Skip to content

Archive for October 18th, 2007

Oct 18

LCRM Attack Ads Exposed By Mainstream Media

Update: A quick glance at Republican Lance Maxwell’s campaign finance reports reveals that, despite Maxwell’s claims about being barred from strategically communicating with the LCRM, the Maxwell campaign received an in-kind contribution from the LCRM. On September 11, 2007, the LCRM donated a campaign policy handbook, valued at $100, to Lance Maxwell’s campaign. Download the report here and flip to page 9.

Maxwell has also received $2,500 donations from out-of-towners like Joseph Canizaro and Phyllis Taylor, both of whom were instrumental in funding the LCRM.

Yesterday, a group of Democratic candidates gathered in Alexandria to denounce the smear ads that have been taken out by the Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority, a political action committee. A radio advertisement that targets Chris Roy, Jr., Democratic candidate for District 25, was so vicious and misleading that Roy’s Republican opponent, Lance Maxwell, issued a statement denouncing the advertisement, claiming that he has requested the LCRM “remove this ad immediately.” Maxwell wrote:

This press release is in response to an unexpected attack ad against one of my opponents. On Wednesday, October 17, I heard this radio ad for the first time. I had no prior knowledge nor did I approve such an ad. (By law, no political action committee can communicate strategically with me). This ad is not supported by nor endorsed by the Lance Maxwell Campaign. I have personally called this PAC and asked that they remove this ad immediately. Any further negative campaigning by this PAC is against my specific request. This election cycle is about the future of Louisiana. I will not allow outside PAC’s to muddy the water with negative ads that are contrary to the basic foundations on which I was raised and for which I stand. Negative ads, like the one that is currently playing, are rooted in “old school” smear tactics that have kept Louisiana stagnant. Please continue to work with me as I strive to move Louisiana forward.

Although the LCRM has been targeting this district from the beginning and although Lance Maxwell’s last job was with Senator David Vitter, who, with his wife Wendy, helped found the LCRM, Maxwell claims the ad was “unexpected.” From The Town Talk:

(Chris) Roy, late Wednesday, said, “The radio attack ad that began running against me today is funded by outside interests that have also provided funding to Lance Maxwell’s campaign.” Roy also said the PAC responsible was the Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority.

Either way, Maxwell’s public denouncement is a clear indication that the LCRM is engaging in “old school smear tactics” with which even Republican candidates disagree.

Oct 18

2 Comments

Jindal Snubs the NAACP: A Disturbing Pattern on Issues of Race Emerges


The NAACP and Every Child Matters organized a forum Sunday during which the gubernatorial candidates discussed issues important to our state's African-American community, a community that comprises approximately 33.1% of the state's population. Everyone, it seemed, was in attendance, thereby rendering Bobby Jindal's absence all the more conspicuous.

Jindal’s decision to snub the NAACP is somewhat surprising, for newspaper article after newspaper article touts the unprecedented support Jindal enjoys in the African-American community. African-Americans, reporters gush, consider Jindal a viable option, but the interviews these panegyrists for Jindal cite contradict their articles’ theses: potential support for Jindal is briefly metioned, but it is immediately qualified by the reservations voters have about the Republican when probed about the vote they will actually cast on Saturday. Perhaps reporters should undertake an investigation into the reasons why such reservations exist. For if they did, they would discover how Jindal and the Republican apparatus that supports him are attempting to dupe and manipulate this very powerful block of voters, a block of voters Jindal and his handlers have every reason to fear.

So Jindal skips a forum jointly coordinated by the NAACP and Every Child Matters. Perhaps one should not be surprised, for Jindal has always been absent whenever the NAACP assumes a position on legislation considered in Congress. 35% is the grade Jindal was awarded by the NAACP for the votes he cast during 2005 and 2006. 35%: not only is it a failing grade, an F; it is a sign of Jindal’s complete and utter lack of regard for any piece of legislation the NAACP and the African-American community deems important.

One bill the NAACP supported is the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, an Act Jindal actively opposed. Here is the NAACP’s summary of the bill:

This legislation would expand existing hate crime prevention laws and allow the federal government to assist the local authorities in the investigation and prosecution of crimes motivated by hate, regardless of what the victim was doing at the time the crime occurred. It would also expand the definition of a hate crime to include those motivated by the victim’s disability, gender or sexual orientation and it would provide money to states to develop hate crime prevention programs.

In short, this proposed hate crimes prevention legislation would allow the federal government to work with state and local authorities to punish hate crimes to the fullest extent possible. While the NAACP believes that states should continue to play the primary role in the prosecution of hate crime violence, a federal law is needed to compliment state statutes and assist the states in securing the very complicated and expensive cases through prosecution.

The importance of such legislation in the wake of all the horrible events that transpired in Jena cannot be emphasized enough. One also cannot ignore the importance of such legislation when one considers the lack of funds to which those who pursue prosecution of hate crimes have access. According to the language of the bill against which Jindal voted, federal grants in the amount of $5 million in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 would assist local law enforcement agencies in the prosecution of violent hate crimes. But more importantly, coordination between the federal government and local and state officials would ensure that hate crimes are reported as such.

A cursory review of the chart of reported hate crimes at the US Department of Justice’s website reveals how Louisiana as a whole reports less incidents than states with similar populations. We know these crimes occur, but they are never documented. The legislation against which Jindal voted would ensure that those who perpetrate hate crimes and other forms of racially motivated intimidation would finally be held accountable in a court of law. Apparently Jindal does not view the prosecution of hate crimes as a priority, even if 33.1% of the state he desires to represent as Governor live with the fear that they may be the next target of racially motivated violence.

The vote Jindal cast in 2007 is not an isolated occurrence. Indeed, he voted against a similar proposal in 2005, a proposal John Conyers (D-MI) submitted as an amendment to the Children’s Safety Act of 2005. Although the NAACP and 30 House Republicans supported John Conyers’s amendment, Jindal cast a vote against it, once again demonstrating either an inability or an unwillingness to confront and address the reality of racially motivated violence and other forms of intimidation experienced by African-Americans on an all too regular basis.

Jindal’s inability or unwillingness to come to terms with the reality of racially motivated hate crimes against the African-American community also surfaced during the gubernatorial debate sponsored by Louisiana Public Broadcasting and the Council for A Better Louisiana. When asked about his plans to address and prevent problems such as those culminating in the Jena 6 by Robin Eckings, Jindal responded with nothing but unrelated bilge. I quote from minutes 11 and 12 of the video posted at We Saw That:

You know, the first thing I want to make very clear is that the entire country is watching Louisiana. They need to know that we are united as a people. There is more that binds us together than separates us. We are not separated: North, South Louisiana; black or white. This is a great state and a great country. No state in America is perfect, but this is a great state where we’re united.

Now in terms of answering the question: what can I do as Governor? I compare the tension that the Jena, that the Jena Six case has brought to Louisiana, the same way that Katrina and Rita brought attention to Louisiana as well. We need to make sure in responding to that attention that we take this as an advantage, as an opportunity, to take advantage of this, to actually address some of the underlying issues. Let’s not just address the surface symptoms: in other words, every child in Louisiana deserves access to high quality health care and a good education. The real, the real challenge for our children: too many of them grow up in poverty, one of the highest poverty rates in America. Too many of our children are suffering from preventable health care impacts; we’ve got one of the highest infant mortality rates, low birth rates. And so I think this is an opportunity for us to make sure that our children have access to affordable, high quality education, every child is getting a great education. Let’s make sure they have every opportunity to pursue their dreams and succeed. Let’s not just stop at the surface; just like the storms, there were real challenges before the storms. I think this case reveals real challenges but also a real opportunity to address those challenges in Louisiana for all of our children.

While other candidates proposed the creation of a Multicultural Task Force or an outreach program to prevent events similar those surrounding the Jena 6, Bobby Jindal dodged the question and rattled on about how everyone is unified. But when he finally attempted to answer the question, he diminished the events involving the Jena 6 by relegating them to a place he calls “the surface.” According to Jindal, the pain and suffering endured by those who are the victims of hate crimes and egregious miscarriages of justice are unworthy of consideration. Besides, these children lived in poverty, and they did not have health care or access to what Jindal calls a quality education. Victims are blamed, and no solutions are proposed.

Welcome to Jindal’s reality; welcome to Jindal’s absence from any substantive discussion about issues important to the African-American community; welcome to a world where African-Americans are invisible: no wonder why African-Americans are chary of casting a vote for the callous Republican who refuses to come to terms with the realities of race relations and hate crimes in Louisiana. Reporters at the Times-Picayune can try all they want to manufacture African-American support for the candidate their Editorial Board has endorsed. A record exists, however. And once the disturbing pattern of Jindal’s record on race becomes public knowledge, the false consensus the venal newspapers are attempting to create in the African-American community on Jindal’s behalf will begin to crumble. For no one enjoys being bamboozled.

Oct 18

3 Comments

Why Has Big Insurance Donated Nearly $200,000 to Rep. Jindal?

And are there any correlations between his privatization plans for health care, plans that include tax breaks and incentives, and the following contributions?

Note: These donations do not include the Big Insurance donations Jindal has accepted during the past year (more later).

American Bankers Association PAC (BANKPAC) 9/12/2006 $2000
American Bankers Association PAC (BANKPAC) 9/12/2006 $3000
American Bankers Association PAC (BANKPAC) 6/7/2006 $1000
American Bankers Association PAC (BANKPAC) 3/30/2006 $1000
American Bankers Association PAC (BANKPAC) 12/6/2005 $1000
American Bankers Association PAC (BANKPAC) 1/31/2005 $2000
Investment Company Institute PAC (ICI PAC) 4/10/2006 $2500
Investment Company Institute PAC (ICI PAC) 2/24/2006 $1000
Investment Company Institute PAC (ICI PAC) 2/16/2006 $1243
Investment Company Institute PAC (ICI PAC) 12/5/2005 $1000
Investment Company Institute PAC (ICI PAC) 5/23/2005 $1000
Investment Company Institute PAC (ICI PAC) 5/5/2005 $1000
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance PAC 10/6/2006 $3000
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance PAC 4/3/2006 -$2000
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance PAC 2/16/2006 $2000
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance PAC 11/16/2005 $3000
New York Life Insurance Company 8/24/2006 $1000
New York Life Insurance Company 6/29/2006 $1000
New York Life Insurance Company 2/17/2006 $2000
Oppenheimer Funds, Inc PAC 2/16/2006 $2000
Oppenheimer Funds, Inc PAC 11/16/2005 $2000
National Association of Health Underwriters PAC (HUPAC) 8/9/2006 $1000
National Association of Health Underwriters PAC (HUPAC) 4/28/2006 $1000
National Association of Health Underwriters PAC (HUPAC) 11/1/2005 $1500
National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors PAC 6/20/2006 $1000
National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors PAC 2/28/2006 $1500
National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors PAC 2/24/2005 $1000
KPMG Partners/Principles & Employees PAC 10/4/2005 $304
KPMG Partners/Principles & Employees PAC 3/25/2005 $500
KPMG Partners/Principles & Employees PAC 2/7/2005 $2500
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc PAC 6/6/2006 $1000
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc PAC 2/16/2006 $1000
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc PAC 4/27/2005 $1000
Independent Insurance Agents of America PAC (INSURPAC) 4/10/2006 $1000
Independent Insurance Agents of America PAC (INSURPAC) 4/7/2005 $1000
Independent Insurance Agents of America PAC (INSURPAC) 3/25/2005 $1000
Hibernia People for Good Government Inc (Capital One Financial Corp PAC) 4/4/2005 $2500
National Venture Capital Association (VENTUREPAC) 10/2/2006 $1500
National Venture Capital Association (VENTUREPAC) 6/10/2005 $1000
Wells Fargo Employee PAC 12/23/2005 $1000
Wells Fargo Employee PAC 11/22/2005 $1500
Vanguard Committee for Responsible Government 2/13/2006 $2000
AFLAC Inc PAC 8/4/2006 $1000
AFLAC Inc PAC 6/6/2006 $1000
Property Casualty Insurers Association of America PAC (PCIPAC) 7/18/2006 $1000
Property Casualty Insurers Association of America PAC (PCIPAC) 3/2/2005 $1000
Humana Inc, PAC 3/27/2006 $1000
Humana Inc, PAC 4/15/2005 $1000
Blue Shield of California PAC 4/7/2006 $1000
Blue Shield of California PAC 5/18/2005 $1000
Aetna Inc. PAC 8/4/2006 $1000
Aetna Inc. PAC 4/20/2005 $1000
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants PAC 4/6/2005 $106
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants PAC 4/8/2005 $1500
Ernst & Young PAC 4/17/2005 $1500
Deloitte & Touche Federal PAC 3/30/2005 $1500
PriceWaterhouseCoopers PAC 3/3/2005 $1500
Financial Services Roundtable PAC 11/15/2005 $1500
Credit Union Legislative Action Council of CUNA 3/15/2005 $1000
Federal National Mortgage Association PAC (Fannie Mae PAC) 9/22/2005 $1000
CITIGROUP Inc PAC 3/18/2005 $1000
Capital One Financial Corp Assoc Political Fund 9/15/2006 $1000
Bipartisan PAC (Mellon Financial Corporation) 2/15/2006 $1000
Bank of America Corporation PAC 6/21/2005 $1000
American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries PAC 1/5/2006 $1000
American Century Co Inc PAC (American Century Investments PAC) 2/13/2006 $1000
Washington Mutual PAC (WAMUPAC) 2/24/2006 $1000
ClarkPAC of Clark Consulting 3/11/2005 $1000
Mortgage Insurance Companies of America PAC 3/30/2005 $1000
PMI Mortgage Insurance Co PAC 3/1/2005 $1000
Pan-American Life Insurance Company PAC 2/3/2005 $1000
Professional Insurance Agents PAC 9/21/2006 $1000
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company PAC 2/14/2006 $1000
Sallie Mae Inc PAC 3/9/2005 $1000
FMR Corp PAC 2/21/2006 $1000
Mutual of Omaha Companies PAC (IMPAC) 9/27/2006 $1000
Financial Services Political Committee 2/8/2006 $1000
St. Paul Travelers Companies Inc. PAC (STA PAC) 11/29/2005 $1000
Massachusetts Financial Services Company PAC (MFS PAC) 2/9/2006 $1000
Liberty Mutual Insurance Company PAC 10/16/2006 $1000
Liberty Mutual Insurance Company PAC 10/16/2006 -$1000
Liberty Mutual Insurance Company PAC 8/23/2006 $1000
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co PAC 3/1/2006 $1000
Wachovia Corporation Employees Good Government Fund 7/18/2006 $1000
Independent Community Bankers of America PAC 6/20/2005 $1000
Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Fund 6/22/2005 $1000
BLUEPAC – Blue Cross Blue Shield Association PAC 4/7/2005 $500
American Benefits Council PAC 5/19/2005 $500
Allianz of America Corporation (Fireman’s Fund PAC) 2/14/2006 $500
PAC TOTAL $102653
Insurance Individuals (by filed occupation)
(Self/ Insurance Broker) Toomy, Joe 10/26/2004 $500
(Self/ Insurance Broker) Temple, Aubrey 7/5/2006 $1100
(Self/ Insurance Broker) Temple, Aubrey 7/5/2006 $1000
(Self/ Insurance Broker) Temple, Aubrey 6/13/2005 $2000
(Self/ Insurance Broker) Temple, Aubrey 5/31/2005 $1000
(Self/ Insurance Broker) Toomy, Joe 6/13/2005 $500
(Self/ Insurance Rep) Garcia, Erik 10/31/2006 $250
(Self/ Insurance) Weiser, Earl 10/8/2004 $250
(Self/ Insurance) Schexnayder, Gerald 6/13/2005 $1000
(Self/ Insurance) Weiser, Earl 10/30/2006 $500
(Self/ Insurance) Weiser, Earl 3/23/2006 $250
(Self/ Insurance) Weiser, Earl 6/13/2005 $450
(Self/ Insurance) Weiser, Earl 2/18/2005 $250
(Self/ Life Insurance Agent) Fitzgerald, Tim 3/16/2004 $1000
(Self/ Life Insurance Agent) Thomas, Wayne 9/9/2004 $500
(Self/ Life Insurance Agent) Thomas, Wayne 6/13/2005 $500
AIS Inc./ Insurance Agent (Texas) Adams, Norman 10/7/2004 $500
AIS Inc./ Insurance Agent (Texas) Adams, Norman 6/13/2005 $500
AmeritasAcacia/ Insurance Security Masson, Bob 5/10/2004 $250
Arlen Corp/ Insurance and Financial (Rhode Island) McGoff, Frank 7/22/2004 $500
Arlen Corp/ Insurance and Financial (Rhode Island) McGoff, Frank 6/13/2005 $500
B & S Underwriters, Inc/ Insurance Black, Roger 4/5/2005 $500
Blumberg & Associates/ Insurance Blumberg, Barry 6/1/2006 $1000
Blumberg & Associates/ Insurance Blumberg, Barry 3/6/2006 $250
Bryan Wagner Insurance Murphy, Julie 9/2/2004 $1750
Bryan Wagner Insurance Murphy, Julie 8/3/2004 $250
Bryan Wagner Insurance Murphy, Julie 8/3/2004 $1750
Bryan Wagner Insurance Murphy, Julie 6/22/2004 $250
Bryan Wagner Insurance Murphy, Julie 3/23/2004 $2000
Bryan Wagner Insurance Murphy, Julie 3/30/2006 $2100
Bryan Wagner Insurance Murphy, Julie 6/13/2005 $2000
Bryan Wagner Insurance Murphy, Julie 1/4/2005 $2000
DBK Consulting/ Health Insurance Adv (Virginia) Boyle, Diane 3/22/2005 $500
Dwight Andrus Insurance Corp Andrus III, Dwight 5/31/2005 $500
FARA Insurance Services Richard, Todd 6/25/2005 $1000
First Premium Insurance Group Jenkins, Richard 9/27/2006 $250
GE Mortgage Insurance (North Carolina) Goldhaber, Mark 3/24/2005 $500
Gray Insurance Co. Gray, Walter 6/23/2004 $2000
Gray Insurance Co. Gray, Walter 6/23/2004 $2000
Gray Insurance Co. Gray, Walter 6/23/2004 $2000
Guarantee Trust Life/ Insurance (Illinois) Holson, Richard 9/30/2004 $250
Guarantee Trust Life/ Insurance (Illinois) Holson, Richard 6/13/2005 $250
Hibernia Insurance Agency Stalter, Rowland 11/1/2004 $500
Hibernia Insurance Agency Hahn, Carol 3/13/2004 $500
Hibernia Insurance Agency Stalter, Rowland 6/13/2005 $500
Hollis Companies/ Insurance Hollis, Michael 3/10/2004 $500
ICT Insurance Craton, Michael 3/27/2004 $500
ICT Insurance Craton, Michael 3/23/2006 $250
ICT Insurance Craton, Michael 4/11/2005 $250
Kennedy Financial Group/ Insurance Kennedy, Charles 10/7/2006 $250
Kilpatrick Life Insurance Shehee, Virginia 8/3/2004 $500
Kilpatrick Life Insurance Shehee, Virginia 3/10/2004 $1000
Kilpatrick Life Insurance Shehee, Virginia 2/19/2006 $830
Kilpatrick Life Insurance Shehee, Virginia 6/13/2005 $500
Kilpatrick Life Insurance Shehee, Virginia 3/23/2005 $500
Knox Insurance Group David, Dwayne 2/24/2006 $250
LA Employers Managed Insurance Greer, Robert 3/21/2006 $1000
Landry Harris & Company/ Insurance Trent, Charles 3/24/2006 $250
Louisiana Companies/ Insurance CEO Nelson Jr, George 3/17/2004 $1000
Louisiana Companies/ Insurance CEO Nelson Jr, George 4/1/2006 $1000
Met Life Insurance Weber, Beau 6/13/2005 $200
New York Life Insurance (Kentucky) Gopal, Vijender 3/25/2004 $1000
Powell Insurance Powell, Bennett 6/29/2004 $1000
Starmount Life Insurance Sternberg, Hans 10/7/2004 $500
Starmount Life Insurance Sternberg, Hans 8/10/2004 $1649
Starmount Life Insurance Sternberg, Hans 3/21/2006 $1000
Starmount Life Insurance Sternberg, Hans 6/13/2005 $500
Starmount Life Insurance Sternberg, Hans 3/15/2005 $500
State Farm Insurance Skibinski, Joseph 10/26/2004 $500
State Farm Insurance Bordlee, Anthony 7/9/2004 $500
State Farm Insurance Mcfadden, Timothy 9/8/2004 $250
State Farm Insurance Skibinski, Joseph 6/13/2005 $500
State Farm Insurance McFadden, Timothy 3/21/2006 $250
State Farm Insurance McFadden, Timothy 6/13/2005 $250
Stone Insurance Roux, Robert 5/14/2004 $250
Strategic Comp LLC/ Insurance Admin Jacobs, Scott 6/22/2004 $500
Thomas Farr Agency/ Insurance Agent Farr, Joe 2/10/2004 $500
Thomson Smith & Leach Insurance Smith, John 6/9/2005 $500
Westbrook Benefits Group/ Insurance Westbrook, Amy 3/23/2004 $500
Wright and Percy Insurance McKnight, Markham 2/3/2006 $1000
INDIVIDUALS TOTAL $58329
Insurance Companies & Individuals 2003
Anthony Alford Insurance 10/15/2003 $1000
Central American Life Insurance Co 11/17/2003 $500
Hebert & Thomson Insurance 10/27/2003 $500
Humana Employers Health Ins Co 6/10/2003 $1000
Insurance Underwriters LTD 10/30/2003 $1000
Kilpatrick Life Insurance Co 10/31/2003 $5000
Louisiana Companies 10/31/2003 $250
Louisiana Health Service & Indemnity Co 10/31/2003 $5000
Louisiana State Farm Agents/ LASFAA 7/18/2003 $5000
NaII Political Account 9/30/2003 $1500
Plus Insurance Marketing D/B/A Progressive Insurance 11/5/2003 $500
Randy Wiggins State Farm Agency 11/7/2003 $500
Trustgroup Insurance Agency Glaviano, Steven 10/31/2003 $100
Woodard Walker Insurance Agency 11/7/2003 $500
Gray, Michael T 7/8/2003 $5000
Gray, Michael T 10/21/2003 $5000
Craton, Michael 10/16/2003 $2000
Calhoun, Fielder 10/19/2003 $1000
Murphy, Julie N 10/30/2003 $1000
Farr, Joe 11/14/2003 $250
Roberts, Ted 10/24/2003 $150
2003 GOV TOTAL $36750

TOTAL INSURANCE $197732