Posted by kpage (anonymous) on June 24, 2008 at 7:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

So they're still gonna keep certain records secret? Did I read that right? I guess that's where scandal and corruption can still do it's magic. Always leave that loophole open, Louisiana, and you can keep your reputation!

Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on June 24, 2008 at 7:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The legislature is definitely doing their job with this one.

The national Republican Party and the presidential administration has a record of illegal or near-illegal actions, then claiming executive privilege to keep the public from knowing the truth. This will not do for Louisiana where we all know there is usually something to hide.

I don't know how many times state agencies have already used this claim in the Jindal administration.

I do know that one incident whereby a foul was claimed against individuals from the old Foster admin, a case was shut down before evidence was even sought from the people who lodged the claim, and when information was sought by a national advocate organization a state agency claimed executive privilege, serving to hide the effort they had (or had not) gone to. This makes Jindal's claim of being a corruption reformer look very bad.

Executive privilege secrecy intentionally allows those people who will give Jindal the benefit of the doubt to be unfairly used. It is a misapplication of priviledge designed to keep the issues clouded and to keep corrupt politicians from having to lie. Let's remember we are supposed to even send Martha Stewart to jail if she lies about her own affairs -- politicians should be totally transparent about their handling of government matters and a new administration should not start it's reign by making this an issue.

We might reasonably assume that Jindal's election with the aid of the national Republican Party will serve as a conduit to corrupt practices the GOP uses already in national politics. These should not be installed in Louisiana politics.

Posted by papajeff (Jeff McClure) on June 24, 2008 at 8:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Weren't Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton Democrats? Huey Long? If I remember correctly, they (and many other Democrats) had a record of those same type of illegal or near-illegal actions as well. Party doesn't matter when it comes to distorting or hiding facts, and neither does state. As far as the last comment - we probably taught the national parties a thing or two, and having support from the national Republican Party won't have much impact as to corrupt practices. The Democrats have the same practices, so don't even go there.

Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on June 24, 2008 at 11:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Papajeff where have you been for the last few years?

A company Haley Barbour founded is caught jamming phone lines -- paid for by the GOP -- to influence an election. Bush claims executive privilege after political hacking of US attorneys, after aides leaked a CIA agent's name, and to protect his main strategist. Tells us all that Libby or no one else in the White House was involved and now it looks as though everyone including the VP participated, and he is still claiming executive privilege?

Don't try that "everybody is guilty" bull as a cloak for the most guilty. If you had comparable corruption to really offer about the other side you wouldn't go back 50 years with your example. Neither party is what it was 50 years ago, and during Long's tenure KKK members were still Democrats, so the comparison is lame.

You see who people are when they control their own checks and balances. When the congress and admin were all GOP, the lying, the corruption, and the historical excesses in everything from domestic spending to needless wars became a flood rolling out of Washington.

Did you not realize what they were saying when they openly talked about changing laws so that they held a PERMANENT REPUBLICAN MAJORITY ??? Then for the especially gullible they went on a crusade as if they wished to bring sacred democracy to the world while denying it at home? Now they depend on the folks who aren't too aware of the record, and resort to the old one-liners and secrecy to obscure their guilt. I'm sorry I don't think most of America believes them any more.

When it's corrupt Democrats that are the problem we will deal with that far better than the GOP and it's supporters policed their own when they were in power.

Right now there are 9,000+ people appointed to high office to run government who were put there precisely because they would push the limits for the person who appointed them. Jindal was run and elected with the same money source. Right now is the time to watch THOSE weasels.

If you wanna see the real mood of the country -- of people who bother to notice, check this out --

http://www.truthout.org/video/kieth-olbe...

Let's call a spade a spade. If all the parties are guilty then we need to find out who is the most threat -- right now. Right now that is not the Democrats.

note: My condolences to all who still hold GOP values as the guide to their politics. You were jilted by slick politicians who only posed as conservative -- and they cost you some credibility. Help us clean up the mess and we can get along.

Posted by noneya (anonymous) on June 24, 2008 at 11:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"When it's corrupt Democrats...." WHEN?! What a joke!

Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on June 24, 2008 at 2:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The democRATS have been just as guilty as have all of the Liberal Counterparts! Some People need to get their heads out of the Toilet and get real! Sounds like Owhampy and Michelle "mouthing off again!

Posted by Gimmeabreak (anonymous) on June 24, 2008 at 4:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Owhampy and democRATS-that is just brilliant, yeahuhuh is my hero of the day. Its time for a change people, wake up...just my opinion, no need for ugly comments. We all feel how we feel, that is not gonna change.
Go OBAMA!! John McCain=Bush's 3rd term

Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on June 24, 2008 at 5:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Everybody just cool your heels. I'm an independent so I've got no dog in this fight so I can objectively state without aversion that BOTH of the major national parties are rife with pork spending and corruption. It spews across the aisles. Its the one thing they can have bipartianship on.

Posted by Gimmeabreak (anonymous) on June 24, 2008 at 6:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Agreed Swapmeet. We can also agree that we all want what is best for our country-we just have different opinions on how to get there.

Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on June 25, 2008 at 8:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Respectfully folks, it is a non-issue whether the parties are both guilty. Of course they are. Black or white reasoning will make you a fool when it comes to understanding politics.

Guilty people the world over, when accused, IMMEDIATELY point their finger at the other side, in order to hide their obvious guilt by insinuating or stating the other side does whatever, too. And I was raised as a good-ol boy here in Mississippi and I know that all the Owhampy-evil-liberal talk is a bonding ritual for rednecks who love to utter what their buddies want to hear. That's why so much of that kind of insult is looked down on as idiotic posturing by most Americans.

EQUALLY guilty? No. There is a difference. Republican politicians are energetic, ambitious people who naturally do a good job of looking out for #1. Their excess is that they tend when out of balance to be selfish to the point of delusional for themselves and their side. Right now there are criminals still in office that were put there when no one was watching the henhouse. C'mon, if you haven't noticed that it is time you paid attention.

Democrats by degree have the same flaws, but they are more hampered by their ideas of right and wrong, and their obsession with individual rights. So when a Republican steers the US through a crisis you will more likely see them thinking they are the exception to the rules -- to define torture as legal -- to, as Ronald Reagan did when defining nutrition assistance programs for the poor, try to call ketchup a vegetable to save a buck. You see people like the president want so bad to attack Saddam for his personal family vendetta that he becomes insane in his claims -- ruins people who try to oppose him. And after all these years you see that Republicans ARE the biggest spenders when they are getting to buy votes with public dollars and grants.

For Democrats to get into office and brag loudly of their intent to change rules to make themselves a "permanent majority" would not happen. A Democrat's mouth would break if they uttered such a blasphemy, and they do not forget so often when using the term "democracy" exactly what that means.

Republicans and the voters that support them are not so offended by that "little" miscarriage of democratic process, and that should throw up a gigantic red flag for anyone who hears it and loves this country. Their preoccupation with #1 makes them by degree more happy to stomp anyone who doesn't play their tune. Just like Haley Barbour's former company that sought to win an election by jamming phone lines so the Democrats could not get people to the polls who needed a ride.

I live by conservative principles in my own life but think government can be a compassionate force -- and should be.