Post-primary stunts begin!

The best part about the Louisiana election schedule is that we have two chances to get it right. First the primary, then the general election - giving everyone (both the voters and the politicians) 2 chances to get it right. Eh, didn't vote the first time around? Don't worry, you'll get your chance in November! It's kind of similar to our attitude of "oh, this is just your first DUI?...No worries, my dad's BFF the District Attorney of X Parish will take care of it - just be more careful the next time you drink and drive."

Now it looks like Ag Commissioner Bob Odom - that guy whose name you see on the stickers of the fuel pump when you gas up your car and who is due to go up against Republican challenger Mike Stain in November's general election - may have some trick up his sleave. He has announced a press conference to commence at 2 today. Some suggest he may be withdrawing, but hopefully it will be something more exciting like an election contest or, at the very least, withdrawing while admitting to doing something really really bad like taking a bunch of money from the State or something. Because exciting things like that never happen in Louisiana. [WAFB, The Dead Pelican]

Masterpiece on Causeway Boulevard

While driving to a pre-work dermatologist's appointment this morning, I took the Causeway exit off of the Interstate to get onto Vets. In passing the John Georges for governor campaign headquarters, I glanced at the large billboard crowning the one-story building to see that someone had spray-painted the sign. Damn Metairie thugs.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that this was no ordinary spray-paint job. The culprit had in fact spray painted a Hitler moustache on the picture of Georges which adorned the sign. Due to almost peeing my pants over the sign, ALTR almost had a wreck before making it safely to the doctor's office.

Originally I planned to meet ALTL after work for a Georges-Hitler photo session, but a phone call around 3 pm to the Team Georges headquarters informed me that the sign had been replaced earlier that afternoon. The Head Pelican Girls should make it a priority to always have a camera on-hand for sightings like this one. When I called the Goerges headquarters, a young volunteer informed me that the incident had happened at some point over the weekend and that Team Georges decided the perpetraitor had some serious balls - she had no idea who the culprit had been. Damn - I really wanted her to tell me that Bobby Jindal had done it. Since I wasn't able to capture the true-life glory of this grafitti work, I have recreated it for you here:



For other John Georges humor, please reference the LA GOP's gem Georges Gone Wild - shirtless & shameless!

Senate District 5 update

The Senate District 5 race is shaping up to be a good one. You don't have the drama of the District 6 race that ALTR loves ohsomuch, but it'll be a close race nonetheless.

Previously I had mysteriously alluded to a lawsuit involving one of our state reps. At the time I didn't know the nature of the suit, but came to find out that Cheryl Gray's residency in the 5th District was being challenged (Gray area, anyone? ha!). The suit was subsequently withdrawn and everyone goes about their happy lives, though everyone knows it was the Jefferson crew who was behind it.

Some Came Running reminded me that there is a forum coming up October 9 featuring the 5th District Senate candidates. His/her source lists the five (Dixon, Jefferson, Gray, Williams and Gressett), but the Neighbors United site fails to mention Gressett as confirmed. Rumor has it he dropped out. Ol' boy didn't even last a month, but we knew he was only there to detract from others.

I've seen more and more Jalila Jefferson-Bullock signs popping up around my 'hood. Interestingly enough, as soon as they appear, they are gone. Are the signs simply being posted in people's yards without their consent? Are people stealing them? If thievery is the gig, then are they being stolen because someone else wants the sign for their own yard or because they are anti-Jefferson? Of the three signs on my block that appeared over night, the one that remains is in front of the most ghetto house of all. It's also on a tiny patch of dirt that no one can see because of the on-street parking.

For fun, see also: African-American turnout will be the Wildcard of 2007

Elizabeth is definitely John Georges's cousin...

This chick "Elizabeth" in Georges's new video is so totally related to him. They look just alike! And they both like having their kids in their commercials.

Local Politicking

As promised, we visit the issue of the Senate District 5. It was common knowledge that Irma Dixon (once upon a time ran against Congressman Jefferson for his District 2 seat as well as serving as a state rep, former Public Commissioner), Jalila Jefferson-Bullock (debatebly best known as Congressman Jefferson's daughter, currently State Rep. Dist. 91), Cheryl Gray (alleged lesbian lover of Karen Carter, current State Rep. Dist. 98), and David Williams (token white guy, recently converted Democrat, and former Fourth Circguit judge). Then on the final day to file, Andrew Gressett throws his hat into the ring as the lone Republican. The "perennial candidade" as The Gambit so fondly refers to him, ran and subsequently lost as a Democrat to Nancy Marshall (6% of the vote, baby!) for 6th District Assessor. To add fuel to the fire, he and his organization the Property Rights Commission sent out inflammatory mailings on Stacy Head.

Gressett sounds like a shit starter. Before declaring his candidacy, David Williams changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. He was the only white person and the only man running for the coveted Senate District 5 seat. Gressett, who formerly ran as a Democrat, registers as a Republican and files for the same seat. This won't hurt the plight of Dixon, Jefferson-Bullock, and Gray...but one must wonder who planted the seed in Mr. Gressett's mind. And dare we ask, what his compensation will be. It's not unheard of, you know, with a Jefferson involved.

In the House District 98 race, Neil Abramson has recently been the target of the LA GOP with their "Poor Neil" mailings and website. They allege that after Abramson was in a 1998 car accident, he tried to hit up the insurance company, in court, not once, not twice, but three times for a large sum of money. What's the deal, Neil?

whaaaaaat?

Somehow I missed the boat, but Sammy Kershaw is running for Lt. Governor. Whoa.

I only stumbled upon this with my random updating of the Secretary of State's Election Candidate Data Inquiry. Thanks, dangerblond!

Interesting indeed.

And who is this Andrew Gressett character who filed in District 5? More to come on that one...

Saints v. Colts, who?

Everyone is gearing up for the big game tonight. ALTL feels like a loner in her office building in her professional clothes while everyone else is rocking their Saints jerseys and other assorted black and gold. One associate proceeded to type the Who Dat cheer in an e-mail to me. All I can do until the work day is over is play Starship Saints.

In other news...

• Will Nagin run for governor? While we won't know until the end of the business day, atleast the mayor is "having great fun with this." What a tease, that Ray Ray. No one has seen his shiny head show up at the secretary of state's office yet, but there is still time. Speaking of, John Georges hasn't made his bid for the governor's throne official yet, either. Hmmm... [NOLA.com]
  
• While Senator Vitter has taken to rebuffing the comments that the calls for Senator Craig's resignation and not his own in a partisan double-standard, he has been featured in a DCC ad attacking the Republican Moral High Ground.
  
• More on the Larry Craig nonsense: Politico says Craig should not resign, but force the Senate to expel him. In the meantime, the American Land Rights Association has boycotted the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in their support for Craig.
  
• To top it all off, more young girls are killing themselves than ever before. [WWL]
  

oops

The District 5 Senate race is starting to get a little more interesting as two more folks have thrown their hat into the ring. The Jalila Jefferson position will definitely be interesting seeing how all the stuff has been coming down on the Jefferson clan lately.

Interesting, however...

Gray and Dixon join two other Senate hopefuls who have been campaigning for weeks: state Rep. Jalila Jefferson-Bullock and former appeals court judge David Williams. All are Democrats except Williams, a Republican.

C'mon, they're all Dems at this stage of the game...

From Saturday's T-P -- Familiar Faces Join Senate Race