authorized the release of their names.

For more information on commencement, visit http://www.lsu.edu/commencement.

Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu Introduces Foster Care Legislation in Conjunction With Lifetime Original Movie "America"

Wed, 06 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

In conjunction with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute's (CCAI) screening of the Lifetime Original Movie "America," U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) will introduce the Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009, which seeks to connect foster children with caring mentors. At the request of Senator Landrieu and the CCAI, Lifetime Television and Sony Pictures Television will hold a private screening of the critically acclaimed film on Wednesday, May 6, at 5:30 pm at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C. Special guests scheduled to attend the event include Senator Landrieu, "America" star/executive producer and Emmy Award winner Rosie O'Donnell, and three-time Emmy Award–nominated executive producer Larry Sanitsky. May is National Foster Care Month.

"After seeing 'America' on Lifetime in February, I wanted to screen this important film for other members of Congress and foster care advocates in our nation's capitol," Senator Mary Landrieu said. "'America' is a powerful movie that does a great job highlighting some of the perils facing our nation's foster youth — especially those who are on the cusp of aging out of the system — and how critical it is for these young people to have caring mentors while in foster care. With the legislation we are introducing, we are taking steps to ensure that."

O'Donnell executive-produced and starred in the powerful film, which premiered on Lifetime Television on February 28, 2009, and was watched by 3.2 million viewers. Upon seeing "America," Senator Landrieu, a board member of the CCAI, urged the Coalition to host a screening on Capitol Hill for members of Congress, Congressional staff, and foster care and adoption advocates.

In addition to child foster care, Lifetime Networks' advocacy initiatives span a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Over the past 25 years, the company's advocacy activities have played integral roles in securing the passage of five major bills into law, including legislation that combats human trafficking, prevents sexual assault and provides services to victims of domestic violence.

O'Donnell will next be seen on July 26 as a guest star in the third episode of Lifetime Television's all-new comedic drama series, "Drop Dead Diva," premiering on the number one women's network this summer.

About the Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009
The Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009 proposes to connect children in foster care with responsible caring adults by authorizing $15 million to establish statewide foster-care mentoring programs, providing $4 million to begin a national public awareness campaign for mentor recruitment programs and allowing loans up to $20,000 in federal student loan forgiveness for those who volunteer to mentor a child in care.

About the Movie
Based on E.R. Frank's book of the same name, "America" takes viewers on the emotional journey of the novel's title character, 17-year-old America, as he navigates the United States foster care system. O'Donnell leads the movie's cast as a therapist who gives America the support to deal with his troubled past and find the courage to survive against all odds. Newcomer Philip Johnson makes his acting debut in the title role alongside Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award–winning actress Ruby Dee ("American Gangster," "Decoration Day").

"America" reunited O'Donnell with three-time Emmy-nominated producer Larry Sanitsky ("The Last Don," "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All," "Paris Trout") and writer Joyce Eliason ("Gracie’s Choice"), with whom she worked on the 2005 CBS telefilm "Riding the Bus with My Sister." Multiple Emmy Award winner Yves Simoneau ("Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," "Napoleon") directed the Sony Pictures Television film.

Synopsis
Dr. Maureen Brennan (O'Donnell) has spent her career counseling teens as a therapist at Ridgeway, a residential treatment facility for foster kids who are on the cusp of "aging out" of the "system." Her newest patient is 17-year-old America (Johnson), a withdrawn and troubled boy who has been in foster care since infancy. As a youngster, America initially found stability in the arms of Mrs. Harper (Dee), an elderly nanny to one of his foster families. A few days before the start of kindergarten, though, America is reunited with his birth mother, only to be abandoned yet again and left at the mercy of an imperfect system. After years of sexual abuse, America is full of anger and confusion, and attempts suicide, landing him at Ridgeway. There, Dr. Brennan slowly helps him open up about his painful past and provides him with the support and courage to reclaim his life before the system turns its back.

About the Production
"America" was produced by The Sanitsky Company in association with Sony Pictures Television for Lifetime Television. Sanitsky and O'Donnell served as executive producers. Simoneau co-produced and directed from Eliason and O'Donnell's adaptation of the story from E.R. Frank's novel, "America." David Rosemont (Lifetime's "Sex & Lies in Sin City: The Ted Binion Scandal," "The Company") was the producer.

About Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is one of the television industry's leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment around the world and for every platform: broadcast and cable television, first-run and off-network syndication and digital distribution. In addition to one of the industry's largest libraries of feature films and television shows, SPT boasts a current program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed prime-time dramas, comedies and telefilms. SPT is also a leader in the field of international television production, with over 9,000 hours of programming in 13 local languages in over 30 countries. To better serve its clients and partners worldwide, SPT maintains offices throughout the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the People's Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Venezuela and the United Kingdom. SPT's worldwide television networks portfolio is a key strategy in Sony Pictures Entertainment's (SPE) long-range commitment to the global marketplace, with over 50 networks in more than 130 countries reaching almost 400 million households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE's premium video website, Crackle. Additionally, SPT is a part owner of cable channel GSN; FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service; and national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT advertiser sales is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT’s syndicated series as well as in all of SPE's digital businesses in the United States, and for Sony Music Entertainment. Sony Pictures Television (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

About the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute
The Congressional Coalition and Adoption Institute (CCAI) is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization that strives to be an objective, educational resource for information critical to advancing the efforts of federal policymakers on behalf of children in need of homes. Our mission is to raise awareness of the millions of children around the world in need of safe, loving and permanent families and to eliminating the barriers that hinder children from realizing their basic right to a family. We achieve this mission through five core programs, all designed to provide an up-close and personal experience with issues that affect orphans and foster youth.

About Lifetime Television
Lifetime is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multimedia company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (which includes myLifetime.com, Mothersclick.com, Lifetime Games, Roiworld.com and DressUpChallenge.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

Photography is available at www.lifetimepress.com.

U.S. veterans department to spend $8.3 million in Louisiana

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs plans to spend $8.3 million on medical facilities and cemeteries in Louisiana.

The money is part of the stimulus package approved by Congress.

Most of the money -- or about $6.7 million -- will go to upgrading the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport. Also, the agency plans upgrades at the VA medical centers in Alexandria and New Orleans.

Also, $74,000 will be spent on maintenance at the Alexandria National Cemetery in Pineville, on the Massachusetts Monument in the Baton Rouge National Cemetery and at Port Hudson National Cemetery.

Sen. Mary Landrieu's office announced the spending plans Monday.

La. Law Enforcement Officials Stand with Senator Landrieu

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Sheriffs, Chiefs of Police and District Attorneys endorse Landrieu.

BATON ROUGE - Sheriffs, Chiefs of Police and District Attorneys from throughout Louisiana today joined United States Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., to show their support for her re-election. Sen. Landrieu is a tenacious fighter for Louisiana law enforcement and has delivered key resources to the state's first responders.

"I am so proud to have the support of Louisiana's law enforcement leaders," Sen. Landrieu said. "The courage demonstrated by Louisiana's law enforcement personnel cannot be overstated. Law enforcement is not a Democratic of Republican issue. These brave men and women put their lives on the line to protect our families, and I will always stand up for them."

Sen. Landrieu has fought to improve the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program and to ensure funding for the Byrne Grant Program and introduced legislation to broaden benefits offered to disabled firefighters and to the families of those who are killed in the line of duty. She has also fought to pass legislation to accelerate the reconstruction of police stations, fire stations and criminal justice facilities after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike.

"Sen. Landrieu has been very supportive of law enforcement, ever since I have known her," said East Carroll Parish Sheriff Mark Shumate. The Louisiana Sheriffs' Association endorsed Sen. Landrieu in August. "I come from a very small, rural department of 12 to 14 people, and if was not for the support we receive from Sen. Landrieu and our other representatives in Congress - mainly with her backing - there are a lot of things we would not have. Sen. Landrieu has been instrumental in securing USDA grant funds for our department, which allow us to obtain two patrol vehicles every year. Without her help on that, we would not make it. We would not have the cars."

"Senator Landrieu has been a great friend to law enforcement for a number of years, at the state and federal level," said Grant Parish District Attorney Jay Lemoine. "Certainly in her last 12 years in the Senate, she has been a great support. Sen. Landrieu is willing to work across the aisle to help provide additional funding for street enforcement and prosecutorial efforts, and her continued service in Washington would be a great asset to all involved in law enforcement and the communities they serve. The Louisiana District Attorney's Association does not endorse political candidates, but I and many of my elected district attorney colleagues fully support Sen. Landrieu's reelection."

"I have known Sen. Landrieu since she was a child, when I was her daddy's body guard," said Chief Peter Dale of Harahan. "Moon Landrieu was a good man, and the apples don't fall far from the tree. Sen. Landrieu has always been a friend of law enforcement."

While Sen. Landrieu has delivered key resources for Louisiana's first responders and crime fighters, perennial candidate John Kennedy has called for cutting more than $1.5 million for law enforcement and emergency response, labeling the essential funding "junk."

Mr. Kennedy's suggested cuts targeted local sheriffs, the criminal justice system, local fire departments, emergency generators, hurricane equipment and evacuation centers. He also suggested cutting $1.3 million for infrastructure, including road repairs, drainage and pumps.

While Kennedy suggested these cuts would help "get the junk" out of the state's budget, he ignored more than $11 million in funding for private organizations.

"Now is not the time to cut funding for our first responders," Sen. Landrieu said. "I will continue to fight for our Sheriffs, police departments and district attorneys. While I have fought for them, my opponent has fought to cut their funding. We need serious leadership in the Senate. We do not need a confused politician who puts politics before our police officers."

Former Gov. Treen Endorses Landrieu

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Joins 27 Republican elected officials supporting Landrieu.

NEW ORLEANS - Former Louisiana Governor David Treen today endorsed U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., for re-election. Gov. Treen was the first Republican elected Governor of Louisiana since Reconstruction. He also served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973-1980.

"As a former Congressman and Governor I understand the importance of bipartisanship," Gov. Treen said. "Sen. Landrieu has always worked across the aisle to get the job done for Louisiana. She is respected by Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, and she is able to deliver for our communities when we need it most. Louisiana cannot afford to lose Sen. Landrieu's effectiveness in Congress.

"Also, it is politically advantageous to have Senate representation in both political parties. We have Republican David Vitter in the Senate, and we will have Democrat Mary Landrieu there as well."

"I'm proud to have the support of Republican and Democratic leaders from throughout Louisiana," Sen. Landrieu said. "I don't look for Democratic solutions or Republican solutions; I look for solutions that work. Gov. Treen knows that I always put Louisiana first, and I thank him for his support for my re-election."

Twenty-seven current Republican elected officials have endorsed Sen. Landrieu, including four parish-wide officials from Sen. Landrieu's opponent's home parish: St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis, District Attorney Walter Reed, Sheriff Jack Strain and Assessor Patricia Schwarz-Core. Covington Mayor Candace Watkins, Parish Council Member Kim Harbison and Alderman Greg Lemons are other Republican officials from St. Tammany who have endorsed Sen. Landrieu.

National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare Endorses Sen. Landrieu

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Cites Sen. Landrieu's leadership fighting for older Americans.

NEW ORLEANS - United States Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., was today endorsed by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.

"Our nation needs your leadership, vision and determination to fight for working families and older Americans," former Congresswomen Barbara Kennelly, D-Conn., who is the organization's President and Chief Executive Officer, said in a letter to Sen. Landrieu. "You understand that congressional efforts to privatize Social Security, which would undermine the most successful social insurance program ever, continue... National Committee members and supporters want you in the United States Senate to continue protecting Social Security and Medicare - the twin pillars necessary to a good quality of life for Americans of all ages."

"I am so proud to receive the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare's endorsement," Sen. Landrieu said. "Social Security is a promise made to America's workers, and I will continue to fight to preserve the program and prevent the government's raid of the Social Security Trust Fund. I will also fight against irresponsible plans to privatize Social Security and cut benefits."

A copy of the Committee's endorsement to Sen. Landrieu is available here.

VFW PAC Endorses Landrieu

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Cites Sen. Landrieu's fights on behalf of veterans and military families.

NEW ORLEANS - Friends of Mary Landrieu today announced that U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., has received the endorsement of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Political Action Committee.

The VFW-PAC is the nation's only major Veterans Service Organization PAC. The organization provides 2.2 million members of the VFW, its auxiliaries and their families with an opportunity to collectively support candidates for federal office.

"In addition to comments received from VFW leaders in your state, this endorsement is based on your strong support for veterans, national security/defense, and military personnel issues," Larry Rivers, Director of VFW-PAC, wrote to Sen. Landrieu. "VFW-PAC endorses only those candidates for federal office who support our nations' veterans and stand in support of a strong national defense."

"Mary Landrieu has a strong voting record demonstrating her support for veterans' rights and strong national defense, which is why we endorsed her," past Louisiana Department Commander of the VFW Tom Kijak said today. "She is a strong advocate for veterans in the State of Louisiana."

"I am so proud to receive the endorsement of veterans who have served on the front lines to protect our freedom," Sen. Landrieu said. "Our military veterans provided us with most of the freedoms that Americans enjoy today, and as a U.S. Senator, I fight to provide them with the protection they need at war, and the care they need when they come home."

Sen. Landrieu led the fight in the Senate to give our troops on the front lines the protection then need to win the war. She secured funding for a facility in Slidell to produce armored security vehicles that are used in Iraq. The vehicles provide better safety than humvees and more maneuverability than other military vehicles.

As a member of the U.S. Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, Sen. Landrieu has led the effort to provide or National Guardsmen and Reserves with the support they need while at war. She has fought every year to increase pay for Guard and Reserve troops and to provide America's businesses with tax credits so that they can continue to pay Guardsman and Reservists during their deployments.

Click here to read more about Sen. Landrieu's record fighting for veterans and military families.

Jefferson Parish Officials Back Landrieu

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Republican and Democratic leaders cite Landrieu's effectiveness.

GRETNA - Republican Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand and Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick today joined seven other elected officials from the parish to endorse U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., who is seeking re-election this year. The officials join 17 officials from Jefferson Parish who had already endorsed Sen. Landrieu.

Sheriff Normand joined other prominent Republicans who have endorsed Sen. Landrieu, and he cited her ability to consistently deliver for Louisiana communities as the basis for his endorsement.

"There has never been a time when Sen. Landrieu has turned her back on our state's sheriffs," Sheriff Normand said. "For Senator Landrieu, it's never about party - being Republican or Democrat - it's about getting the job done for the people of Louisiana. She has always stood by us. And today I am proud to stand by her."

District Attorney Connick emphasized Sen. Landrieu's record of effectiveness in the U.S. Senate as the primary reason to re-elect her.

"Over the past 12 years, Senator Mary Landrieu has developed a distinguished record of accomplishment, and we simply cannot afford to lose her effectiveness and seniority in Congress," District Attorney Connick said today. "She works across the aisle to address important issues on behalf of our communities and families. I'm honored to stand with Mary Landrieu today as she seeks re-election."

"I am so proud to receive the endorsement of these Jefferson Parish officials," Sen. Landrieu said. "I fight every day in the Senate for the communities that make up Louisiana, and as long as I am in the Senate, they can count on me to win for them. I don't look for Democratic solutions or Republican solutions; I look for solutions that work for Louisiana."

Other Jefferson Parish officials endorsing Sen. Landrieu today include Rep. Girod Jackson III, Republican Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts, Rep. Robert Billiot, Mayor Tim Kerner, State Senator David Heitmeier, Mayor David Camardelle and Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson.

New Ad: ''Solutions'' Highlights Senator Landrieu's Winning Fights for Louisiana

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

NEW ORLEANS - Friends of Mary Landrieu today launched a new statewide television ad. "Solutions" highlights U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu's, D-La., seniority and ability to work across party lines to deliver for Louisiana, including $40 billion in oil royalties, defense jobs for Louisiana workers and legislation to protect Louisiana values, including a Constitutional amendment to ban desecration of the American flag.

The new ad is available online at http://marylandrieu.com/multimedia/video?id=0045.

For more information, see below:

Script	Backup
Sen. Landrieu: I'm not looking for Democratic solutions or Republican solutions. I'm looking for solutions that work	Ranked As Ideological Center Of U.S. Senate: National Journal magazine ranked Landrieu as the ideological center of the U.S. Senate in 2008. (National Journal, 3/8/08) Landrieu Breaks With Her Party More Often Than Any Other Member Of The Louisiana Delegation: According to vote ratings by Congressional Quarterly, Senator Landrieu broke with her party more than any other member of the Louisiana delegation in 2007. (CQ Party Unity Ratings, 2007) Among The Top Two Most Independent Democrats In The U.S. Senate: Landrieu has consistently been ranked by Congressional Quarterly among the most independent members of the Senate, breaking with her party more than most other Democrats. In 2007, Landrieu was the second most independent Democrat in the Senate. (CQ Party Unity Ratings, 2001 - 2007)
VO: Mary Landrieu. Using her seniority to get us $40 billion in oil royalties. Worker: Others talked about it. She did it.	Landrieu Sponsored Law That Created A Dedicated Revenue Stream For Coastal Restoration: In 2006, legislation co-sponsored by Landrieu was signed into law to dedicate 37.5% of future oil and gas revenues from new drilling to Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states for coastal restoration and hurricane protection. The measure created a dedicated revenue stream for Gulf Coast wetlands restoration, hurricane protection and flood control projects. (HR 6111, 2006; New Orleans CityBusiness, 12/20/06; AP, 12/20/06) • Law Could Bring Over $40 Billion To Louisiana: The revenue sharing legislation could bring over $40 billion to Louisiana over 50 years. (Projected Revenues From Domenici-Landrieu, 3/11/08; Times-Picayune, 12/21/06) After 60 Years Of Louisiana Not Getting Its Fair Share, Landrieu Secured Oil & Gas Revenues For The State: Senator Landrieu's measure to allow Louisiana to share in oil and gas revenues from drilling in the Gulf of Mexico came almost 60 years after Louisiana turned down an offer from President Harry Truman for billions of dollars in federal oil and gas royalties. (Baton Rouge Advocate, 12/21/06) Landrieu Has Seniority, Prime Committee Assignments: In April 2008, the Times-Picayune reported that voters may decide that, "...Landrieu's seniority, prime assignments on the Appropriations and Homeland Security Committees, and membership in the majority party are just too valuable to lose." (Times-Picayune, 4/24/08) • Louisiana Losing Half Its Seniority In Congress: Due to retirements of members of Congress, Louisiana will lose more than half of its seniority - 44 out of 87 years - next year. (Advocate, 1/20/08) • Landrieu Sits On Key Committees: Landrieu is a member of the Senate Appropriations, Small Business, Homeland Security and Energy Committees. (Senate Committee Assignments)
VO: Defense jobs. To protect our soldiers. Worker: Mary Landrieu saved our jobs.	Landrieu Helped Save Production Of Armored Security Vehicles By Adding $18 Million To Defense Spending Bill: The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported in January 2002, "With the Army showing little interest in continued spending for armored security vehicles being built at Textron Marine, the New Orleans company began contemplating the dismissal of 75 production workers last year. The layoff notices never went out, however, because of a last-minute $18 million addition to a defense spending bill" by Landrieu and Senator David Vitter. (Times-Picayune, 1/6/02) Textron VP Said Landrieu's Efforts Saved The Program: Mike Moise, vice president for business development programs, management and engineering for Textron Marine, said "What saved it is simple: the efforts of Mary Landrieu and David Vitter." (Times-Picayune, 1/6/02) • Textron Was Considering 75 Layoffs Before Funding Was Secured By Senator Landrieu: The Times-Picayune reported that in 2001, Textron began contemplating the dismissal of 75 production workers when the Army showed little interest in continuing spending on the ASV program. The layoff notices never went out because of a last-minute $18 million addition to a defense spending bill for the ASVs secured by Senators Landrieu and Vitter. (Times-Picayune, 1/6/02) Armored Security Vehicles Provide Greater Protection Than Other Options: According to USA Today, "The ASV offers better protection than an armored Humvee and more maneuverability than an MRAP." (USA Today, 9/4/07) ASV Called "One Of The Safest Vehicles In Iraq": USA Today described the ASV as "one of the safest vehicles in Iraq." (USA Today, 9/4/07) Brought Key Resources To Ft. Polk For Facilities & Programs: Since 2001, Senator Landrieu has secured key funding for Ft. Polk for facilities including $9.9 million in fiscal 2001 for a training center and $1.25 million in fiscal 2004 for a shoot house. (House Rept. 106-710, pg. 107; House Rept. 108-342, pg. 32-33; House Rept. 109-359, pg. 208) • Ft. Polk Is 2nd Largest Employer In Louisiana: Ft. Polk is also the second largest employer in the state of Louisiana, employing more people than any other entity besides the state government. (Town Talk, 6/25/08)
VO: Voted to keep "under God" in the pledge and protect our flag.	Led Efforts To Keep "Under God" In The Pledge Of Allegiance: Senator Landrieu has repeatedly introduced a constitutional amendment to protect references to God in the Pledge of Allegiance and U.S. currency. (S J Res 39, 6/26/02; S J Res 7, Introduced 3/3/03; S J Res 24, Introduced 9/14/05; Baton Rouge Advocate, 6/14/02; Monroe News-Star, 6/27/02) Co-Sponsored Constitutional Amendment To Prevent Flag Burning: In 2006, Landrieu co-sponsored and voted for a constitutional amendment to allow Congress to ban flag burning. (Shreveport Times, 6/29/06; S J Res 12, Vote #189, 6/27/06)
Bill Detwieler, Past National Commander, American Legion: She broke ranks with a lot of Democrats and stepped forward on her own. Very independent	Landrieu Breaks With Her Party More Often Than Any Other Member Of The Louisiana Delegation: According to vote ratings by Congressional Quarterly, Senator Landrieu broke with her party more than any other member of the Louisiana delegation in 2007. (CQ Party Unity Ratings, 2007) Daily Advertiser - Landrieu A "Centrist Leader" In A Position To Bring A Lot Home For Louisiana: The Lafayette Daily Advertiser said Landrieu "has emerged as a centrist leader, able to bridge the partisan chasm, a member of the majority party with minority party allies, which puts her in a position to bring a lot home to Louisiana." (Daily Advertiser, 1/15/07)

Ad Watch: NRSC Repeats Kennedy Attack on Landrieu's Fight for Schoolchildren

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Attempts to hide Kennedy's record of wasting taxpayer money.

NEW ORLEANS - Friends of Mary Landrieu today responded to a new negative attack by the National Republican Senatorial Committee - the same organization that four years ago called perennial candidate John Kennedy ineffective, inefficient and not ready for primetime. The organization also exposed Kennedy for costing Louisiana $37 million because of lax procedures. Today, the NRSC criticized U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., for fighting to teach schoolchildren how to read.

"John Kennedy and his allies are again attacking Sen. Landrieu for securing funding for a program that helped children learn how to read," Landrieu campaign spokesman Scott Schneider said. "The program has been requested by local school officials in Louisiana and across the country to address high illiteracy rates. Sen. Landrieu will continue to work in the Senate to improve the lives of schoolchildren and give them more opportunities, regardless of John Kennedy's attacks, which have been called 'gross distortions' and 'patently false.'"

"The NRSC's new attack is simply designed to hide John Kennedy's record of wasting $37 million of taxpayer money. This is the same man who was asleep at the switch when Citizens spent $1 million on lavish trips and fancy meals but couldn't cover hurricane claims. He even voted to protect pensions for politicians convicted of bribery and embezzlement. He is truly one confused politician."

For more information on the new false, negative NRSC attack, see below:

NRSC Ad Spin	The Facts
We stopped the pay raise, and new ethics laws have passed in Louisiana.	Kennedy Nearly Killed Earmark Reform Legislation With Political Posturing: In 2008, the Associated Press reported that the sponsor of earmark reform legislation in the Louisiana Senate said that radio advertisements and mailers featuring Kennedy's support for the bill "may not have helped its chances of passage." Morrish, R-Jennings, said some lawmakers saw Kennedy's support and a third-party group's touting of Kennedy's backing of the bill as a type of campaign tactic. (AP, 6/10/08)
But there's more work to do. Mary Landrieu was just named one of the most corrupt members of Congress.	Landrieu Supported Ethics Reforms & Led Efforts To Increase Transparency In Government: Landrieu has fought in the U.S. Senate to increase ethics in government. She led the fight to make federal spending more transparent. Her record includes: • Supporting Tough, New Ethics Standards For Washington Lawmakers: In 2007, Landrieu voted for many new ethics provisions as part of the Democrats' ethics reform package. The changes Landrieu supported included the establishment of an independent Office of Public Integrity, harsher penalties for failing to comply with lobbying laws, denial of pensions to lawmakers convicted of white collar crimes, and stiffened penalties for falsified financial disclosures. Landrieu also supported a provision prohibiting lawmakers from paying family members with campaign funds. (S 1, Vote #18, 1/18/07; S 1, Vote #9, 1/12/07; S 1, Vote #8, 1/12/07; S 1, Vote #2, 1/10/07; S 1, Vote #4, 1/10/07) • Pushed For Greater Earmark Transparency And Disclosure: In 2007, Landrieu voted several times for greater transparency and disclosure of federal earmarks. In August, Sen. Landrieu voted for an ethics reform package that required earmark sponsors to be identified and allowed lawmakers and the public a chance to review bills before they are voted on. Landrieu voted for two similar provisions in January of that year. (S 1, Vote #19 & Vote # 294, 8/2/07; CQ BillAnalysis; S 1, Vote #5, 1/11/07; Vote #11, 1/16/07; S 2349, Vote #82, 3/29/06) • Co-Sponsored Measures To Increase Transparency In Federal Funds: In 2006, Landrieu cosponsored legislation that was introduced by GOP Sen. Tom Coburn to create a free searchable database for all recipients of federal grants and contracts including earmarks. The measure became law in September 2006. (S 2590, Co-Sponsored 8/1/06; Public Law 109-282; Obama Release, 9/8/06; Chicago Sun-Times, 9/21/06) • Supported Efforts To Limit The Influence Of Lobbyists: In 2007, during the passage of landmark ethics reform, Landrieu supported a number of efforts to limit the influence of lobbyists. Senator Landrieu voted to extend the period that former lawmakers must wait before becoming lobbyists, to prohibit lobbyist-funded parties at Party conventions, and to require legislators to pay full market price for flights on private planes. Landrieu also supported strengthening penalties for violating lobbying laws. (S 1, Vote #19, 1/18/07; S 1, Vote #16, 1/17/07; S 1, Vote #13, 1/17/07; S 1, Vote #12, 1/16/07; S 1, Vote #15, 1/17/07; S 1, Vote #9, 1/12/07) Landrieu Honored As Legislator Of The Year By Alliance For Good Government: In 2007, Senator Landrieu was honored by the Alliance for Good Government as Legislator of the Year. The group was started in 1967 by a core group of six people affirmed their dedication to the need for good government in the city of New Orleans by starting the Alliance for Good Government. They have enlarged their commitment and ideals with active chapters in Orleans, St. Bernard, Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes. (Times-Picayune, 9/9/07) Landrieu Was Lauded By For Her Legacy Of Reform As State Treasurer: In 1996, a New Orleans Times-Picayune column stated, "As she walks out of the state treasurer's office for the last time, Mary Landrieu leaves a legacy that few elected officials can match. In her eight years as state treasurer, she has improved and largely depoliticized the way the state invests its money, saved millions of dollars for the state, and generated millions in additional money for education. She leaves the office with a solid reputation for personal integrity...As she campaigned for governor, Landrieu repeatedly said that the state must radically change the way it handles its money and that this is a larger problem than the amount of money the state receives from the taxpayer.... She has been a bright spot in a system where unselfish service, hard work and honesty are often at a premium. Landrieu has established that legacy whatever the future holds for her." (Times%u2011Picayune, 1/7/96)
Landrieu took thirty thousand dollars in contributions. Then just days later, she slipped a million dollar earmark into law to benefit her contributor. Now allegations of bribery haunt Landrieu.	Ad Gets It WRONG: Landrieu Requested Funding For A Literacy Program At The Urging Of Local School Officials: Senator Landrieu requested funding for the literacy program at the request of local school officials months before the timeline laid out by Kennedy. • Local Officials Requested Literacy Program Funding In April 2001: Local school officials requested funding for the Voyager literacy program in April 2001 based on previous success with other Voyager programs. (Letter from D.C. Superintendent Paul Vance to Sen. Mike DeWine & Sen. Mary Landrieu, 4/25/01) • NRSC Timeline Is Wrong, Landrieu Requested Funding In May 2001 At Request Of Local Officials: Senator Landrieu requested funding for the literacy program in May 2001, AFTER receiving the request from the local school system. These events occurred months before the timeline laid out by Kennedy and the Washington Post. (Sen. Mary Landrieu Letter to Sen. Mike DeWine, 5/15/01) • Local Officials Continued To Advocate For The Program: The D.C. Superintendent of Schools continued to push for funding for the program, stating in September 2001 that he was "pleased that Senator Mary Landrieu is vigorously supporting our reform efforts that focus on early childhood reading." (Letter from D.C. Superintendent Paul Vance to Kate Eltrich, Professional Staff, District of Columbia Sub-Committee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, 9/19/01) Senator Landrieu Fought For A Program To Help Children Learn To Read: In 2001, Landrieu secured $2 million for Voyager Expanded Learning's Universal Literacy Program to help schoolchildren learn to read. She secured the funding at the request of local school officials. (D.C. Superintendent Vance Letter to Sens. DeWine & Landrieu, 4/25/01) Senator Landrieu Has A Strong Record Of Backing Innovative Programs To Improve Education In Louisiana & Across The Country: Landrieu has a long history of fighting for innovative ways to improve education for students in Louisiana and across the country. She led and won efforts for new accountability and standards and additional resources for our classrooms. • New Accountability & Standards: Senator Landrieu has backed new accountability and standards for our classrooms. She supported the No Child Left Behind Act and has proposed a major overhaul of federal education programs to emphasize job performance. (Vote #371, 12/18/01; Washington Post, 12/17/01; S 2001, Introduced 8/3/07; Times-Picayune, 7/19/07, Times-Picayune, 3/4/07) • Additional Funding For Louisiana Classrooms: Senator Landrieu was successful in reforming federal education funding formulas to deliver additional resources for Louisiana schools. (S 1, Amendment 474 and 475, Vote #178, 6/11/01; HR 1, Sec. 1125AA; Times-Picayune, 11/29/01) • An Advocate Of School Reform: Senator Landrieu has been a long-time proponent of public charter schools. (TIME Magazine, 9/17/07) Kennedy's Friend & Campaign Ally David Vitter Also Requested Funding For The Literacy Program: Senator David Vitter, who has raised money for and is campaigning with John Kennedy, also requested funding for the Voyager Literacy Program. • Vitter Requested Voyager Funding: In 2001 then-Rep. David Vitter requested $1 million for Voyager's Universal Literacy Program in the District's spending bill. (Times-Picayune, 2/3/08; Conference Committee Markup Worksheet, 12/1/01) • Kennedy & Vitter Campaigning Together: Kennedy said in July 2008 that he would campaign with Senator David Vitter and that he was "honored" to have Vitter's support. Vitter has donated $10,000 to Kennedy's campaign from his Louisiana Reform PAC. (Politico.com, 7/24/08; FEC) Kennedy Voted To Allow Public Officials Convicted Of Corruption To Keep Taxpayer-Funded Pensions: In 2006, Kennedy voted on the state employees' retirement board to oppose legislation to take retirement benefits away from public officials convicted of bribery, embezzlement or other corruption charges. Under the legislation, affected officials could retrieve money they contributed toward their retirement but would lose a pension largely financed by government money. (LASERS Board Meeting Minutes, 4/28/06; Advocate, 5/2/06; SB 59 & SB 60, 2006) • Republican Sponsor - "We Should Not Have An Entitlement Program For Corrupt Officials": The Republican sponsor of the legislation, state Sen. Art Letini said, "We should not have an entitlement program for corrupt officials...I think this is a tremendous deterrent." (Baton Rouge Advocate, 5/2/06) Furthering His Career Using State Funds: A research report produced by the Republican Party in 2004 highlighted legislation introduced to stop lawmakers from using state funds to pay for advertisements featuring themselves. The research report stated, "A fellow Democrat introduced legislation to stop Kennedy from politically capitalizing on state programs." (NRSC Research Report, 2004) • Bill Was Named After Kennedy: The bill's author, State Sen. Joe McPherson, called his legislation the John Kennedy bill, not for the late president but for the incumbent state treasurer. McPherson said that Kennedy was getting free publicity in television advertisements promoting the return of unclaimed property to rightful owners. (NRSC Research Report, 2004 citing Associated Press, 4/19/01)
Ethics reform just isn't done until Mary Landrieu is gone. The National Republican Senatorial Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising.	Senator Landrieu Has Taken On Washington Interests To Deliver For Louisiana: In the U.S. Senate, Landrieu has been a tenacious fighter for Louisiana, taking on powerful interests to get things done for the state. • Landrieu Convinced Washington To Give Louisiana Fair Share Of Oil & Gas Revenues: In 2006, after nearly 60 years of Louisiana not getting its fair share or oil and gas revenues, Landrieu co-authored the law that dedicated 37.5% of revenues from new drilling for Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states for coastal restoration and hurricane protection. The measure created a dedicated revenue stream for Gulf Coast wetlands restoration, hurricane protection and flood control projects. (HR 6111, 2006; New Orleans CityBusiness, 12/20/06; Advocate, 12/21/06) • Successfully Changed Federal Laws To Direct Additional Funding To Louisiana Classrooms: Senator Landrieu led a successful effort in 2001 to ensure federal Title I dollars made it to the schools and children that most need the help - those schools with high concentrations of poor children. The final No Child Left Behind Law also included an amendment by Senator Landrieu to better target teacher-training money to poorer districts. (S 1, Amendment 474 and 475, Vote #178, 6/11/01; HR 1, Sec. 1125AA; Times-Picayune, 11/29/01) • Led Investigation Into Formaldehyde In FEMA Trailers: In the U.S. Senate, Landrieu has fought hard to require comprehensive testing of FEMA trailers housing victims of the 2005 hurricanes for formaldehyde following complaints by residents. After tests found high levels of the carcinogen in the trailers, Landrieu used her position as chair of the Disaster Recovery Subcommittee to push FEMA for answers and a timeline for moving people out of the trailers. (HR 2638, Senate Amdt. 2509, 7/26/07; Landrieu Release, 12/18/07; AP, 3/13/08)

Kennedy Abandons Farmers to Stick with Campaign Contributor

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

NEW ORLEANS - In the first debate of the 2008 United States Senate campaign, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., challenged perennial candidate John Kennedy to justify his opposition to more than $1 billion in relief for Louisiana farmers impacted by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The storms hit farmers during the harvesting season, destroying their crops and threatening their livelihoods.

Sen. Landrieu introduced a bill that was co-sponsored by four Republican senators, including Senator David Vitter, R-La. Louisiana's Republican Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain has lobbied on behalf of the bill. John Kennedy's campaign backer and surrogate blocked the bill a week after contributing $5,000 to Kennedy's campaign. Kennedy then fired off an email to supporters standing by his anti-Louisiana friend and criticizing Sen. Landrieu for fighting for farmers.

When pressed on his opposition to relief for farmers, Kennedy remained silent, refusing to explain why he put politics and a senator from Oklahoma before crucial funding for Louisiana's agricultural industry.

"John Kennedy had an opportunity to explain to Louisiana's farmers why he decided to stand with an anti-Louisiana senator instead of fighting to help them recover from Gustav and Ike, but he said nothing," Landrieu spokesman Scott Schneider said. "Louisiana's communities need a senator who won't abandon them in their times of need. We can't afford a senator who will stand with campaign backers over Louisianians. John Kennedy needs to explain to Louisiana voters why he wouldn't fight to get our state's farmers the resources they need to recover from devastating hurricanes."

Kennedy Accepted $10,000 From Sen. Coburn's PAC: In the 2008 election, Kennedy has taken $10,000 from Sen. Tom Coburn's Truth, Accountability and Courage PAC (TACPAC) including $5,000 in March 2008 and $5,000 on September 22, 2008. (Kennedy FEC Filings, www.tacpac.org)

Coburn Expected To Campaign With Kennedy: In August 2008, the Daily Advertiser reported, "The [Kennedy] campaign hopes Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, will make a joint campaign stop with Kennedy. But it may have to settle for conservative Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn and other GOP surrogates." (Daily Advertiser, 8/11/08)

Coburn Blocking Disaster Relief For Louisiana Farms: Roll Call reported, "Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) is blocking movement on a billion-dollar disaster relief bill...which seeks $1.12 billion for farmlands that were ravaged by hurricanes and heavy flooding." (Roll Call, 10/2/08)

Kennedy Opposes Money For Louisiana Farmers: On October 3, 2008, Kennedy defended Coburn's opposition to hurricane relief for Louisiana farmers and criticized Senator Landrieu for working to secure $1.12 billion for farmers who suffered losses during Hurricanes Ike and Gustav. Kennedy called the effort "election year politics" (Kennedy Campaign Update, 10/3/08; Times-Picayune, 9/28/08)

Kennedy Backer Kills Aid to LA Farmers

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Kennedy takes $10K from senator who voted for bailout but against farmers.

NEW ORLEANS - Perennial candidate John Kennedy has sided with anti-Louisiana Senator Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who yesterday blocked a $1.12 billion package to help Louisiana farmers struggling to recover from the impact of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

Kennedy has accepted the maximum $10,000 from the Oklahoma senator with a reputation for blocking funding to Louisiana. Just last week, Kennedy accepted $5,000 from the Wall Street first, farmers second senator.

"John Kennedy says he will stand up for Louisiana, but he has aligned himself with anti-Louisiana Senator Tom Coburn and took the maximum contribution from the Oklahoma legislator" Landrieu campaign spokesman Scott Schneider said. "Sen. Coburn was the ONLY objection to $1.12 billion for Louisiana farmers, but John Kennedy couldn't get him to change his mind. This was a day after Kennedy's friend voted for a $700 billion bill to bail out Wall Street. Kennedy's priorities are not Louisiana's priorities. We cannot afford to have him in the U.S. Senate."

Kennedy Accepted $10,000 From Sen. Coburn's PAC: In the 2008 election, Kennedy has taken $10,000 from Sen. Tom Coburn's Truth, Accountability and Courage PAC (TACPAC) including $5,000 in March 2008 and $5,000 on September 22, 2008. (Kennedy FEC Filings, www.tacpac.org)

Coburn Blocking Disaster Relief For Louisiana Farms: Roll Call reported, "Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) is blocking movement on a billion-dollar disaster relief bill...which seeks $1.12 billion for farmlands that were ravaged by hurricanes and heavy flooding." (Roll Call, 10/2/08)

- 30 -

Kennedy Speaks Out Against Aid For Louisiana Farmers

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Stands with campaign contributor against funding for Louisiana.

NEW ORLEANS - After U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., worked with Republicans and Democrats to push legislation that would provide more than $1 billion in relief to Louisiana farmers impacted by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, perennial candidate John Kennedy fired off an email to supporters criticizing her efforts and calling assistance for farmers "spending designed to help politicians."

Sen. Landrieu introduced legislation with four Republicans, including Senator David Vitter, R-La., to provide assistance to farmers who lost their crops after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike decimated their farmland. The assistance was requested by Louisiana's Republican Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain.

"It is remarkable that John Kennedy would call more than $1 billion in assistance for Louisiana farmers 'spending designed to help politicians,'" Landrieu campaign spokesman Scott Schneider said. "If this was a campaign ploy, then I don't think Sen. David Vitter - a staunch Kennedy supporter - and three other Republicans senators would stand with Sen. Landrieu to get the bill passed.

"The reality is that Sen. Landrieu is for aid to farmers. John Kennedy is against it. He has decided to stand with his anti-Louisiana campaign backer who gave $5,000 to his campaign last week. This is the same man who just one day earlier voted for nearly a trillion dollars to bail out Wall Street. Louisiana needs a Senator who will stand with them and fight for them. Sen. Landrieu has demonstrated time after time that she fights for farmers; John Kennedy would fight against them."

Kennedy Accepted $10,000 From Sen. Coburn's PAC: In the 2008 election, Kennedy has taken $10,000 from Sen. Tom Coburn's Truth, Accountability and Courage PAC (TACPAC) including $5,000 in March 2008 and $5,000 on September 22, 2008. (Kennedy FEC Filings, www.tacpac.org)

Coburn Expected To Campaign With Kennedy: In August 2008, the Daily Advertiser reported, "The [Kennedy] campaign hopes Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, will make a joint campaign stop with Kennedy. But it may have to settle for conservative Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn and other GOP surrogates." (Daily Advertiser, 8/11/08)

Coburn Blocking Disaster Relief For Louisiana Farms: Roll Call reported, "Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) is blocking movement on a billion-dollar disaster relief bill...which seeks $1.12 billion for farmlands that were ravaged by hurricanes and heavy flooding." (Roll Call, 10/2/08)

Kennedy Opposes Money For Louisiana Farmers: On October 3, 2008, Kennedy criticized Senator Landrieu for working to secure $1.12 billion for Louisiana farmers who suffered losses during Hurricanes Ike and Gustav. Kennedy called the effort "election year politics" (Kennedy Campaign Update, 10/3/08; Times-Picayune, 9/28/08)

Ad Watch: Kennedy Tries to Distract Voters from Record

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Hopes conservative voters will forget his liberal past.

NEW ORLEANS - Friends of Mary Landrieu today responded to perennial candidate John Kennedy's latest desperate attempt to confuse conservatives into thinking he's a real Republican. Mr. Kennedy hopes that his new ad will help sway conservatives who remember his past as a liberal candidate who wanted to raise taxes and called President Bush's policies "cold" and "mean."

"John Kennedy's new attack is an obvious ploy to try to win over conservative voters who still don't trust him," Landrieu campaign spokesman Scott Schneider said. "It is true that Sen. Landrieu is supporting Sen. Obama, but it is also true that she has worked with both a Democratic President and a Republican President to get the job done for Louisiana.

"Every independent measure of Senate voting records places Sen. Landrieu at the center of the Senate. She is a pro-Louisiana Senator who works with Republicans and Democrats to deliver for the state's communities.

"It is no wonder Mr. Kennedy is making obvious plays to attract conservative voters. Sen. Landrieu is the only candidate in the race to receive the endorsements from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and nearly every parish-wide Republican elected official from Mr. Kennedy's home parish.

"Kennedy will not be able to erase his past. When Sen. Landrieu was supporting tax reductions, he spoke out against the Bush tax cuts. Sen. Landrieu broke with her party to oppose tax hikes on Louisiana's oil and gas industry and was praised by the National Taxpayers Union.

"John Kennedy has changed positions on nearly every issue to distract conservative voters from the truth. Four years ago, he endorsed John Kerry, and Republicans called him ineffective, inefficient and not ready for primetime. He can change his party and his positions, but Louisiana still can't afford to have him in the U.S. Senate," Schneider said.

For more information on Kennedy's ridiculous new ad, see below:

Kennedy's Ad Spin	The Facts
VO: On how many issues do you agree with Barack Obama? How about eighty-one percent? That's how often Mary Landrieu voted with Barack Obama in the Senate.	Landrieu Ranked As The Ideological Center Of U.S. Senate: National Journal magazine ranked Landrieu as the ideological center of the U.S. Senate in 2008. (National Journal, 3/8/08) Consistently Among The Top 10 Most Independent Democrats In The U.S. Senate: Landrieu has consistently been rated by Congressional Quarterly among the most independent members of the Senate, breaking with her party more than most other Democrats. In 2007, Landrieu was the second most independent Democrat in the Senate. (CQ Party Unity Ratings, 2001 - 2007) Landrieu Breaks With Her Party More Often Than Any Other Member Of The Louisiana Delegation: According to vote ratings by Congressional Quarterly, Senator Landrieu broke with her party more than any other member of the Louisiana delegation in 2007. (CQ Party Unity Ratings, 2007) Daily Advertiser - Landrieu A "Centrist Leader" In A Position To Bring A Lot Home For Louisiana: The Lafayette Daily Advertiser said Landrieu "has emerged as a centrist leader, able to bridge the partisan chasm, a member of the majority party with minority party allies, which puts her in a position to bring a lot home to Louisiana." (Daily Advertiser, 1/15/07)
VO: On abortion, Landrieu votes with Obama.	Landrieu Voted For Ban On Abortion Procedures: In 2003, Landrieu voted to pass the "Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003" that would ban partial-birth abortions. The bill would prohibit doctors from partially delivering a fetus and then committing an "overt act" to kill it. The measure was signed into law by President Bush in November 2003. Landrieu voted for similar legislation in 1997 and 1999. (S 3, Vote #51, 3/13/03; Vote #402, 10/21/03; Charlotte Observer, 3/14/03; CQ Daily Monitor, 9/26/03; S 1692, Vote #340, 10/21/99; HR 1122, Vote #71, 5/20/97) Landrieu Voted For "Unborn Victims Of Violence" Act To Make It A Crime To Kill A Fetus: In 2004, Landrieu voted for a bill that would make it a criminal offense to injure or kill a fetus during the commission of a violent crime. The bill passed and was cleared for the president's signature 61 to 38. This vote was in support of the president's position. (HR 1997, Vote #63, 3/25/04) Co-Sponsored Human Cloning Ban With Conservative GOP Sen. Sam Brownback: In 2007, Landrieu was an original co-sponsor of legislation with Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) to ban all forms of human cloning. Landrieu has co-sponsored similar legislation with Brownback since 2002. (S 1036, Introduced 3/29/07; S 658, Introduced 3/17/05; S 245, Introduced 1/29/03; S 1899, 1/28/02; New Orleans Times-Picayune, 3/18/05) • Won Praise From President Bush For Cloning Ban Legislation: The Times-Picayune reported that at a White House ceremony, President Bush paused during his speech, gestured toward Landrieu and said he "wholeheartedly endorses" her legislation to ban human cloning. (New Orleans Times-Picayune, 4/14/02) A Leader On Promoting Adoption: Landrieu is a co-chair of the Congressional Adoption Coalition. She co-sponsored legislation to encourage adoption including increasing the adoption tax credit. She has also fought to make the tax credit permanent. Senator Landrieu also co-sponsored legislation to improve the foreign adoption process. (CCAI Website; S 1686, Introduced 9/30/03; HR 3182, passed by voice vote 11/14/03; CQ Today, 11/14/03; S 1934, 11/23/03; Congressional Record p. 15647, 11/23/03; S 3031, 12/7/04; New Orleans Times-Picayune, 5/27/01; SCONRES 21, Vote #82, 3/21/07; Congressional Record p. S3468, 3/21/07; Senate Finance Committee Release, 3/21/07; National Journal's CongressDaily, 3/21/07)  VO: On tax hikes, Landrieu votes with Obama. Broke With Her Party To Oppose New Energy Taxes: Landrieu was the only Senate Democrat to oppose eliminating $13 billion in energy tax breaks and her vote was pivotal in blocking the measure. Landrieu said she opposed ending oil and gas industry tax breaks because it would unfairly punish an industry that employed hundreds of thousands of people in Louisiana. (Vote #425, 12/13/07; Times-Picayune, 12/14/07, 1/13/08; AP, 12/13/07) • Praised By Taxpayers Group For Opposing Energy Taxes: In 2008, the National Taxpayers Union praised Landrieu for breaking with her party to oppose new taxes on energy companies. (NTU Ad, 2008) Authored Measure To Reduce Estate Tax, Measure Would Exempt 99.99% Of Louisiana Residents From The Tax: In July 2006, Landrieu introduced legislation to reduce the estate tax, allowing a $5 million exemption for individuals and a $10 million break for couples and would have imposed a 35 percent rate on the value of estates exceeding the exemption levels with a 5 percent "surcharge" estates worth more than $100 million. Landrieu said that under her proposal, 99.99 percent of Louisiana residents would no longer be subject to the tax. Landrieu introduced her proposal again in 2008. (S 3626, 2006; Baton Rouge Advocate, 7/9/06; SCONRES 21, Vote #101, 3/23/07; SCONRES 70, Vote #76, 3/13/08) Led Efforts To Eliminate The "Widow Tax" On Military Survivor Benefits: In 2004, Landrieu sponsored legislation to end the "widow tax" which reduced benefits for surviving spouses of military service members by one-third when recipients entered retirement. The measure signed into law in 2004. ( S 2400, Senate Amendment 3315, Adopted by unanimous consent, 6/23/04; Gannett News, 2/4/04; CQ Weekly, 10/16/04; House Report 108-787, pg. 150-51, 10/8/04; Biloxi Sun Herald, 10/16/04) Supported Largest Cut Two Decades: In 2001, Landrieu was one of 12 Democrats who voted for final passage of Bush's $1.35 trillion tax cut package. The measure was the largest tax cut in 20 years. (HR 1836, Vote #170, 5/26/01; USA Today, 5/29/01) Landrieu Voted To Expand Relief For Lower & Middle Income Taxpayers: Senator Landrieu has voted repeatedly to expand lower tax brackets to cover more taxpayers and provide income tax relief to Louisiana taxpayers. (Vote #188, 9/23/04; Vote #168, 5/15/03; Vote #170, 5/26/01; Vote #165, 5/23/01; Vote #149, 5/22/01; Vote #144, 5/22/01; Vote #143, 5/22/01; Vote #116, 5/21/01; Baltimore Sun, 5/22/01; Vote #247, 7/30/99) Repeatedly Backed Child Tax Credit: Landrieu has voted 14 times to extend and increase the child tax credit. In 2003, Landrieu sponsored a tax cut package that sought to increase the child tax credit to $1,000. (Vote #85, 3/14/08; Vote #42, 3/13/08; Vote #414, 12/6/07; Vote #160, 5/9/07; Vote #346, 11/17/05; Vote #188, 9/23/04; Vote #36, 3/10/04; Vote #266, 7/9/03; Vote #210, 6/5/03; Vote #168, 5/15/03; Vote #167, 5/15/03; Vote #166, 5/15/03; Vote #162, 5/15/03; Vote #153, 5/15/03; Vote #151, 5/15/03; Vote #107, 3/26/03; Vote #170, 5/26/01; Vote #165, 5/23/01; Vote #159, 5/23/01; Vote #144, 5/22/01; Vote #226, 7/21/00; Vote #160, 6/27/97; Vote #140, 6/27/97; Vote #134, 6/26/97; Vote #211, 7/31/97) Backed Relief From Tax Penalties For Married Couples: Landrieu has fought hard to provide relief from the "marriage penalty" - tax provisions that result in married couples paying more federal income tax than they would as a pair of single taxpayers. She voted for the relief for married couples contained in the 2001 tax cut package and in 2003, Landrieu authored a tax relief package that would have accelerated reductions in the marriage penalty. (Vote #85, 3/14/08; Vote #42, 3/13/08; Vote #82, 3/21/07; Vote #344, 11/17/05; Vote #188, 9/23/04; Vote #36, 3/10/04; Vote #167, 5/15/03; Vote #162, 5/15/03; Vote #155, 5/15/03; Vote #170, 5/26/01; Vote #113, 5/17/01; Vote #165, 5/23/01; Vote #144, 5/22/01; Vote #143, 5/22/01; Vote #215, 7/18/00; Vote #200, 7/17/00; HR 4810 CQ BillAnalysis; Vote #53, 4/5/00; Vote #247, 7/30/99; Vote #233, 7/30/99; Vote #59, 4/1/98) Pushed For Tax Breaks For Families Paying College Tuition: To combat the rising cost of a college education, Landrieu has voted 15 times to support tax breaks for the costs of college tuition. (Vote #264, 7/19/07; Vote #32, 1/25/07; Vote #29, 1/25/07; Vote #10, 2/2/06; Vote #347, 11/18/05; Vote #164, 5/15/03; Vote #155, 5/22/01; Vote #152, 5/22/01; Vote #182, 7/13/00; Vote #241, 7/30/99; Vote #211, 7/31/97; Vote #160, 6/27/97)
VO: On confirming conservative judges, Landrieu voted no, just like Obama.	Landrieu Participated In "Gang Of 14" To Ensure Judges Received Fair Senate Approval Process: In May 2005, Landrieu was one of the "Gang of 14," a group of seven Republicans and seven Democrats who seized the Senate's balance of power on judicial nominations. They vowed to prevent filibusters of the president's nominees except under "extraordinary circumstances," a term they left up to each senator to define. But they also vowed to block GOP leaders from using a parliamentary force play to end all judicial filibusters. (New Orleans Times-Picayune, 7/24/05; CQ Politics In America, 4/1/07) Landrieu Voted For Bush Nominees 81% Of The Time: In 225 roll call votes on President Bush's judicial nominees, Senator Landrieu voted for the nominee 81% of the time. (CQ Vote Reports)
VO: Eighty-one percent of the time, Landrieu votes with Obama. Eighty-one percent. VO: Barack Obama doesn't represent Louisiana's values. And neither does Mary Landrieu	Landrieu Ranked As The Ideological Center Of U.S. Senate: National Journal magazine ranked Landrieu as the ideological center of the U.S. Senate in 2008. (National Journal, 3/8/08) Consistently Among The Top 10 Most Independent Democrats In The U.S. Senate: Landrieu has consistently been rated by Congressional Quarterly among the most independent members of the Senate, breaking with her party more than most other Democrats. In 2007, Landrieu was the second most independent Democrat in the Senate. (CQ Party Unity Ratings, 2001 - 2007) Landrieu Breaks With Her Party More Often Than Any Other Member Of The Louisiana Delegation: According to vote ratings by Congressional Quarterly, Senator Landrieu broke with her party more than any other member of the Louisiana delegation in 2007. (CQ Party Unity Ratings, 2001 - 2007)
Kennedy: I'm John Kennedy. I'm for John McCain, and I approve this message.	Kennedy Supported Kerry Against President Bush: In March 2004, Kennedy attended a campaign event with the presumptive Democratic nominee for President, John Kerry. Kennedy supported Kerry over President Bush in the 2004 presidential campaign. (AP, 3/5/04) Kennedy Said President Bush's Policies Were "Cold And Mean": In 2004, Kennedy said that President Bush's policy on overtime pay was "cold and mean." (Times-Picayune, 7/14/04; NRSC Research Document) Criticized By Republican Party For Opposing Bush: In a research document prepared by the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2004, the GOP criticized Kennedy for opposing Bush. (NRSC Research Document, 2004)

Ad Watch: Landrieu Fights for Gov. Reform and Transparency

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

New NRSC ad misleads voters on Sen. Landrieu's record.

NEW ORLEANS - Friends of Mary Landrieu today responded to a new false, negative TV ad by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the same organization that exposed John Kennedy for using his office and taxpayer money to further his political career.

"Sen. Landrieu has fought for reform and transparency in government throughout her entire career," Landrieu campaign spokesman Scott Schneider said. "She has taken on Washington partisan interests to deliver for Louisiana.

"John Kennedy has voted to give taxpayer-funded pensions to politicians convicted of bribery and embezzlement. He's so confused that he would gamble away Louisianians' Social Security on Wall Street but protect retiree benefits for his politician friends convicted of corruption," Schneider said.

For more information about the NRSC's new false attacks, see below:

NRSC Ad Spin	The Facts
We have seen it all: Gambling interests funneling money, favors for contributors, allegations of bribery. We want to put this behind us. But until Landrieu is gone, ethics reform in Louisiana just isn't done.	Landrieu Supported Ethics Reforms & Led Efforts To Increase Transparency In Government: Landrieu has fought in the U.S. Senate to increase ethics in government. She led the fight to make federal spending more transparent. Her record includes: • Supporting Tough, New Ethics Standards For Washington Lawmakers: In 2007, Landrieu voted for many new ethics provisions as part of the Democrats' ethics reform package. The changes Landrieu supported included the establishment of an independent Office of Public Integrity, harsher penalties for failing to comply with lobbying laws, denial of pensions to lawmakers convicted of white collar crimes, and stiffened penalties for falsified financial disclosures. Landrieu also supported a provision prohibiting lawmakers from paying family members with campaign funds. (S 1, Vote #18, 1/18/07; S 1, Vote #9, 1/12/07; S 1, Vote #8, 1/12/07; S 1, Vote #2, 1/10/07; S 1, Vote #4, 1/10/07) • Pushed For Greater Earmark Transparency And Disclosure: In 2007, Landrieu voted several times for greater transparency and disclosure of federal earmarks. In August, Sen. Landrieu voted for an ethics reform package that required earmark sponsors to be identified and allowed lawmakers and the public a chance to review bills before they are voted on. Landrieu voted for two similar provisions in January of that year. (S 1, Vote #19 & Vote # 294, 8/2/07; CQ BillAnalysis; S 1, Vote #5, 1/11/07; Vote #11, 1/16/07; S 2349, Vote #82, 3/29/06) • Co-Sponsored Measures To Increase Transparency In Federal Funds: In 2006, Landrieu cosponsored legislation that was introduced by GOP Sen. Tom Coburn to create a free searchable database for all recipients of federal grants and contracts including earmarks. The measure became law in September 2006. (S 2590, Co-Sponsored 8/1/06; Public Law 109-282; Obama Release, 9/8/06; Chicago Sun-Times, 9/21/06) • Supported Efforts To Limit The Influence Of Lobbyists: In 2007, during the passage of landmark ethics reform, Landrieu supported a number of efforts to limit the influence of lobbyists. Senator Landrieu voted to extend the period that former lawmakers must wait before becoming lobbyists, to prohibit lobbyist-funded parties at Party conventions, and to require legislators to pay full market price for flights on private planes. Landrieu also supported strengthening penalties for violating lobbying laws. (S 1, Vote #19, 1/18/07; S 1, Vote #16, 1/17/07; S 1, Vote #13, 1/17/07; S 1, Vote #12
She was ranked as one of the most corrupt members of Congress.	Landrieu Honored As Legislator Of The Year By Alliance For Good Government: In 2007, Senator Landrieu was honored by the Alliance for Good Government as Legislator of the Year. The group was started in 1967 by a core group of six people affirmed their dedication to the need for good government in the city of New Orleans by starting the Alliance for Good Government. They have enlarged their commitment and ideals with active chapters in Orleans, St. Bernard, Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes. (Times-Picayune, 9/9/07) Kennedy Voted To Allow Public Officials Convicted Of Corruption To Keep Taxpayer-Funded Pensions: In 2006, Kennedy voted on the state employees' retirement board to oppose legislation to take retirement benefits away from public officials convicted of bribery, embezzlement or other corruption charges. Under the legislation, affected officials could retrieve money they contributed toward their retirement but would lose a pension largely financed by government money. (LASERS Board Meeting Minutes, 4/28/06; Advocate, 5/2/06; SB 59 & SB 60, 2006) Furthering His Career Using State Funds: A research report produced by the Republican Party in 2004 highlighted legislation introduced to stop lawmakers from using state funds to pay for advertisements featuring themselves. The research report stated, "A fellow Democrat introduced legislation to stop Kennedy from politically capitalizing on state programs." (NRSC Research Report, 2004) • Bill Was Named After Kennedy: The bill's author, State Sen. Joe McPherson, called his legislation the John Kennedy bill, not for the late president but for the incumbent state treasurer. McPherson said that Kennedy was getting free publicity in television advertisements promoting the return of unclaimed property to rightful owners. (NRSC Research Report, 2004 citing Associated Press, 4/19/01)
Landrieu has ties to convicted lobbyist "Black Jack" Abramoff, whose clients gave thousands to her campaign; and that's just the beginning.	Every Louisiana Member Took Money From Abramoff Or His Clients: Every member of the Louisiana delegation received contributions from Abramoff or his clients. (Gannett News Service, 1/13/06; News-Star, 1/20/06) • Fundraisers Held At Abramoff's Restaurant & Abramoff Used Tribe Money To Campaign For Other Members Of Delegation: Sen. David Vitter, R-Metairie, was a recipient of a fundraiser at Signatures in September 2003. He did not pay for the event until April 2005. Vitter took $6,000 from tribes represented by Abramoff from 1999 through 2001 when he served in the House and Abramoff used Coushatta Tribe funds to send out mailers and run a phone bank on Vitter's behalf. Rep. Jim McCrery was the beneficiary of two fundraisers at Abramoff's restaurant and Rep. Billy Tauzin held two events at Abramoff's restaurant. Rep. Rodney Alexander benefited from a skybox fundraiser hosted by Abramoff's clients. (Gannett News Service, 1/13/06; Baton Rouge Advocate, 5/30/05, 11/18/05)
Change won't happen, until Mary Landrieu's gone. The National Republican Senatorial Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising.	Landrieu Was Lauded By For Her Legacy Of Reform As State Treasurer: In 1996, a New Orleans Times-Picayune column stated, "As she walks out of the state treasurer's office for the last time, Mary Landrieu leaves a legacy that few elected officials can match. In her eight years as state treasurer, she has improved and largely depoliticized the way the state invests its money, saved millions of dollars for the state, and generated millions in additional money for education. She leaves the office with a solid reputation for personal integrity...She has been a bright spot in a system where unselfish service, hard work and honesty are often at a premium. Landrieu has established that legacy whatever the future holds for her." (Times%u2011Picayune, 1/7/96)

Landrieu Campaign Files FEC Complaint After Kennedy Fails to Include Disclaimer in New Ad

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Kennedy campaign forfeits right to lowest unit rate for TV ads.

NEW ORLEANS - Friends of Mary Landrieu today filed a formal complaint with the Federal Elections Commission and sent letters to television station managers throughout Louisiana after John Kennedy failed to include the disclaimer required by law at the end of his most recent TV advertisement.

"Respondents have plainly violated the Commission's disclaimer requirements for television communications," wrote Friends of Mary Landrieu to the FEC. "In an advertisement that is airing on multiple stations in Louisiana, Kennedy failed to include a written statement at the end saying that he approved the advertisement. By refusing to follow the law, he has ignored Congress's mandate that he stand fully by the assertions made in the advertisement, even while seeking office in that same Congress. Because paying for a television communication that does not include the required written statement represents a clear violation of federal law, the Commission should act immediately to investigate this matter and impose penalties against him and his campaign."

By failing to include the proper disclaimer at the conclusion of his TV advertisement, John Kennedy has forfeited his right to the lowest unit charge for all TV ads for the duration of the campaign. In a letter to TV station managers, counsel to Friends of Mary Landrieu argued that all of the state's TV stations should charge the Kennedy campaign the same rate that it charges for non-political advertisements. Federal law requires a candidate to include a disclaimer and the candidate's image at the conclusion of a television ad for four seconds to indicate that the candidate stands by the claims made in the ad.

"The purpose of this letter is to alert you to the fact that John Kennedy and his authorized campaign committee, John Kennedy for U.S. Senate, Inc., are currently running an advertisement on your station that violates the Communications Act of 1934 and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002," counsel to Friends of Mary Landrieu wrote to TV station managers throughout Louisiana. "As a result, Kennedy and his campaign have forfeited their entitlement to the lowest unit charge for the duration of the campaign. Now and until Election Day, your station should charge Kennedy and his campaign committee the same rate for broadcast time that it charges non-political advertisers for comparable use."

The full text of the Landrieu campaign's letter to TV station managers is available online here.

"It is no surprise that John Kennedy would be unwilling to stand by the false and outrageous claims made in his TV ads," Landrieu campaign spokesman said. "Louisiana deserves a senator who will tell voters the truth. We don't need any more dishonest, self-serving politicians."

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Ad Watch: Dishonest Kennedy Attack Hides His Own Record

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

New Kennedy TV ad disregards the facts for cheap political gain.

NEW ORLEANS - Friends of Mary Landrieu today responded to perennial candidate John Kennedy's new negative television ad falsely attacking U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La.

"John Kennedy's new ad is a pathetic attempt to confuse voters into forgetting that in 2004 he ran as the most liberal U.S. Senate candidate in Louisiana's history," Landrieu campaign spokesman Scott Schneider said. "But Louisianians won't forget that just four years ago, he endorsed John Kerry, said he wasn't 'another Election Day Democrat' and tried to convince us that he was a member of the famous Massachusetts Kennedy family. We wonder if he ever returned that money from MoveOn.org.

"John Kennedy thinks that if he lies about Sen. Landrieu's record enough, people will start to believe it. He can spin all he wants, but he can't change the facts. Sen. Landrieu is consistently rated among the most bipartisan members of the U.S. Senate. She works across party lines to get things done. While Kennedy plays politics, Sen. Landrieu delivers for Louisiana."

See below for more information on John Kennedy's dishonest new ad:

Kennedy's Ad Spin	The Facts
John Kennedy: I'm John Kennedy. I approve this message.	Visit www.oneconfusedpolitician.com
VO 1: Judah Benjamin... VO 2: A hundred ninety-six years of Louisiana history...fifty senators... VO 1: John S. Harris....Randall.... VO 2: But one Louisiana Senator's record is more liberal than all the rest...Mary Landrieu	Baton Rouge Advocate - Huey Long's "Save The Wealth" Plan More Liberal Than Anything Landrieu Ever Proposed: The Baton Rouge Advocate reported that Suzie Terrell had to correct her claim that Landrieu was the most liberal Senator in state history after "several folks pointed out that Sen. Huey Long's 'Share the Wealth' plan in the 1930s was a lot more liberal than anything Landrieu ever proposed." (Baton Rouge Advocate, 12/10/02) Daily Advertiser - Claim Is "Ridiculous": In 2002, a Daily Advertiser editorial stated, "Suzanne Haik Terrell launched her campaign with the less-than-honest claim that she 'abolished her office to save the taxpayers money," and is ending it with the ridiculous charge that 'Mary Landrieu is the most liberal senator in Louisiana history.' In between are a host of claims that are equally false...[The charge] was apparently devised by a campaign committee convinced that Louisiana citizens are backward, gullible and ignorant of their own history." (Daily Advertiser, 12/6/02) Landrieu Ranked As The Ideological Center Of U.S. Senate: National Journal magazine ranked Landrieu as the ideological center of the U.S. Senate in 2008. (National Journal, 3/8/08) Consistently Among The Top 10 Most Independent Democrats In The U.S. Senate: Landrieu has consistently been ranked by Congressional Quarterly among the most independent members of the Senate, breaking with her party more than most other Democrats. In 2007, Landrieu was the second most independent Democrat in the Senate. (CQ Party Unity Ratings, 2001 - 2007)
VO 2: The only one liberal enough to favor abortion rights...Landrieu	Landrieu Voted For Ban On Abortion Procedures: In 2003, Landrieu voted to pass the "Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003" that would ban partial-birth abortions. The bill would prohibit doctors from partially delivering a fetus and then committing an "overt act" to kill it. The measure was signed into law by President Bush in November 2003. Landrieu voted for similar legislation in 1997 and 1999. (S 3, Vote #51, 3/13/03; Vote #402, 10/21/03; Charlotte Observer, 3/14/03; CQ Daily Monitor, 9/26/03; S 1692, Vote #340, 10/21/99; HR 1122, Vote #71, 5/20/97) Landrieu Voted For "Unborn Victims Of Violence" Act To Make It A Crime To Kill A Fetus: In 2004, Landrieu voted for a bill that would make it a criminal offense to injure or kill a fetus during the commission of a violent crime. The bill passed and was cleared for the president's signature 61 to 38. This vote was in support of the president's position. (HR 1997, Vote #63, 3/25/04) Co-Sponsored Human Cloning Ban With Conservative GOP Sen. Sam Brownback: In 2007, Landrieu was an original co-sponsor of legislation with Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) to ban all forms of human cloning. Landrieu has co-sponsored similar legislation with Brownback since 2002. (S 1036, Introduced 3/29/07; S 658, Introduced 3/17/05; S 245, Introduced 1/29/03; S 1899, 1/28/02; New Orleans Times-Picayune, 3/18/05) • Won Praise From President Bush For Cloning Ban Legislation: The Times-Picayune reported that at a White House ceremony, President Bush paused during his speech, gestured toward Landrieu and said he "wholeheartedly endorses" her legislation to ban human cloning. (New Orleans Times-Picayune, 4/14/02) A Leader On Promoting Adoption: Landrieu is a co-chair of the Congressional Adoption Coalition. She co-sponsored legislation to encourage adoption including increasing the adoption tax credit. She has also fought to make the tax credit permanent. Senator Landrieu also co-sponsored legislation to improve the foreign adoption process. (CCAI Website; S 1686, Introduced 9/30/03; HR 3182, passed by voice vote 11/14/03; CQ Today, 11/14/03; S 1934, 11/23/03; Congressional Record p. 15647, 11/23/03; S 3031, 12/7/04; New Orleans Times-Picayune, 5/27/01; SCONRES 21, Vote #82, 3/21/07; Congressional Record p. S3468, 3/21/07; Senate Finance Committee Release, 3/21/07; National Journal's CongressDaily, 3/21/07)
VO 2: The only one to vote for the largest tax increase in American history...Landrieu	CLAIM IS UNTRUE - Budget Set Aside Funds To Extend Tax CUTS For Middle Class: The budget resolution set aside $180 billion to cover extending the 10% income bracket, the child care and adoption credits, marriage penalty relief and partial estate-tax relief.. (Investor's Business Daily, 3/23/07) Authored Measure To Reduce Estate Tax, Measure Would Exempt 99.99% Of Louisiana Residents From The Tax: In July 2006, Landrieu introduced legislation to reduce the estate tax, allowing a $5 million exemption for individuals and a $10 million break for couples and would have imposed a 35 percent rate on the value of estates exceeding the exemption levels with a 5 percent "surcharge" estates worth more than $100 million. Landrieu said that under her proposal, 99.99 percent of Louisiana residents would no longer be subject to the tax. Landrieu introduced her proposal again in 2008. (S 3626, 2006; Baton Rouge Advocate, 7/9/06; SCONRES 21, Vote #101, 3/23/07; SCONRES 70, Vote #76, 3/13/08) Led Efforts To Eliminate The "Widow Tax" On Military Survivor Benefits: In 2004, Landrieu sponsored legislation to end the "widow tax" which reduced benefits for surviving spouses of military service members by one-third when recipients entered retirement. The measure signed into law in 2004. ( S 2400, Senate Amendment 3315, Adopted by unanimous consent, 6/23/04; Gannett News, 2/4/04; CQ Weekly, 10/16/04; House Report 108-787, pg. 150-51, 10/8/04; Biloxi Sun Herald, 10/16/04) Supported Largest Cut Two Decades: In 2001, Landrieu was one of 12 Democrats who voted for final passage of Bush's $1.35 trillion tax cut package. The measure was the largest tax cut in 20 years. (HR 1836, Vote #170, 5/26/01; USA Today, 5/29/01) Landrieu Voted To Expand Relief For Lower & Middle Income Taxpayers: Senator Landrieu has voted repeatedly to expand lower tax brackets to cover more taxpayers and provide income tax relief to Louisiana taxpayers. (Vote #188, 9/23/04; Vote #168, 5/15/03; Vote #170, 5/26/01; Vote #165, 5/23/01; Vote #149, 5/22/01; Vote #144, 5/22/01; Vote #143, 5/22/01; Vote #116, 5/21/01; Baltimore Sun, 5/22/01; Vote #247, 7/30/99) Repeatedly Backed Child Tax Credit: Landrieu has voted 14 times to extend and increase the child tax credit. In 2003, Landrieu sponsored a tax cut package that sought to increase the child tax credit to $1,000. (Vote #85, 3/14/08; Vote #42, 3/13/08; Vote #414, 12/6/07; Vote #160, 5/9/07; Vote #346, 11/17/05; Vote #188, 9/23/04; Vote #36, 3/10/04; Vote #266, 7/9/03; Vote #210, 6/5/03; Vote #168, 5/15/03; Vote #167, 5/15/03; Vote #166, 5/15/03; Vote #162, 5/15/03; Vote #153, 5/15/03; Vote #151, 5/15/03; Vote #107, 3/26/03; Vote #170, 5/26/01; Vote #165, 5/23/01; Vote #159, 5/23/01; Vote #144, 5/22/01; Vote #226, 7/21/00; Vote #160, 6/27/97; Vote #140, 6/27/97; Vote #134, 6/26/97; Vote #211, 7/31/97) Backed Relief From Tax Penalties For Married Couples: Landrieu has fought hard to provide relief from the "marriage penalty" - tax provisions that result in married couples paying more federal income tax than they would as a pair of single taxpayers. She voted for the relief for married couples contained in the 2001 tax cut package and in 2003, Landrieu authored a tax relief package that would have accelerated reductions in the marriage penalty. (Vote #85, 3/14/08; Vote #42, 3/13/08; Vote #82, 3/21/07; Vote #344, 11/17/05; Vote #188, 9/23/04; Vote #36, 3/10/04; Vote #167, 5/15/03; Vote #162, 5/15/03; Vote #155, 5/15/03; Vote #170, 5/26/01; Vote #113, 5/17/01; Vote #165, 5/23/01; Vote #144, 5/22/01; Vote #143, 5/22/01; Vote #215, 7/18/00; Vote #200, 7/17/00; HR 4810 CQ BillAnalysis; Vote #53, 4/5/00; Vote #247, 7/30/99; Vote #233, 7/30/99; Vote #59, 4/1/98) Pushed For Tax Breaks For Families Paying College Tuition: To combat the rising cost of a college education, Landrieu has voted 15 times to support tax breaks for the costs of college tuition. (Vote #264, 7/19/07; Vote #32, 1/25/07; Vote #29, 1/25/07; Vote #10, 2/2/06; Vote #347, 11/18/05; Vote #164, 5/15/03; Vote #155, 5/22/01; Vote #152, 5/22/01; Vote #182, 7/13/00; Vote #241, 7/30/99; Vote #211, 7/31/97; Vote #160, 6/27/97)
VO 2: She even voted to oppose conservatives on the Supreme Court...Mary Landrieu...Liberal...Historically liberal	Landrieu Participated In "Gang Of 14" To Ensure Judges Received Fair Senate Approval Process: In May 2005, Landrieu was one of the "Gang of 14," a group of seven Republicans and seven Democrats who seized the Senate's balance of power on judicial nominations. They vowed to prevent filibusters of the president's nominees except under "extraordinary circumstances," a term they left up to each senator to define. But they also vowed to block GOP leaders from using a parliamentary force play to end all judicial filibusters. (New Orleans Times-Picayune, 7/24/05; CQ Politics In America, 4/1/07) Landrieu Voted For Bush Nominees 81% Of The Time: In 225 roll call votes on President Bush's judicial nominees, Senator Landrieu voted for the nominee 81% of the time. (CQ Vote Reports)

Ad Watch: Landrieu Voted Against Amnesty and Against Benefits for Illegal Immigrants

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dishonest NRSC attack has been called "demonstrably false."

NEW ORLEANS - Friends of Mary Landrieu today responded to a new negative television ad from the National Republican Senatorial falsely attacking U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La. The new ad repeats a false 2-year-old Washington attack that has been debunked by Factcheck.org and called a "distortion" and "patently and demonstrably false" by unbiased news organizations.

"Sen. Landrieu has never - never - voted to give illegal immigrants Social Security benefits," Landrieu campaign spokesman Scott Schneider said. "This low-road attack has been debunked by numerous nonpartisan organizations. This is the same organization that just four years ago called John Kennedy ineffective, inefficient and not ready for primetime. They were right then, but their new attack evades the truth for cheap political gain.

"The facts remain that when John Kennedy changed his positions to run for Senate a second time, he embraced President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security," Schneider said. "John Kennedy wants to invest Louisianians' Social Security in volatile stocks and bonds like Fannie Mae and Lehman Brothers that failed and are threatening our economy."

Sen. Landrieu has voted numerous times against amnesty for illegal immigrants. She has fought to improve border security and hire an additional 8,000 new border patrol agents. She voted repeatedly to build a fence across the U.S.-Mexico border, and she has worked to stop U.S. companies from hiring illegal workers.

"Sen. Landrieu is a leader in the U.S. Senate fighting against illegal immigration," Schneider said. "She has fought against amnesty for illegal immigrants and to provide more resources for border security. The new NRSC attack is designed simply to mislead voters about Sen. Landrieu's record."

For more information on the NRSC's false, negative attack, see below:

Kennedy's Ad Spin	The Facts
Liberal Mary Landrieu.	Ranked As Ideological Center Of U.S. Senate: National Journal magazine ranked Landrieu as the ideological center of the U.S. Senate in 2008. (National Journal, 3/8/08) Consistently Among The Top 10 Most Independent Democrats In The U.S. Senate: Landrieu has consistently been ranked by Congressional Quarterly among the most independent members of the Senate, breaking with her party more than most other Democrats. In 2007, Landrieu was the second most independent Democrat in the Senate. (CQ Party Unity Ratings, 2001 - 2007) Formed "Common Ground" Coalition With Bipartisan Members Of The Senate: In January 2007, Landrieu and Rep. U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine co-hosted the first meeting of the Common Ground Coalition, a bipartisan group of a dozen U.S. senators from both parties. (Lafayette Daily Advertiser, 1/15/07; Times-Picayune, 12/20/06)
She supported amnesty for illegal immigrants; A plan that could have cost tax payers 126 billion, and require some immigrant workers to be paid more than Americans for doing the same job.	Landrieu Opposes Amnesty For Illegal Immigrants: In the U.S. Senate, Landrieu voted numerous times against measures that would provide amnesty for immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally. (S 1348, Vote #180, 5/24/07; CQ Today, 5/24/07; Vote #203, 6/7/07; Vote #204, 6/7/07; Vote #206, 6/7/07; CQ Today, 6/11/07; S 1639, Vote #228, 6/26/07; Vote #235, 6/28/07; CQ Today, 6/28/07; S 1639, Vote #231, 6/27/07; Congressional Record, p. S8582, 6/27/07)
Liberal Mary Landrieu voted to allow immigrants to collect Social Security benefits for work done illegally.	Factcheck.org - The Charge Is A "Mischaracterization": According to Factcheck.org, a non-partisan voter information project at the University of Pennsylvania, "The charge is a mischaracterization of an amendment offered during debate of the immigration bill that passed the Senate last May with a healthy bi-partisan majority, 62-36. The amendment would change current law to prevent immigrants from getting credit toward future Social Security benefits from taxes paid before they have legal permission to work." Factcheck.org continued, "Nobody's proposing paying benefits to illegals, not until and unless they become US citizens or are granted legal status." (Factcheck.org, 10/11/06) Kennedy Is Recycling 2-Year Old False National Republican Party Attacks: In October 2006, Factcheck.org stated that there had been 29 GOP ads that election cycle attacking Democrats with various versions of "this misleading claim" that the amendment would give benefits to illegal immigrants. In 2007, when Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney attacked Sen. John McCain over this same vote, Factcheck.org stated, "This tired and misleading claim was used by several Republicans against Democrats in the 2006 elections." (Factcheck.org, 10/11/06; 12/28/07) *New York Times* - Attack Is A "Distortion": In 2006, a New York Times editorial headlined, "It's Voter-Fooling Time in America" stated, "Democrats in more than two dozen races are being falsely accused of wanting to give Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants -- a distortion of a proposal to actually block immigrants from being credited for benefit days worked before they had legal status." (New York Times, 10/20/06) *New Hampshire* *Union Leader* - Attack Is "Patently And Demonstrably False": After Romney attacked McCain over the vote, a front-page editorial in the New Hampshire Union Leader stated, That is patently and demonstrably false. In fact, McCain wants to make sure that LEGAL immigrants have their Social Security taxes properly accounted for so that the rest of U.S. taxpayers aren't footing that bill, too." (New Hampshire Union Leader, 1/2/08)
When it comes to immigration, Mary Landrieu is on the wrong side of the fence. The National Republican Senatorial Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising.	A Strong Record On Curbing Illegal Immigration: Senator Landrieu has a strong record working to crack down on illegal immigration. Her actions include: Supported Fence Along U.S.-Mexico Border: In the U.S. Senate, Landrieu has voted repeatedly to build a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. In September 2006, she voted to require the construction of 700 miles of fencing along the border. (HR 6061, Vote #262, 9/29/06; HR 5631, Vote #220, 8/2/06; S 2611, Vote #126, 5/17/06) Introduced Measure To Increase Border Security:In 2007, Landrieu introduced the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act, to increase federal resources to curb illegal immigration. The measure would require employers to verify that workers are in the U.S. legally through an electronic database, provide funding for 8,000 additional Border Patrol agents and increase surveillance of the Southwest border. (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 11/20/07; S 2368, Introduced 11/15/07; Times-Picayune, 11/23/07) Voted For Border Security Overhaul: In April 2002, Landrieu voted for the passage of border security overhaul legislation, which would require planes and ships to submit traveler lists to immigration ahead of time, create a database of suspected terrorists, and require schools to tell government officials if foreign students do not report for class. All visas, passports and other travel documents would be required to contain biometric data. (HR 3525, Vote #75, 4/18/02) Voted Repeatedly To Increase Funding For Border Security: In the U.S. Senate, Landrieu has voted seven times to increase funding for border security to provide additional border patrol agents, fund biometric technologies, and to operate unmanned aerial vehicles along the southwest U.S.-Mexico border. (HR 4954, Vote #242, 9/12/06; HR 5441, Vote #201, 7/13/06; HR 4939, Vote #95, 4/26/06; HR 4939, Vote #94, 4/26/06; HR 1268, Vote #105, 4/20/05; HR 4567, Vote #182, 9/14/04; HR 2555, Vote #298, 7/23/03; S 762, Vote #119, 4/3/03)

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Ad Watch: Kennedy Attacks Landrieu's Fight for Schoolchildren

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Kennedy voted to protect taxpayer-funded pensions for corrupt politicians.

NEW ORLEANS - Friends of Mary Landrieu today responded to perennial candidate John Kennedy's new false, negative TV ad that attacks U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., for supporting teaching children how to read.

"John Kennedy is attacking Senator Landrieu for securing funding seven years ago to help children learn how to read," Landrieu campaign spokesman Scott Schneider said. "It's a program requested by local school officials in Louisiana and across the country to address high illiteracy rates. Sen. Landrieu will continue to work in the Senate to improve the lives of schoolchildren and give them more opportunities. John Kennedy's campaign attacks have been called 'gross distortions' and 'patently false.' He's truly one confused politician."

As Louisiana's Treasurer, John Kennedy has a record of mismanagement. In 2006, he used his position on the Louisiana retirement board to vote to allow politicians convicted of corruption to keep their taxpayer-funded pensions, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee exposed Mr. Kennedy for costing Louisiana $37 million in potential revenues.

"John Kennedy is attacking Sen. Landrieu's record to cover up his own," Schneider said. "When it mattered most, Mr. Kennedy voted to spend taxpayer dollars on pensions for corrupt politicians. His lax procedures and poor management cost Louisiana taxpayers $37 million. Louisiana cannot afford John Kennedy."

Kennedy's new ad uses a widely debunked news story to make false claims about Sen. Landrieu's fight to help schoolchildren. Please see below for additional information regarding his false, negative ad:

Kennedy's Ad Spin

The Facts

I'm John Kennedy. I approve this message.

Kennedy Voted To Allow Public Officials Convicted Of Corruption To Keep Taxpayer-Funded Pensions: In 2006, Kennedy voted on the state employees' retirement board to oppose legislation to take retirement benefits away from public officials convicted of bribery, embezzlement or other corruption charges. Under the legislation, affected officials could retrieve money they contributed toward their retirement but would lose a pension largely financed by government money. (LASERS Board Meeting Minutes, 4/28/06; Advocate, 5/2/06; SB 59 & SB 60, 2006)

Republican Sponsor - "We Should Not Have An Entitlement Program For Corrupt Officials": The Republican sponsor of the legislation, state Sen. Art Letini said, "We should not have an
entitlement program for corrupt officials...I think this is a tremendous deterrent." (Baton Rouge Advocate, 5/2/06)

Mary Landrieu says she knows how to work the system in Washington. And she's right

Senator Landrieu Has Taken On Washington Interests To Deliver For Louisiana: In the U.S. Senate, Landrieu has been a tenacious fighter for Louisiana, taking on powerful interests to get things done for the state.

Landrieu Convinced Washington To Give Louisiana Fair Share Of Oil & Gas Revenues: : In 2006, after nearly 60 years of Louisiana not getting its fair share or oil and gas revenues, Landrieu co-authored the law that dedicated 37.5% of revenues from new drilling for Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states for coastal restoration and hurricane protection. The measure created a dedicated revenue stream for Gulf Coast wetlands restoration, hurricane protection and flood control projects. (HR 6111, 2006; New Orleans CityBusiness, 12/20/06; Advocate, 12/21/06)

Successfully Changed Federal Laws To Direct Additional Funding To Louisiana Classrooms: Senator Landrieu led a successful effort in 2001 to ensure federal Title I dollars made it to the schools and children that most need the help - those schools with high concentrations of poor children. The final No Child Left Behind Law also included an amendment by Senator Landrieu to better target teacher-training money to poorer districts. (S 1, Amendment 474 and 475, Vote #178, 6/11/01; HR 1, Sec. 1125AA; Times-Picayune, 11/29/01)

Led Investigation Into Formaldehyde In FEMA Trailers: In the U.S. Senate, Landrieu has fought hard to require comprehensive testing of FEMA trailers housing victims of the 2005 hurricanes for formaldehyde following complaints by residents. After tests found high levels of the carcinogen in the trailers, Landrieu used her position as chair of the Disaster Recovery Subcommittee to push FEMA for answers and a timeline for moving people out of the trailers. (HR 2638, Senate Amdt. 2509, 7/26/07; Landrieu Release, 12/18/07; AP, 3/13/08)

October: A lobbying interest holds a fundraiser for Mary Landrieu

18 Days Later, Mary Landrieu slips an earmark into law, giving the same lobby one million taxpayer dollars, then two million.

Earmarks for the lobbyist. $80,000 to Landrieu's campaign.

Mary Landrieu, she traded our tax dollars for her campaign's financial gain.

Kennedy Ad Gets It WRONG: Landrieu Requested Funding For A Literacy Program At The Urging Of Local School Officials: Senator Landrieu requested funding for the literacy program at the request of local school officials months before the timeline laid out by Kennedy.

Local Officials Requested Literacy Program Funding In April 2001: Local school officials requested funding for the Voyager literacy program in April 2001 based on previous success with other Voyager programs. (Letter from D.C. Superintendent Paul Vance to Sen. Mike DeWine & Sen. Mary Landrieu, 4/25/01)

Kennedy Timeline Is Wrong, Landrieu Requested Funding In May 2001 At Request Of Local Officials: Senator Landrieu requested funding for the literacy program in May 2001, AFTER receiving the request from the local school system. These events occurred months before the timeline laid out by Kennedy and the Washington Post. (Sen. Mary Landrieu Letter to Sen. Mike DeWine, 5/15/01)

Local Officials Continued To Advocate For The Program: The D.C. Superintendent of Schools continued to push for funding for the program, stating in September 2001 that he was "pleased that Senator Mary Landrieu is vigorously supporting our reform efforts that focus on early childhood reading." (Letter from D.C. Superintendent Paul Vance to Kate Eltrich, Professional Staff, District of Columbia Sub-Committee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, 9/19/01)

Senator Landrieu Fought For A Program To Help Children Learn To Read: In 2001, Landrieu secured $2 million for Voyager Expanded Learning's Universal Literacy Program to help schoolchildren learn to read. She secured the funding at the request of local school officials. (D.C. Superintendent Vance Letter to Sens. DeWine & Landrieu, 4/25/01)

Senator Landrieu Has A Strong Record Of Backing Innovative Programs To Improve Education In Louisiana & Across The Country: Landrieu has a long history of fighting for innovative ways to improve education for students in Louisiana and across the country. She led and won efforts for new accountability and standards and additional resources for our classrooms.

New Accountability & Standards: Senator Landrieu has backed new accountability and standards for our classrooms. She supported the No Child Left Behind Act and has proposed a major overhaul of federal education programs to emphasize job performance. (Vote #371, 12/18/01; Washington Post, 12/17/01; S 2001, Introduced 8/3/07; Times-Picayune, 7/19/07, Times-Picayune, 3/4/07)

Additional Funding For Louisiana Classrooms: Senator Landrieu was successful in reforming federal education funding formulas to deliver additional resources for Louisiana schools. (S 1, Amendment 474 and 475, Vote #178, 6/11/01; HR 1, Sec. 1125AA; Times-Picayune, 11/29/01)

An Advocate Of School Reform: Senator Landrieu has been a long-time proponent of public charter schools. (TIME Magazine, 9/17/07)

Kennedy's Friend & Campaign Ally David Vitter Also Requested Funding For The Literacy Program: Senator David Vitter, who has raised money for and is campaigning with John Kennedy, also requested funding for the Voyager Literacy Program.

Vitter Requested Voyager Funding: In 2001 then-Rep. David Vitter requested $1 million for Voyager's Universal Literacy Program in the District's spending bill. (Times-Picayune, 2/3/08; Conference Committee Markup Worksheet, 12/1/01)

Kennedy & Vitter Campaigning Together: Kennedy said in July 2008 that he would campaign with Senator David Vitter and that he was "honored" to have Vitter's support. Vitter has donated $10,000 to Kennedy's campaign from his Louisiana Reform PAC. (Politico.com, 7/24/08; FEC)

That's Washington. That's Mary Landrieu

Kennedy Campaign Run By Washington Insiders: In August 2008, the Associated Press reported that the national GOP was working for Kennedy's campaign. The news article noted, "The assistance from Washington insiders goes well beyond helping Kennedy fill his warchest in his bid to unseat Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu in her bid for a third term. (Associated Press, 8/14/08)

National Republican Party Helping Kennedy With Strategy: According to the AP, "Kennedy's top campaign staff and media team have worked on prominent Republican campaigns around the country, President Bush has helped him raise money and the National Republican Senatorial Committee is assisting with research, fundraising and strategy." (Associated Press, 8/14/08)

Kennedy Ad Paid For By National Republican Party: Kennedy's ad is paid for in part by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. (Kennedy TV Ad Disclaimer)

Kennedy Has Taken Over $200K From U.S. Senators: During his campaign for U.S. Senate, Kennedy has taken $208,583 from political action committees headed by sitting U.S. Senators. (Federal Election Commission; Center for Responsive Politics)

Kennedy Campaigning With Incumbent Senator David Vitter: In 2008, Kennedy said he would campaign with Senator David Vitter, who admitted to having committed a "serious sin" with a woman from an escort service. (Politico, 7/24/08; AP, 8/21/08)

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Ad Watch: Kennedy Cost Louisiana Taxpayers Millions

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

New ad attempts to cover up past of fiscal mismanagement.

NEW ORLEANS - Friends of Mary Landrieu today responded to perennial candidate John Kennedy's new ad falsely portraying himself as a fiscally conservative change agent. The Republican organization that is now backing his campaign already exposed his wasteful spending and ineffectiveness.

U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., has delivered for Louisiana by securing federal revenue sharing on outer continental shelf oil drilling with Louisiana, re-writing the Title I formula to bring millions of dollars for education reform to Louisiana and securing pension equity for the spouses of our military personnel, lifting the living standards of millions of our most deserving families by thousands of dollars per year.

"Instead of just talking about it, Sen. Landrieu has delivered for our families," Landrieu campaign spokesman Scott Schneider said. "She secured $40 billion in oil and gas revenues for Louisiana and she has reformed the way that federal education dollars are allocated to bring millions to our schools.

"John Kennedy says he wants to change Washington, but he has accepted more than $200,000 in campaign contributions from the partisan politicians he hopes to join in the Senate. The only things Mr. Kennedy changes are his party, his positions and his mind. We don't need a senator who will change who he is depending on what's popular; we need a senator who delivers for Louisiana."

For more information about John Kennedy's misleading campaign ad, see below:

Kennedy's Ad Spin	The Facts
Washington is in the ditch. It's broken. Now, let me be blunt. I am sick of the spending. I am sick of the waste. We will never change the culture of Washington by sending the same people back up there.	Republican Party - "Kennedy's Ineffective Political Career Demonstrates He Is Not Ready For Primetime": In 2004, the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee released a research report that "Kennedy's Ineffective Political Career Demonstrates He Is Not Ready For Primetime"(NRSC Research Report, 2004) Kennedy Mismanagement Cost Louisiana $37 Million In Potential Revenues: The NRSC research report in 2004 quoted an Associated Press article that stated, "Louisiana State Treasurer John Kennedy's signature program to return unclaimed property to taxpayers is so riddled with lax procedures that the state has lost nearly $37 million in potential revenues, a legislative auditor's report says." (Associated Press, 4/12/04; NRSC Research Report, 2004) Claims Paid To Individuals With "Inadequate, Illegible, Questionable Or Expired" IDs: The audit said that Kennedy's unclaimed property program paid claims in cases where identification documentation "was inadequate, illegible, questionable or expired," thereby increasing the chances of fraud. (Legislative Audit, 4/7/04; Advocate, 4/10/04) Failed To Secure Access To Computer Database Of Unclaimed Property: The audit found that Kennedy's program had not adequately secured access to the computerized database of unclaimed property or monitored changes made in the listing of unclaimed properties. (Legislative Audit, 4/7/04; AP, 4/12/01) Kennedy Used Unclaimed Property Program To Further His Career: In 2001, state Sen. Joe McPherson introduced legislation to prohibit spending public money on advertising that contained the name of a public official. McPherson called the legislation the John Kennedy bill because Kennedy was prominently displayed in advertisements for the unclaimed property program. (AP, 4/12/01; Alexandria Town Talk, 4/12/01) Kennedy AGREED With Audit's Findings: The Baton Rouge Advocate reported that "Kennedy generally agreed with the audit's findings..." (Baton Rouge Advocate, 4/10/04)
If you want to change the Senate, you have to change the senator.	Kennedy Has Taken Over $200K From U.S. Senators: During his campaign for U.S. Senate, Kennedy has taken $208,583 from political action committees headed by U.S. Senators. (Federal Election Commission; Center for Responsive Politics) Kennedy Campaigning With Incumbent Senator David Vitter: In 2008, Kennedy said he would campaign with Senator David Vitter, who admitted to having committed a "serious sin" with a woman from an escort service. (Politico, 7/24/08; AP, 8/21/08)
ANNCR: Conservative. John Kennedy.	Kennedy Was The Liberal Candidate In His 2004 Senate Race: In 2004, Kennedy was the liberal, left-wing Democratic candidate for Senate. (Weekly Standard, 10/4/04; Gambit Weekly, 12/4/07; Times-Picayune, 7/9/08) Called Himself "Not Just Another Election Day Democrat": A 2004 Kennedy campaign mailing to African American voters proclaimed "John Kennedy...not just another Election Day Democrat." (Times-Picayune, 10/29/04) Said He Was Not Going To Be Afraid To Be A Democrat: In April 2004, Kennedy said he was "not going to be afraid to be a Democrat" in the Senate race. (Roll Call, 4/12/04) GOP Chair - Kennedy "Can't Run" From Liberal Past: In July 2008, the Times-Picayune reported that in response to questions about Kennedy's liberal past in which he endorsed John Kerry and campaigned "with a platform arguably more liberal than Landrieu's record in the Senate," GOP Chair Roger Villere said, "He can't run from it." (Times-Picayune, 7/6/08) Conservative Radio Host Said There Was "No Doubt" Kennedy Has To Answer For His 2004 Positions: In August 2008, conservative talk show host, Moon Griffon stated, "...there's no doubt, I think, uh, in this U.S. Senate race, John will have to answer for some of the things that he was for in the last election..." (Moon Griffon Radio Show, 8/1/08)
JNK: If you like the way things are in Washington, I'm not your candidate. But if you want change, I'm your man.	Political Columnist John Maginnis Cited Irony In Kennedy's Change Message: In July 2008, Louisiana columnist John Maginnis wrote of Kennedy's message, "The irony of the change candidate is not lost of those who remember Kennedy in his 2004 Senate campaign as a populist Democrat, who criticized eventual winner David Vitter as a lackey of the Bush administration." (Times-Picayune, 7/16/08) Kennedy's Record Of "Change": Kennedy has changed his position on key issues. Went From Populist Democrat To Conservative Republican: An article in the Monroe News-Star stated, "State Treasurer John Kennedy wants your vote in the U.S. Senate race. But first he wants you to know he's a conservative Republican, not the populist Democrat he ran as four years ago." (Monroe News-Star, 7/14/08) Kennedy Changed His Position On Social Security, Now Backs Privatization Scheme That Would Cut Benefits: In July 2008, Kennedy said he supported a controversial White House proposal to partially privatize Social Security even though the plan could cut benefits for some workers by almost half. In 2004, Kennedy said he opposed private accounts, stating it would cost $1 to $2 trillion. (Times-Picayune, 7/8/08; Center for American Progress, 5/4/05; Baton Rouge Advocate, 10/3/04) Kennedy Flip-Flopped On Bush Tax Cuts: In his 2004 Senate race, Kennedy decried the Bush tax cuts as skewed towards the wealthy, calling them "nonsense on a stick." In 2008, he said he "supports making the Bush Tax Cuts permanent." (AP, 10/11/04; 11/3/04; Baton Rouge Advocate, 4/27/08; Kennedy Website, Accessed 7/16/08)
I'm John Kennedy, and I approve this message.	Visit www.oneconfusedpolitician.com for more information on Kennedy's confusing record.

In Case You Missed It: Kennedy Asked to Pull Down Ad

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

John Kennedy is going up today with a new television ad that has already been called out for taking a news clip out of context and grossly distorting a story produced by WVUE-TV in New Orleans. We strongly encourage you to watch WVUE's coverage of the new ad online, in its entirety, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-LEndhhoKg.

According to the station, "Lawyers for WVUE have fired off a letter to the Kennedy campaign calling the commercial an illegal infringement on copyright and demanding the campaign stop using the ad. The letter says the ad may give viewers the false impression that WVUE was involved in the production of the commercial or that it endorses Mr. Kennedy."

Despite Kennedy's claims that Senator Landrieu opposes new oil fields, "The facts are that Mary Landrieu does not oppose oil shale. She voted for the pilot project now underway at five sites in Colorado," the station reported. "Landrieu and Republican Senator Pete Domenici are the only members of Congress to pass a drilling bill in 25 years."

Again, please check out WVUE's coverage of Kennedy's new ad in context at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-LEndhhoKg.

Ad Watch: New Kennedy Ad Hides his Record Against Lowering Gas Prices

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Kennedy opposes new drilling plan to lower gas prices.

NEW ORLEANS - Friends of Mary Landrieu today responded to perennial candidate John Kennedy's baseless negative attack against U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La. Despite distortions by the Kennedy campaign, Sen. Landrieu has been a leader in the Senate fighting for new domestic oil drilling and energy independence.

"Sen. Landrieu passed the only bill in the last 25 years that increased domestic drilling," Landrieu campaign spokesman Scott Schneider said. "She is working with Democrats and Republicans to open 120 million more acres on the outer continental shelf to drilling - a measure John Kennedy opposes. He has stood up against new drilling, against lowering gas prices and against the interests of Louisiana families.

"Sen. Landrieu has a long record of supporting domestic oil production. She supports responsible oil shale development, and she voted to create pilot projects to make oil shale technology viable."

See below for more information about John Kennedy's new misleading campaign attack:

Kennedy's Ad Spin	The Facts
Voice Over: The Washington game. Senators trading votes. Trading favors.	*Baton Rouge Advocate -* Kennedy Hoping That If He Attacks Senator Landrieu Enough, Voters Will Believe It: In August 2008, the Baton Rouge Advocate reported, "Kennedy seems to be hoping that if he attacks Landrieu enough, voters will start believing it." (Advocate, 8/10/08)
News Anchor: "Landrieu was the deciding vote in committee that allowed a ban on oil shale leases to stay in effect..." VO: Mary Landrieu voted against new oil fields, and admits she traded her vote as a favor to a liberal senator... the same liberal senator who had done another favor with contributions to her campaign.	Senator Landrieu Supports Shale Development: In July 2008, Landrieu stated that she was "forging a middle ground, something that can actually pass, that we can open up oil shale but do it in a way that can bring Democrat and Republican support." (Fox News WVUE, 7/14/08) Landrieu Voted For Law That Encouraged Shale Projects: Senator Landrieu voted for the 2005 energy policy bill, which helped create a research and development program that has allowed energy companies to start devising an efficient way to heat the shale rock and force the oil out of the ground. The legislation also eliminated an 85-year-old rule that limited companies to a single oil-shale lease nationwide and encouraged local, state and federal officials to work together to reduce delays in issuing permits for oil-shale projects. (HR 6, Vote #213, 7/29/05; Battle Creek Enquirer, 7/23/08; Colorado Springs Gazette, 7/30/05) Senator Landrieu Is "Most-Fervent Pro-Drilling" Democrat In Senate: In August 2008, the Baton Rouge Advocate reported that "Landrieu is considered the most-fervent pro-drilling Democrat in the Senate." (Advocate, 8/10/08) Landrieu A "Staunch Advocate" Of Coastal Drilling: In 2008, Capital Eye reported that Senator Landrieu is "a staunch advocate of coastal drilling, setting her apart from most of her fellow Democrats." (Capital Eye, 7/17/08) *Independent Weekly* - Calling Landrieu Anti-Oil Is Like Calling Rush Limbaugh A Liberal: When you put aside the spin and positioning, ignore the special interests and pundits, there are always undeniable truths -- even in politics. For instance, labeling incumbent U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu as anti-oil is like calling Rush Limbaugh a liberal. After all, she's a member of a 10-person, bipartisan energy caucus, the author of a bill that opened up 8.3 million new acres of the Gulf of Mexico to drilling and the only Democrat to vote with Republicans against two Democratic, watered-down energy bills this term. (Independent Weekly, 8/13/08) Landrieu Law Opened 8.3 Million Acres To Drilling, First New Drilling In 25 Years: In 2006, Landrieu co-authored the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, opening 8.3 million acres in the Gulf to drilling. The region is estimated to contain 1.2 billion barrels of oil and nearly 6 trillion cubic feet of gas. The measure allowed increased domestic energy production for the first time in 25 years. (HR 6111, 2006; Oil Daily, 12/11/06; New Orleans CityBusiness, 12/20/06) Landrieu Received Praise From Republican Lawmakers For Her Work On Domestic Drilling Bill: The Times-Picayune reported that Landrieu "brought enough Democrats along to get the bill passed easily." Thirty-nine Democrats voted for the final package that became law and included the drilling provisions. (Times-Picayune, 8/2/06; S 3711, Vote #219, 8/1/06; HR 6111, Vote #279, 12/0/06) Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX): "I have to give a lot of credit to the Senator from Louisiana who has helped shepherd this bill to this point so far. This is a bipartisan bill which is the way we should do things more often, but this provides a very real solution to a very real problem." (Congressional Record, pg. S8332, 7/27/06) Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.): "Particular kudos to ...Senator Landrieu for delivering a significant number of Democrats who were, of course, needed in order to make this a bipartisan proposal..." (Congressional Record pg. S8508, 8/1/06) Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.): ".... I will pick up where the Senator from Louisiana just left off, and congratulate her for her energetic support for energy security in this country." (Congressional Record, pg. S9869, 9/21/06) GOP Minority Leader Called Landrieu "An Exception" To Anti-Drilling Democrats: In 2008, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell referred to Landrieu as "an exception" to the anti-drilling Democratic establishment. (Independent Weekly, 8/13/08) Landrieu Backed Billions Of Dollars To Encourage Domestic Energy Production: In 2005, Landrieu voted for the Energy Bill that included $14.5 billion over 10 years to encourage domestic production of oil, coal, natural gas and nuclear energy. Landrieu also voted for the 2003 Energy Bill that included $11.9 billion to encourage oil and gas production. (HR 6, Vote #213, 7/29/05; CNN Money, 7/29/05; HR 6, Vote #456, 11/21/03) Voted 16 Times For Increased Domestic Energy Production, Including Offshore & In Alaska: Senator Landrieu has voted 16 times to support increasing production of energy in the United States. She has repeatedly supported efforts to allow drilling in Alaska (ANWR) and offshore. (Vote #212, 7/14/07; Vote #279, 12/9/06; Vote #219, 8/1/06; Vote #218, 7/31/06; Vote #217, 7/26/06; Vote #74, 3/16/06; Vote #72, 3/16/06; Vote #288, 11/3/05; Vote #143, 6/21/05; Vote #52, 3/16/05; Vote #221, 6/12/03; Vote #59, 3/19/03; Vote #71, 4/18/02; Vote #70, 4/18/02; Vote #231, 7/12/01; Vote #229, 7/11/01)
VO: Mary Landrieu plays the Washington game, and we lose.	Landrieu Ranked 10^th Most Effective Legislator In U.S. Senate: In 2008, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Congress.org ranked Senator Landrieu 10^th in the Senate for legislative effectiveness. (Baton Rouge Advocate, 3/10/08) Ranked As Ideological Center Of U.S. Senate: National Journal magazine ranked Landrieu as the ideological center of the U.S. Senate in 2008. (National Journal, 3/8/08) Consistently Among The Top 10 Most Independent Democrats In The U.S. Senate: Landrieu has consistently been ranked by Congressional Quarterly among the most independent members of the Senate, breaking with her party more than most other Democrats. In 2007, Landrieu was the second most independent Democrat in the Senate. (CQ Party Unity Ratings, 2001 - 2007) *Daily Advertiser* - Landrieu Is In A Position To Bring A Lot Home For Louisiana: The Lafayette Daily Advertiser said Landrieu "has emerged as a centrist leader, able to bridge the partisan chasm, a member of the majority party with minority party allies, which puts her in a position to bring a lot home to Louisiana." (Daily Advertiser, 1/15/07) Republican Official - This Is No Time To Give Up Seniority In The Senate: In June 2008, Republican St. Tammany Parish Assessor Patricia Schwarz Core said that the consensus among local Republican supporters of Landrieu "is there is no reason to lose or give up seniority in the Senate and the positions she's earned like her seat on the Appropriations Committee . . . If we get a new senator, we have to start the process over again." (Times-Picayune, 6/28/08) *KTBS-TV* Political Analyst Cited Landrieu Seniority: In July 2008, KTBS-TV Political Analyst Scott Hughes said, "I think people are asking, fundamentally, is if you truly want to hang on to what you have today in the federal situation...if we're fighting for Cyber Command, and for the strategic safety of Barksdale and Ft. Polk, and other institutions, it might be good to have some seniority." (KTBS Interview of Scott Hughes, 7/12/08)
Kennedy: I'm John Kennedy. I'm for drilling everywhere, and I approve this message.	Kennedy Called Bipartisan Plan To Allow New Drilling "Outrageous": In August 2008, Kennedy called the compromise plan put forward by Democrats and Republicans to expand offshore drilling and promote alternative energy "outrageous." (Opelousas Daily World, 8/3/08) Plan Would Expand Drilling By Nearly 120 Million Acres: The energy plan allows the opening of 116 million acres of the outer continental shelf to oil and gas leasing including in the Gulf of Mexico. The plan would provide states with a percentage of the revenue from oil and gas leases off their shores. (Times-Picayune, 8/2/08; MMS Estimates) Gang of 10 Plan Seeks To Reduce Gas Prices: An editorial in the Jackson Sun stated, "A bipartisan group of U.S. senators known as the "Gang of 10" has taken a bold step toward getting something done about the nation's energy crisis, including the high price of gasoline and diesel fuel." (Jackson Sun, 8/3/08) Kennedy Also Refused To Endorse Efforts To Crack Down On Oil Speculation That Is Driving Up Prices: In July 2008, on WIST-AM radio, Kennedy reiterated his belief that we do not need to address oil speculation. "I've read this business - well the whole price - the price of oil has been manipulated by futures, and by speculation. I think that case is way overstated," John Kennedy said. Some analysts believe that speculators are responsible for as much as 50 percent of recent gasoline price increases. An ExxonMobil VP told a U.S. House Committee that speculation was a factor in the inflated cost of oil. (S 3268, Vote #184, 7/25/08; DPC Summary of S 3268, 7/16/08; Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/11/08; Florida Times-Union, 7/8/08; WIST-AM Kennedy Radio Interview) More Drilling Means More Jobs For Louisiana: There are over 320,280 Louisianans employed by oil and gas companies in Louisiana. (LA Economic Development, Industries)

Louisiana Home Builders Association Backs Landrieu

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Organization cites Landrieu's winning fight for revenue sharing.

Friends of Mary Landrieu today announced that U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., has been endorsed by the Louisiana Home Builders Association. The organization, which typically backs Republican candidates for statewide office, represents the homebuilding industry before state and regulatory bodies and serves as a chief advocate of property rights.

"We are proud to endorse Sen. Landrieu in her re-election campaign," Louisiana Home Builders Association President George "Geep" Moore, Jr. said. "We appreciate everything she has done for the Louisiana Home Builders Association and her support of legislation that will alleviate the mortgage crisis facing our country. Sen. Landrieu is also responsible for securing our fair share of oil and gas revenues from offshore drilling, which was a monumental accomplishment for our state."

The Home Builders Association is a professional organization representing the residential construction industry. The Association's member companies have dedicated themselves to the construction of quality, affordably-priced housing, promoting ethical and professional standards for the industry, and being responsible citizens through active community involvement.

"I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Louisiana Homebuilders Association," Sen. Landrieu said. "We share common goals of private property rights, increased home ownership, safe neighborhoods and communities and smart solutions to housing challenges. I look forward to continuing this important work in my next term."

Kennedy Calls Sheriffs Endorsement "Meaningless"

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The John Kennedy campaign and its political operatives showed just how little they know about Louisiana when they insulted the state's sheriffs, characterizing their endorsement of United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., as "minor" and "meaningless."

"Sen. Landrieu is very proud to have earned the endorsement of the Louisiana Sheriff's Association by fighting for law enforcement from the time she was elected to the United States Senate," said Landrieu campaign spokesman Scott Schneider. "As the Sheriffs noted, Sen. Landrieu is the person in Congress they depend on to fight for them each and every day."

The endorsement of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association is one of the most coveted in Louisiana politics since sheriffs have unique stature and power in the state. Senator Landrieu was endorsed by acclamation by the Louisiana Sheriffs on Friday at their convention attended by 48 sheriffs.

Kennedy's spokesperson dismissed the endorsement as "meaningless" and claimed that the "front lines" sheriffs would be standing with his candidate, despite the fact that sheriffs from both parties have already declared their support for Sen. Landrieu.

"Louisiana's sheriffs on the front lines are supporting Sen. Landrieu," Schneider said. "And that includes Republican Plaquemines Parish Sheriff Jiff Hingle and John Kennedy's home parish Sheriff Jack Strain.

"John Kennedy begged and pleaded for months to get the Sheriffs' endorsement, and they refused. Given the choice, they proudly endorsed Sen. Landrieu."

Yesterday, Sheriff Hingle and West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Mike Cazes authored an email to Louisianians about why they joined 46 other sheriffs to vote by acclamation to endorse Sen. Landrieu.

"The bottom line is that Senator Mary Landrieu always stands by law enforcement. And now we are going to stand by her," the sheriffs wrote. "She is the 'go to' member of our congressional delegation when the Sheriffs need assistance."

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Acadiana Business Leaders Back Sen. Landrieu

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Cite her proven record fighting for Louisiana's businesses and industry.

More than a dozen key business leaders from the Acadiana region today endorsed United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La. Citing her strong pro-business record, the business leaders argued that her effectiveness and determination in the Senate are too valuable to give up at this time in Louisiana's history.

"I am so proud to receive the endorsement of so many key leaders of Acadiana's business community," Sen. Landrieu said. "I have spent my career fighting for Louisiana's businesses and workers, making sure that they have the resources they need even during a troubled economy. I will continue to stand up for Louisiana's businesses during my next term in the Senate."

A member of the Senate Small Business Committee, Sen. Landrieu's leadership has earned her the United States Chamber of Commerce's endorsement. She has received several of the U.S. Chamber's Spirit of Enterprise Awards, including at yesterday's Chamber of Southwest Louisiana's Legis-Gator luncheon in Lake Charles. She has also received the National Federation of Independent Businesses' "Guardian of the Small Business" award, the Small Business Council of America's Congressional Award, and last year, the Chamber of Southwest Louisiana's "Legis-Gator of the Year" award.

"This is not a race about Republican or Democrat. This is a race about demonstrated leadership and the future of Louisiana and this country," said Clay Allen of Allen and Gooch, while introducing Sen. Landrieu at today's event. "Senator Mary Landrieu has been a fierce advocate for the people of Louisiana and has provided leadership in Louisiana's most challenging times. Her seniority in the Senate and her subject matter expertise in issues important to Louisiana, such as coastal restoration and energy, make her the clear choice for all of those who love Louisiana and care about the future."

"Sen. Landrieu is recognized in Washington for her energy experience and for her several years of commitment to the oil and gas industry," Mark Miller President of Merlin Oil & Gas, Inc. said. "Sen. Landrieu has been a friend to the IPAA for many years. She has been there in the tough votes, and we always knew we could count on her."

The Acadiana business leaders endorsing Sen. Landrieu today include:

Clay Allen, Allen & Gooch
Kathy Ashworth, Sides and Associates
Mr. John D. Bernhardt, Private Practice Attorney
Robert Daigle, River Ranch Development
Bill Dore, Dore Energy
Bill Fenstermaker, Fenstermaker & Associates
Frank Flynn, Allen & Gooch
Brian Hanks, BETA Land Services
Valerie Keller, Acadiana Outreach Center
Robert Mahtook, Mahtook & LaFleur, LLC
Mark Miller, Merlin Oil & Gas, Inc.
Tyron Picard, Acadian Ambulance
Gene Sellers, The Sellers Group
Terrence Simien, Terrance Simien, Inc
Mike Skinner, Mike Skinner & Associates, LLC
Judy Wade, Robert, Wade, Inc., and Wade Events
Richard Zuschlag, Acadian Ambulance

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Louisiana Farmers Endorse Landrieu

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Cite her battles on behalf of Louisiana agriculture in the Senate.

At a "Farmers for Landrieu" event today in Jennings, 15 Louisiana farmers endorsed U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., in her campaign for re-election.

"I am so proud to receive the endorsement of these Louisiana farmers," Sen. Landrieu said. "I fight every day in the Senate for the farmers of our state, and as long as I am in the Senate, they can count on me to stand up for them."

Sen. Landrieu fought to pass the 2008 farm bill over President Bush's veto to protect Louisiana's sugar growers, remove unfair penalties against rice farmers and give farmers the resources they need to compete in a global economy. In her remarks, Sen. Landrieu focused on how rising energy prices are affecting Louisiana farmers and discussed her efforts to pass a bipartisan, comprehensive solution to America's energy crisis.

"Sen. Landrieu has been very effective for agriculture. She's been there every time an important farm bill has come up in Congress," said Louisiana Rice PAC Treasurer John Denison when introducing Sen. Landrieu at the event. "I have been most impressed with the hurricane relief efforts she led and with her bill to open up drilling off of Louisiana's coast and secure offshore royalties. She's worked very hard to make sure we are taking steps toward better hurricane protection and saving our wetlands."

"I don't need to tell you how the rising cost of gas affects our way of life in Louisiana. It means harder times for our farmers, crippling expenses for our small businesses struggling to keep their doors open, and tighter budgets for our seniors," Sen. Landrieu said. "We need to invest in cellulosic ethanol to transition America away from petroleum-based vehicles. I am proud to report to you that I have been working with a bipartisan group of senators to propose a comprehensive solution to America's energy crisis. We must be 100-percent committed to more production and more conservation. More biofuels and more research into alternative energy sources."

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Louisiana Sheriffs Endorse Landrieu Re-Election

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Sheriffs cite Landrieu's winning battles for Louisiana law enforcement.

The Louisiana Sheriff's Association today unanimously endorsed United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., at their Annual Training Conference and Exhibition. Yesterday, the Louisiana Sheriffs' and Deputies' Political Action Committee endorsed Sen. Landrieu's campaign.

"I am proud to stand with Louisiana's sheriffs and deputies," Sen. Landrieu said. "Law enforcement is not a political issue. It is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. I fight every day to make sure our law enforcement officers have the resources they need to protect our people and keep Louisiana's neighborhoods safe. I am proud to have their endorsement, and I look forward to continuing to fight for them in my next term."

Sen. Landrieu has co-sponsored legislation to improve the COPS program and fought against attempts to eliminate the Byrne Grant program that is essential to combating violent crime. She has worked to take care of those who risk their lives to protect our communities. She introduced legislation to expand benefits for disabled officers and the families of police officers killed in the line of duty. Senator Landrieu has also delivered key resources to Louisiana to combat crime, including $50 million for the Gulf Coast to curb crime following the 2005 Hurricanes and $1.3 million for the Louisiana Methamphetamine Task Force.

"Sen. Landrieu has a proven track record of accomplishment for law enforcement, fighting for critical Byrne law enforcement funding, Sheriff Drug Task Forces and equipment and resources for our deputies," said St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne, who today completes his term as President of the Louisiana Sheriff's Association. "We look forward to working with her in the next Congress to continue advancing policies that will help our law enforcement officers to protect and serve our communities."

"With the loss of other senior members of our Louisiana delegation this year, now, more than ever, we need Sen. Landrieu's experience and seniority in Congress so that she can continue making a difference in our state," said Louisiana Sheriff's Association Executive Director Hal Turner. "Sen. Landrieu can count on the Louisiana Sheriff's Association's support for her campaign as we proudly endorse her reelection today."

Click here to read more about Sen. Landrieu's record fighting and winning for Louisiana law enforcement.

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Kennedy "Stands Up" Against Oil Drilling and Energy Independence

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Puts politics before people by opposing bipartisan energy legislation.

After weeks of falsely accusing U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., of opposing expanded offshore oil and gas exploration on the outer continental shelf, Senate candidate John Kennedy attacked her bipartisan plan to open up to 200 million new acres to production. The New Energy Reform Act would open up to 38 million new acres in the Gulf of Mexico alone, meaning more income for Louisiana because of Sen. Landrieu's efforts to secure revenue sharing for the state.

"If it wasn't clear before, John Kennedy made sure to tell everyone that he opposes real solutions to America's energy crisis," Landrieu campaign spokesman Scott Schneider said. "Sen. Landrieu joined a group of five Republicans and four other Democrats to propose a commonsense, bipartisan plan that will expand drilling, increase conservation and make America more energy independent. In response, John Kennedy played politics."

Opposing the bill means that John Kennedy opposes the following provisions to lower gas prices and move America toward greater energy independence:

Opening up to 200 million new acres on the outer continental shelf to oil and gas production, and 38 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico alone;
Requiring that oil and gas produced in new domestic drilling to be used in the country;
Moving cars and trucks toward non-oil fuel sources to decrease America's dependence on foreign energy production;
Providing tax incentives to American drivers who move toward alternative fuel vehicles;
Researching and developing biofuels;
And investing in domestic nuclear production.

"John Kennedy is one confused politician," Schneider said. "He goes on talk radio daily to highlight the importance of new energy solutions, but right when we have a bipartisan, passable plan to implement a comprehensive energy solution, he calls it 'outrageous.' He has no idea who he is or what he stands for.

"Mr. Kennedy should stop wasting his time playing politics and start trying to come up with a solution to America's energy crisis. His only energy plan is more hot air."

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