After doing an interview and taking calls on Jeff Crouere's
Ringside Politics radio show this morning, it's
very clear that GOP Congressional candidate Joseph Cao doesn't know anything about the
Family Research Council, who endorsed him.
A caller named Daniel asked him about the troubling FRC endorsement and Cao stumbled and bumbled around, and said he didn't seek the endorsement, and didn't indicate that he knew anything about the FRC.
The
Gambit Weekly didn't endorse Cao over Dollar Bill Jefferson largely because of fears generated by the FRC endorsement, so you'd think that Cao would've diligently researched the FRC after Gambit's (curious) write-up. Responding to the Gambit's non-endorsement,
I said that "it's
entirely possible that Cao doesn't know anything about the history of the Family Research Council", and after hearing Cao's radio interview, that certainly appears to be the case. Granted, in terms of local politics, there's a definite "babe in the wilderness" quality to Cao, which YRHT (probably prematurely)
endorsed. However YRHT stands by its endorsement of Joseph Cao over William Jefferson for Congress.
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I enjoy reading
The Gambit on a weekly basis. Oftentimes there are good articles, stimulating commentary, and interesting scuttlebutt. Plus, every fortnight you can count on a great
political comic. Any weekly that
publishes articles by Jeremy Alford that are prefaced with
my favorite Nietzsche quote is fine by me. [That quote, the summation of Nietzsche's insightful piece on the
origin of knowledge, really tickles my gonads. In brief, the idea is that the truths (of untruth) are not necessarily beautiful and helpful and good-- they're often difficult and harmful to life. Most of us live by use of errors that
seem helpful, and we rename these shortcuts "true". Nietzsche wonders to what extent can we recognize errors for what they are, and incorporate the "truths of untruth" into a robust, more aware life?]
So I don't want it to seem like I'm going out of my way to slag on the Gambit, but I do have another criticism involving politics and New Orleans' alternative weekly. First, at the outset, I want to reiterate my endorsement of
Shawn Barney for State Senate. I think he's a "fresh face" with "new ideas" and all that happy stuff. I think he would be a good political leader, and I very much respect his late father's life of service and civil rights advocacy. I think Shawn Barney is a class act who will carry his father's example forward in a positive way.
The Gambit chose to endorse J.P. Morrell over Shawn Barney for State Senate. That's not an outlandish decision. I don't agree with it, but I can understand it. However, what I don't understand is why Gambit political columnist
Clancy Dubos recently made an incendiary implication about Shawn Barney coordinating with William Jefferson for political purposes. It's a false implication, and I thought it was hitting a good man with a cheap shot. Dubos wrote:
[Rep. William Jefferson is] delighted to see the special election in state Senate District 3. Word has it he encouraged Barney to stay in that contest even though Morrell is a decided favorite. Any turnout boost in black precincts helps Jefferson, who got a reprieve, for now, from his scheduled Dec. 2 trial date.
"Word has it"... eh?
Clancy's assertion makes it sound like Barney was considering dropping out, but that William Jefferson said something to Barney that encouraged him to stay in the race.
Well, "word has it" that this is totally false. "Word has it" that Mr. Dubos did not contact anyone from the Shawn Barney campaign for a comment on this charge. In fact, "word has it" that J.P. Morrell is the one peddling this false conspiracy theory to anyone who will listen, even though it is completely untrue.
Here is the Barney campaign's official response:
Barney for Senate Campaign Responds to Morrell Smears
Morrell Growing Desperate
NEW ORLEANS, LA.- November 23, 2008 – Today, Barney for Senate Press Secretary Zach Hudson issued the following statement regarding the J.P. Morrell Campaign's smears in this week's Gambit Weekly:
At a time when his district lies devastated and our economy is in shambles, J.P. Morrell is smearing Shawn Barney to distract the voters from the fact that Morrell represents more of the same. It is an absolute lie that Congressman Jefferson convinced Shawn Barney to stay in the race for State Senate District 3 despite Morrell's endorsements by the old political establishment.
Mr. Morrell is scared because despite the fact that the status quo is supporting him, his increasingly desperate campaign to protect his family's dynasty is not resonating with voters.
Morrell is out of touch, therefore he is resorting to dirty tricks to hide from the voters of District 3 the fact that his only accomplishment while in office was his vote to give himself a 200% pay raise. Shawn Barney is a fresh face with new ideas who has brought millions of dollars in private redevelopment to District 3, while creating over 100 jobs in the metro area. J.P. Morrell may be a self described avid video game player, but he is not a serious candidate for public office.
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Vote Shawn Barney for State Senate.
Labels: Dollar bill, Elections and Campaigns
15 Comments:
I totally will.
It doesn't seem like he's got much of a campaign going though. No phone calls, few mailers, few signs.
Cao's a joke, oyster. And if he wins, you'll be regretting the endorsement every single day until 2010.
So is Nietzsche telling us that truth emerges from a process other than what is commonly understood as scientific trial and error? Or just that "truth" itself emerges not at all... only error which is falsely called "truth"
If I have this right, it may explain Sean Payton's offense to some degree.
I hope Shawn Barney win as well, though I don't live in the N.O. area.
Morrell's authoring and sponsoring of HB 122 this past legislative session is enough for me to not want him gaining any more clout in the legislature.
I endorse Cao over Jefferson as well. I also endorse Rahim over Cao. ;)
Anon: "Cao's a joke, oyster. And if he wins, you'll be regretting the endorsement every single day until 2010."
Over Dollar Bill? I don't think so.
Jeffrey: In the google cache link to the "origin of knowledge" piece, Fritz (as his sisters called him) identifies some examples of "erroneous articles of faith":
that there are enduring things; that there are equal things; that there are things, substances, bodies; that a thing is what it appears to be; that our will is free; that what is good for me is also good in itself.
"truth" is thus represented in negative relief-- it's more of a recognition of the "truth of untruth". Nietzsche esteems science (the book is titled the Gay Science of Joyful Wisdom), but science and philosophy must divorce themselves as much as possible from the old errors-- which admittedly have been useful in preserving the species!-- in order to find and understand truer knowledge-- which might actually be seen as harmful by those who live in accordance by the old ingrained errors.
And if science uncovers truer (but perhaps more harmful) knowledge to what extent can we incorporate this knowledge into life? To what extent can the will to (un)truth be life affirming?
so when Cao votes against EFCA, you'll be happy? good to know!
Yeah, I'll be orgasmic after every single thing Cao says and does, because I'm a thoughtless tool.
That's why I made the endorsement. I think Cao will be a perfect exemplar of liberal voting excellence, and I expect never to be disappointed. Not once.
Oyster: I don't think you are a thoughtless too.... OH you are being SARCASTIC.. never mind ;) LOL
Anon: I don't think that Cao or Jefferson have a chance to get anything done in Congress for the next two years. Jefferson because of his current power ranking caused by he legal issues. Cao because he will be a freshman congressman in the minority party who will likely start off as a lame duck (despite the fact that the Incumbency does have advantages in reelection).
I met Shawn Barney at my neice's birthday party recently - good guy. He said his unofficial campaign slogan is "I won't get arrested" Gotta like that.
oyster, barney is in fact on bill jefferson's ballot for saturday. have you seen it?
That doesn't mean anything. Jefferson and Morrell have feuded since his dad's Senate race in 2004 and JEfferson supported Kennedy.
Morrell is supported by lots of suspicious characters such as Cedric Richmond and Ike Spears.
I saw a ballot with Mary Landrieu and Jefferson in November. No one is accusing Landrieu of taking advice from Jefferson
Ok this is a different Anon. one who has know Oyster before he got his shell when he was a wee one. Look any time you get to choose between an actual criminal and someone else you have to cross party lines. Get rid of dollar bill get rid of guys who try to get hand jobs in public airport bathrooms get rid of diaper wearing, prostitute visiting blowhards get rid of secret documents cramed down pants aides, get rid of guys who accept bribes or have additions built onto their homes, get rid of guys wh have ignore senate ethic rules concerning their vacation homes. Do we do this no we dont we point piously at the other side and say get rid of those guys our sins are not as black. We say Sen So-and-So is ours and we like him its the other badguys we need to get rid of. This is why ethics and morals are still important.
Wait....No more hand jobs????
Damn!!!!
Oh, and I now feel sooooo stupid for having felt so well represented by Morrell....
I guess the very specific "word has it" has credibility that the vague "some say" lacks. Did word have it in the primary that one of the candidates was running to help split the black vote and ensure Jeff's place in a runoff? I thought that seemed far-fetched, but certainly no more far-fetched than the notion that a state legislative race that's getting almost no attention will appreciably increase turnout in a congressional race. In retrospect, the first primary scenario wasn't all that implausible since Richmond (if he was running with Jeff's blessing) is in a stronger position for having run. Yet, I don't recall Gambit reporting that speculation.
I guess it's not just a Washington problems, journalists everywhere need to learn to recognize when they're being played by the sources that they've cultivated.
And, I guess that instead of questioning something that I admitted seemed unlikely, I should have said, "word has it that a Jefferson Parish power broker was hired to work with Hedge-Morrell to help open doors for J.P. Morrell..." It wouldn't have made it less unlikely (I think it more likely that a deal would have involved legislative votes), but it would have sounded like something that a credible journalist would write about Shawn Barney.
