A few days ago, Stephanie Grace of The Times-Picayune righteously blasted Representative Jeff Landry for his absolute and total failure as a United States Congressman. Landry, who… remember this?
Point being: Landry, who was, in a former life, a cop living directly above a stash of cocaine, is now a United States Congressman. Voters forgave and dismissed the cocaine connection; Landry, of course, was never convicted or charged with any crime; he just lived with a guy who hid coke underneath their house. How could he have possibly known? Right?
In hindsight, though, I think voters may have been too easily forgiving of Mr. Landry, because throughout the last year, he’s repeatedly demonstrated his brash unprofessionalism and utter incompetence. Remember, this is the same man who lived with a corrupt cop who stashed cocaine under their house and successfully pleaded his complete ignorance. Given his recent behavior, it’s not surprising that his ignorance was considered a legitimate excuse.
Landry, who ostensibly wants to fight for people affected by the so-called moratorium on oil drilling in the gulf (see also: Big Oil), believes it’s more effective to break the rules and customs of the United States Congress by holding up a sign protesting the President than it would be to actually meet with the President. He’s what, in Texas, they’d refer to as all hat and no cattle.
In case you missed it, Jeff Landry, a freshman Congressman, refused an invitation to the White House to discuss off-shore drilling, the very issue he wants all of his constituents to believe he’s fighting for, and instead, a few months later, decided to show up to Presidential address during a joint session of Congress with a pathetic, folded-up sign reading, “Drilling=Jobs.” To Jeff Landry, such a stunt is more effective than actually doing substantive work.
And now, we know this:
Rep. Jeff Landry has no regrets for comparing the nation’s lead offshore oil and gas regulatory agency to the Gestapo and will not apologize.
“Absolutely not, not one,” Landry (R-La.) said Tuesday evening when asked whether he had any regrets. “I mean I didn’t name-call them. I used it as an adjective or an adverb in saying it was like, it was similar.”
Last week, Landry said BOEMRE was acting “like the CIA and Gestapo” after he said he was recently unable to meet with BOEMRE staff during an unannounced visit to the New Orleans branch to talk about stalled oil drilling permits, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported.
He shows up unannounced to a federal agency; all of the relevant leaders are not in the office at the time; the staff politely asks him to reschedule a meeting; he blasts them (and implicitly, their director, who happens to be Jewish, by the way) as the “Gestapo.”
But what’s even more insidious to me, at least: The man claims he didn’t “name-call them.” He believes “Gestapo” is just an adjective or an adverb. No, it’s not, Jeff Landry; it’s a proper noun. And so is the CIA, which is an agency of the United States government. It’s more than shameful that a sitting Congressman would equivocate the CIA with the Gestapo.
BOEMRE Director Michael Bromwich complained Monday, saying agency officials in the New Orleans office were “deeply disturbed” by the congressman’s choice of words and characterization.
“They are aware, as I am sure you are, that the Gestapo were the German internal security police under the Nazis, known for its terrorist methods,” Bromwich wrote in a letter to Landry. “Your comparison of the minor inconvenience you experienced to the tactics and methods of the Nazi secret police is simply unacceptable from anyone, but especially from a public official.”
Bromwich added: “I would strongly suggest you consider a public apology to our personnel, which include many of your constituents.”
The agency canceled a scheduled Sept. 30 meeting with Landry after his characterization to the Times-Picayune.
Director Bromwich is simply asking for an apology. Stephanie Grace is merely pointing out his failure in leadership. I, for one, believe the only remedy is for Jeff Landry to immediately resign. He is not only embarrassing himself; he’s embarrassing the entire State of Louisiana.
Over and over and over and over…
The joy of repetition really is in you, Jeff Landry.
CenLamar 