Attorney General Race

It appears that the burning question in the election of Louisiana Attorney General is “life” or “choice” or better known as the “abortion issue”. 

According to the Louisiana Republican Party, an organization that seems to have ties to Planned Parenthood, is said to be running commercials against Royal Alexander of Shreveport, the republican candidate for Attorney General.  In turn, the Louisiana republicans and various pro-life groups are sending emails around the electronic circuit attempting to link Buddy Caldwell as being pro-abortion, citing his refusal to answer questions posed by a couple of pro-life groups.  In fairness, due to his failure to answer those questions, he might in fact be “pro-choice” or “pro-choice” in certain circumstances.

However, regardless as to what side of that emotional issue one falls, it would be unfortunate that “choice” versus “life” relevant to a fetus even becomes a principle campaign factor.  The Office of Attorney General deals with so many other critical matters important to our lives as citizens of this state.  The next Attorney General must handle questions concerning consumer protection, certain crimes, aiding other prosecutors, defending the State, prosecuting cases for the state and giving legal opinions on a variety of conflicts.  In reality, the controversial “life” and “choice” issues associated with a fetus are relatively minor and even possibly irrelevant in this particular election. 

Ironically, the two major occasions the Attorney General entered the “life” arena turned out to be political suicide.  Twice, Attorney General Charles Foti chose the sanctity of “life” in the Dr. Pou and the St. Rita Katrina incidents.  Yet, the “right of life” of a child or “choice” of a mother is now churning a political uproar that could spell victory or defeat in that election, depending upon turnout.      

Cynically, for some reason, the “abortion” issue is now the rallying cry to get people to the polls in a race that has become generally void of other issues of debate. 

My point:  In the overall scheme of things, the abortion controversy, while generally very important, is really a pimple on the tail of a tadpole compared to other matters critical to the Office of the Attorney General.  Yet, those other issues are not surfacing in the public debate.  Instead, the emotional drums are beating around “abortion” and in a very close race, that single topic could tip the scales in favor of one or against another, this weekend.    

Instead of our focusing upon maturity, legal temperament, knowledge of civil and criminal matters, consumer affairs, cyber crimes, and past legal opinions, we are fighting a jihad over a matter that the Louisiana Attorney General might not ever see across his desk while in office.  This is a prime example where ideologues on both sides of an emotional issue are trying to make political hay instead of focusing upon those critical matters which the Attorney General must handle, day-by-day.    

Ethics

Government Ethics and hopefully Election Ethics will be the focus today as the Bobby Jindal transition Advisory Council begins public debate.  The Council will take Jindal’s 32-point plan and hash out proposals that could ultimately become public policy.  The process and the result could ultimately launch or destroy political careers.  Without doubt, Louisiana must appear pristine and be so in this era post-Katrina and Governor-elect Jindal is right to tackle the thorny issue of ethics.  However, one key area that needs a major adjustment is allowing businesses to contribute to political campaigns or political PAC’s through the web of related companies.   It is unfair for a network of related-companies to contribute the legal limits to a single candidate (whether those candidates are republicans or democrats or even independents) .   That practice sends the wrong message when we are trying to say that Louisiana is not for sale.  While disallowing government officials to work for government agencies or acting as consultants for lobbyists is a major focus of the Jindal ethics reform, there can really be no real reform if candidates can skirt election laws by pooling contributions from related businesses.  If Louisiana really wants to get into the business of becoming the beacon of bright ethics light, it must start with the very way we handle and win our own elections.