Is this significant?

Cravins to get Blue Dog endorsement today | theadvertiser.com | The Advertiser

State Sen Don Cravins Jr. will be endorsed today by a group of conservative congressional Democrats known as the "Blue Dogs."
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The group of 47 House Democrats grew in numbers and influence after the 2006 elections and are lilkely to help raise money for Cravins, who is challenging Republican Rep. Charles Boustany of Lafayette.Currently, Rep. Charles Melancon, D-Napoleonville, is the only member of the Blue Dog Coalition.

I suppose this could really help Cravins' fundraising. Is that correct?

Glad I chose tile instead.

Professor says granite countertops are radioactive | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

A physics professor at Rice University is warning of a radioactive threat found in some kitchen countertops.

Some granite countertops contain levels of uranium high enough to be dangerous to humans, said Rice professor W.J. Llope.

Read the first comment by HealthPhysicist for some perspective before taking a sledge hammer to your countertop.

a tale of two senators--Vitter votes against Road Home relief.

2theadvocate.com | Suburban and State | Senate passes housing measure — Baton Rouge, LA

Under the new measure, Road Home recipients claiming the deduction can go back and redo their 2005 taxes and repay the savings they received in order to get the full benefit of the Road Home grants.

“The Senate today sent the president a bill with one of the most significant provisions to jumpstarting our recovery since hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005,” U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said in a statement after the vote.

“Our homeowners will now get the tax relief they need to reinvest in their homes and our communities,” said Landrieu, the author of the provision.

U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., initially co-sponsored the Road Home relief measure, but voted against the $300 billion housing bill because, Vitter said, it aids mortgage lenders that created the current housing crisis.

If we can't have offshore drilling, then we'll let the speculators set the price of gas.

Oil-speculation bill blocked - The Boston Globe

Senate Republicans blocked action yesterday on legislation proposed by the Democrats to curb speculation in energy markets and reduce record oil prices.

The measure, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, didn't get the 60 votes required to end debate and bring it to a final vote. The tally was 50-43.

Republicans want to be able to debate numerous amendments to the legislation, including expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas. Reid, of Nevada, said the Republicans were trying to talk the legislation to death. He proposed limited amendments, with the goal of moving the measure before Congress leaves for its August break.

Somebody please find the logic in this?

John Maginnis on the governor

Louisiana Gov Jindal, Legislature Playing To Different Drummers

Yet what really bugs legislators is not the lost projects but the lack of communication from the governor's office. Had legislators known the governor's predisposition against fun they would have addressed other local priorities and not gone home empty-handed. Two sentences of gubernatorial guidelines on funding local government items would have spared 90 percent of the angst. But full clarity, apparently, was not the administration's goal.

As with the funding for non-profit groups, he left enough ambiguity to cloak rewards to allies--such as $550,000 requested for a community organization by Sen. Ann Duplessis, D-New Orleans, who sponsored his top priority education voucher bill--and punishment to dissidents--such as Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, who passed a disclosure bill linking the governor's campaign contributors to subsequent job appointments. The governor vetoed that bill and, for good measure, Abramson's amendment of $50,000 to a non-profit group that is actually doing something about homelessness.

What addles legislators is a governor who very selectively plays quid-pro-quo politics when it suits him, but not enough for more than a handful to join the game. That's why he and his top aides don't return phone calls or mix much with politicians outside of very controlled circumstances, usually in which any substantial communication is one way. Legislators rarely want to talk to the governor about what they can do for him; he doesn't have to say no to their entreaties if he can avoid being asked.

FEMA formaldehyde fubar.

The Associated Press: FEMA seeks immunity from suits over trailer fumes

"It is well-established that the (government) is only liable in such situations if it supervised and directed day-to-day activities of its contractors, which did not occur in this case," they argued in the court papers.

The government's lawyers also wrote that a review of legislative history left "no doubt" that Congress intended to enact a broad bar against any such claims arising from disaster relief actions.

Tony Buzbee, one of the lead lawyers for the plaintiffs, said FEMA and the trailer manufacturers "worked hand in hand" after the 2005 hurricanes and should share legal liability in the cases. The lawsuits contend FEMA ignored concerns about formaldehyde levels in trailers for months after Katrina.

Vitter targets Indian women.

New Legislation Threatens American-Indian Women's Reproductive Health | Reproductive Justice and Gender | AlterNet

But the victory is dampened by a poison pill provision slipped in by Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) that explicitly restricts abortions under IHS programs. The amendment was approved along with the bill in February. As In These Times went to press, it was unclear whether the House would vote on companion legislation carrying a similar amendment.

Are LA voters being disenfranchised?

Three States Accused of Illegally Purging Voter Lists | Democracy and Elections | AlterNet

Last week, Project Vote, which is working in two dozen states to register voters in 2008, sent a letter to Dardenne saying his state appeared to be ignoring sections of the NVRA that require that voters be notified by mail over two federal election cycles before being removed. Project Vote's attorney said Louisiana Commissioner of Elections Angie LaPlace was treating apparently duplicate database listings as "cases of suspected fraud or some other irregularity."

Last year, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund sued Louisiana over the purging of registrations of refugees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Many people who applied for a driver's license in a neighboring state -- to quickly acquire an ID after losing their belongings in the storms -- also were registered to vote without their knowledge, NAACP attorneys said. Those new voter registrations resulted in 21,000 voters being removed from Louisiana voter rolls last August, the group said. While the NAACP suit was dismissed, Project Vote's recent letter suggests the state's voter list maintenance practices have not changed. Project Vote also wrote to the U.S. Department of Justice about the matter, as the agency oversees federal elections in most Southern states as a result of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Funeral scheduled for unidentified Katrina victims.

Jazz funeral for the final, forgotten victims of Hurricane Katrina - Times Online

For almost three years they have lain in a refrigerated warehouse in New Orleans – unclaimed, unwanted and, in some cases, unidentified.

Only now, as the city prepares to mark the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, are the last of the victims set to be laid to rest in what is expected to be the world’s biggest jazz funeral.

August 29.

Good question --Louisiana's Treasurer Kennedy and Senator Vitter campaigning together?

RealClearPolitics - The Scorecard

Louisiana State Treasurer John Kennedy, widely seen as the best Republican hope to beat an incumbent Democratic Senator this year, used a tried and true tactic yesterday when asked about opponent Mary Landrieu's impending fundraiser with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg: Kennedy associated his opponent with the Big Apple chief's more liberal philosophies on the Second Amendment and on social issues.

Still, questioning Landrieu's association with Bloomberg raises an immediate question for Kennedy: If he's a conservative on social issues, will he accept the public assistance of Republican Senator David Vitter?

Asked if he would campaign with Vitter during a conference call yesterday, Kennedy didn't answer directly. "David hasn't offered, and so far I haven't asked," he said. "I don't have plans right now to campaign with anybody." Still, Kennedy said the junior senator had erred. "Senator Vitter made a very serious mistake, and I think he would be the first person to admit that. And David is still paying the price."

What price is that, I wonder.

WSJ puffs Jindal, neglects to mention that he is an exorcist.

Rebel With a Cause: Bobby Jindal's Spiritual Journey - WSJ.com

Ms. Shukla, and other Hindus, were disappointed that Mr. Jindal abstained from voting on H.R. 747, the "Diwali resolultion" passed in late 2007 while Mr. Jindal was still in Congress that recognized the festival celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs. But Mr. Jindal brushed away any criticisms that he did not pay "enough" attention to ethnic or religious interest groups. "I've always thought that each of us as an individual should make our own decisions," said Mr. Jindal. "I think it is unfortunate that so often in modern society we tend to try to group people by stereotypes and hyphenated identifications." That's a lesson he may soon be taking to a wider audience.

In Shatner voice: "Head exploding. Does. Not. Compute. AAAAARGH!"

It's surprising to me that many Louisiana residents don't know about Jindal's 1994 exorcism experience. In college he participated in an impromptu exorcism of a "friend" after a "minister" refused to exorcise the friend's demons. Here are a few links.

America may or may not be ready for a national political debate about exorcism and Satanic demons.

Time Mgazine

TPM "Exorcism cured cancer."

Weisman on why Jindal isn't right for McCain.

Post Politics Hour - washingtonpost.com

. I also don't believe Bobby Jindal. Too young, undermines what is becoming practically the entire reason for McCain's campaign: experience v naivite [sic].

Would I be wrong in interpreting this remark to mean that Weisman thinks Jindal is naive?

Did McCain cancel Louisiana visit because of oil spill?

Seems reasonable to me.

Crooks and Liars

Nothing says ‘drill safely’ like the smell of diesel in the French Quarter

Recognizing the interest in Barack Obama’s speech in Germany today, the McCain campaign came up with a photo-op that would have captured at least some attention — John McCain would hop on a helicopter and give a speech from an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Louisiana coast. The campaign knows how important oil prices are to voters, so McCain assumed he could fool a few of them into thinking coastal drilling would give them relief at the pump.

But just an hour after the photo-op was finalized and the media was alerted, the event was off. The campaign said the weather just wasn’t cooperating. Jonathan Martin noted, “The campaign declined to comment any further about the quick decision to spike the trip other than to cite the weather.”

Was the weather the real reason for the cancellation? Maybe, or perhaps the McCain gang didn’t want to visit the rig if the reporters on hand might notice the smell of diesel wafting through the French Quarter.

Cravins cash. Can he make a run of it?

The Independent - Politics 07.23.2008

BOUSTANY POSTS BIG FUNDRAISING ADVANTAGE OVER CRAVINS Having entered the 7th District Congressional race relatively late, state Sen. Don Cravins Jr. has a lot of catching up to do in the fundraising department. Both Cravins and incumbent Congressman Charles Boustany posted their July quarterly campaign finance reports last week, and Boustany has a significant financial edge. Boustany reported raising $320,812.27 in the period from April 1 to June 30, with a total cash on hand war chest of $669,519.39. Cravins, who only began raising money in the latter part of June, reported raising $107,072.77, with $104,840.35 cash on hand.

Hard to run against an incumbent, but if Cravins keeps raising money at this rate, he could definitely make a splash.

Jindal: "I won't be VP."

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time - Blogs from CNN.com

One day after it was revealed the presumptive Republican presidential candidate was slated to hold a closed-door meeting with the 37-year old governor, Jindal told Fox News there is no way he will fill the bottom half of the GOP presidential ticket.

CNN's Political Market: Jindal's stock goes down

"I'm not going to be the vice presidential nominee or vice president," Jindal said. "I'm going to help Senator McCain get elected, as governor of Louisiana."
. . . . . . .

GOP sources also tell CNN Jindal is being considered for the keynote address slot at the Republican Convention.

McCain is running for governor of Louisiana? Who'd a thunk?

Crouere: Limbaugh loves Jindal for VP

Louisiana Bobby Jindal Looms Closer To Team McCain

After noted political columnist Robert Novak reported that McCain would make his VP selection this week, it was learned that the Arizona Senator will visit Louisiana tomorrow to meet with Governor Jindal. It could be a ploy to distract the media from the Obama overseas visit, but more likely it seems to indicate the Arizona Senator’s continuing fascination with Bobby Jindal.

It is clear that there is a bond between John McCain and Bobby Jindal. They seem to have a close personal relationship. McCain personally likes Jindal and is very comfortable with the Governor. All VP selection lists now include Jindal is at the top of the Vice President list. MSNBC is reporting that Jindal has already been vetted by the McCain campaign.

Here is why Jindal is such an interesting choice. Jindal has assets that McCain likes. Namely, he is young, bright and is the darling of the conservative wing of the party. Just ask Rush Limbaugh, Bill Kristol or Newt Gingrich who McCain should choose and they will all respond in unison, Bobby Jindal. All of them credit Jindal will a very impressive star to his term as Governor and point to his potential as a rising star in the conservative movement.

OOOOWEEEE! Yes, Jindal for VP. Mitch Landrieu for governor.

Will Melancon challenge Vitter?

Unchallenged Melancon plans for a busy fall | DailyComet.com | The Thibodaux Daily Comet | Thibodaux, LA

U.S. Sen. David Vitter, a Republican, also has to stand for re-election in two years. The still-fresh revelation of Vitter’s connections to a Beltway prostitution ring run by the late "D.C. Madam" makes him a prime target. [Rep. Charlie] Melancon’s name is frequently mentioned as a viable Democratic challenger.

"I’m a member of the House of Representatives, and I want to get through this election cycle. But I would be lying to you if I didn’t say I’ll be thinking about it later," Melancon said last week. "I plan on sitting down with my family, having a discussion and making a decision sometime in January."

Many Louisiana Democrats feel Melancon is their perfect candidate against a seriously-weakened Vitter. Right out of the blocks, he could cut deeply into a key demographic that helped put Vitter over the top in 2004: Cajuns. Although naturally conservative by nature, given the choice between one of their own and somebody staunchly conservative, Acadian voters typically go with one of their own, according to analysts.

Moredisinfo about oil rig damage from Katrina

Think Progress » McCain: Oil Rigs ‘Very Successfully’ Survived the Impact of Hurricanes

[John McCain]A: Keep the microphone. I’m aware that off the coast of Louisiana and Texas there are oil rigs, as we well know, and those rigs have survived, very successfully, the impacts of hurricanes – hurricane Katrina as far as Louisiana is concerned.

McCain is wrong. According to press reports, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita “tore through the Gulf of Mexico’s offshore oil and gas fields, toppling production platforms, setting rigs adrift and rupturing pipelines.” The U.S. Minerals Management Service reported that the hurricanes totally destroyed 113 offshore oil platforms.