On Wednesday night April 25 at Le Chat Noir Theater in New Orleans, we will be celebrating the 5th Anniversary of Politics with a Punch. The show is a fast paced, free wheeling, irreverent look at what is happening on the local, state and national level. We call it Louisiana’s version of Politically Incorrect, but we really think it is better than the old TV show. Why? Because the panelists are better, the material is juicier and Louisiana politics is just so unusual and interesting that nothing compares to it.

Steve Sabludowsky, publisher of Bayoubuzz.com, and I co-produce the show, recruit the panelists and promote the program. We launched the show with the help of Betsie Gambel, a public relations executive with Keating Magee. Betsie used her expertise to help the show establish a good reputation and feature top quality guests. Without her, the show would not be the type of success it is today.

In our five years of existence, we have featured some of the top political, business, comedic, media and entertainment talent in Louisiana.  I am honored to host Politics with a Punch, an event which has attracted sell-out crowds for the past year.

Over the years, we have featured some outstanding celebrities as Mayor Ray Nagin, Council members Arnie Fielkow, Oliver Thomas, John Young, Tom Capella and Stacy Head, Congressman Bobby Jindal, Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu, State Treasurer John Kennedy, Parish Presidents Junior Rodriguez and Aaron Broussard, State Senators Julie Quinn, Walter Boasso, and Ken Hollis, television personalities such as Angela Hill, Norman Robinson, Liz Reyes, Eric Paulsen, Roop Raj, Fletcher and Travers Mackel, Ed Daniels, Curt Sprang, Glynn Boyd, Bob Breck, and Dan Milham, local personalities such as Ronnie Virgets, and Becky Allen, columnists such as Chris Rose, Clancy DuBos, Stephanie Grace,  radio personalities such as Jim Brown, Spud McConnell, Bobby Hebert, Kenny Wilkerson, Rob Couhig, musicians like Irma Thomas, Kermit Ruffins, Ronnie Kole, business leaders such as Boysie Bollinger and Gary LaGrange, and interesting characters such as Harry Anderson, Gennifer Flowers, and the Canal Street Madam, and the very best comedians and satirists from the region. In our five years, we have been blessed with hundreds of incredible guests who have done a tremendous job on our stage.

For our 5th Anniversary program, we have assembled another outstanding panel, with the following stars:

• Clancy DuBos, Publisher of Gambit Weekly (Member of our 1^st panel)
• John Georges, Candidate for Governor of LA, President of Imperial Trading Co.
• Fred LeBlanc, Lead Singer and Drummer of Cowboy Mouth
• Sean Patterson, Actor and Comedian
• Norman Robinson, WDSU-TV Channel 6 News Anchor (Member of 1^st Panel)
• Polly Thomas, Former Jefferson Parish School Board Member, UNO Professor
• Rudy Vorkapic, Satirist and Publisher of the New Orleans Levee

As you can see, it will be an amazing show for a very special night.

Tickets are $15.00 per person and $25.00 per couple. To reserve seats, please e-mail me at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com.

We want to thank all of our friends who have supported our show and made Politics with a Punch such a success. Without them, a 5th Anniversary show would not have been possible. 

I look forward to seeing you Wednesday night.

Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 8:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and Noon till 2 p.m. weekdays on several Louisiana radio stations. For more information, visit his web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com.