In the past two weeks, we have heard more about the “Louisiana Purchase” than we had since 1803.  Now that the health care debate comes up again this week in the US Senate, Senator Landrieu will of course be at the center of that discourse.  The focus will be on her and others as President Obama and the US Senate attempt to cobble together the winning votes.  There obviously will be quite a substantial amount of compromise and each Senator will want to get the most for tor vote for their respective states.  The moderate and conservative legislators such as Landrieu have the best chance to make a difference in shaping the legislation since their votes are usually the most coveted and the hardest to get whenever there is wide differences of opinions on legislation.   

When she voted two weeks ago for the health care legislation to go forward for discussion, she made it known that her vote was not to be construed as her final vote.  She wanted many changes in the legislation and knew and said the bill was imperfect.  Yet, she also knew her state and her Governor had a problem with Medicaid matching money that would cost Louisiana dearly.  So, she included a medicaid bill into the health care bill.  There was no other germane legislation and given the climate of Congress, a stand-alone bill would simply die.

Since her vote, inflammatory “talking heads” such as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh have called Louisiana’s Senator Landrieu the most disgusting of names.  They implied she was her “easy”.  Mary Landrieu is just the opposite.  if anything, she is politically hard to get.  Just ask the US Senate about her votes over the years. She has held out for Louisiana when her vote was needed.  She has been in the middle of the political spectrum.  Over the years, she has forced the Senate to consider “Louisiana’s dire needs” as they went through energy, military, water bills and other legislation.

Despite mischaracterization by her opponents, her votes were not for her personal financial gain.  Due to her efforts, Louisiana has made a significant recovery from Katrina and the other hurricanes, although there is still more left to be done.  By comparison, some of our other major members of our delegation went AWOL. 

Some of her opposition have engaged in “rank sexism” since her recent procedural health care vote.  Also, when Senator Landrieu did Governor Jindal’s bidding on Medicaid, the talking heads called her a prostitute.  It has also been very disappointing that Governor Jindal has failed to back her up since she went to bat for him.  

Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu will be at the center of the debate over the next few weeks as the Congress continues to attempt to fix the health care conundrum. 

This time, she should make sure that she gets the Jindal administration to support her and that they do so openly and in writing for the nation and the state to see.  When she negotiates with the rest of the US Senate to obtain those things Louisiana wants and needs in the health care legislation, she should leave a long paper trail between her office and that of the Governor’s.  Also, since these upcoming votes are for the merits of the legislation, after full negotiation, she must strongly consider the wishes of the citizens of Louisiana.  She already took an unfair hit. 

Now that Senator Landrieu has had her crack and has taken the abuse, it is now time for Governor Jindal to ask his junior Senator, Senator Vitter to stand up to the plate and try to fix the Medicaid problem.   Louisiana should also ask Senator Vitter what he has done concerning this Medicaid legislation Governor Jindal considers to be of utmost significance. 

Below are columns and articles that further elucidate the issue and explain Senator Landrieu’s vote:

Limbaugh said Landrieu is “the most expensive prostitute in the history of prostitutes.”

Newsweek’s The Gaggle said Landrieu was simply doing business the way it is done in Washington, D.C.

“Landrieu is being denigrated in a way that her male counterparts wouldn’t,” the magazine complained.

The Advocate

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Anybody who has watched the U.S. Senate over the past five years shouldn’t have been surprised by U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu getting $100 million for her state while voting to allow the mercurial health-care bill to move forward.

Over the past five years, the Louisiana Democrat has built her reputation for dangling her vote in return for funding to the Bayou State.

By Gerald Shield

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Gov. Bobby Jindal, who opposes the Democratic health reform effort, has not joined in the noisy condemnation of Landrieu's work on the FMAP issue. His secretary of health and hospitals, Alan Levine, who has been the point man for the state on the issue all year, has praised Landrieu for her efforts, even though, like his boss, he opposes the Senate bill to which it is attached.

Enter Landrieu and the Senate health care bill.

Medicaid financing is clearly germane to health care, and Landrieu, a Democratic holdout on the legislation, had leverage. There was, however, no incentive for the Senate Finance Committee and the leadership to extend the FMAP provision to include other states. First, it would jack up the cost of the bill in order to help states that were not in nearly as desperate straits as Louisiana and were not clamoring for it. And second, it was Landrieu whose vote they vitally needed on the health care bill.

Nancy-Ann DeParle, the White House health care czar, said Landrieu was right on the merits on the FMAP issue.

"Everyone understood this issue,'' DeParle said. "From the first time she raised it with me, it was quite clear that it was either going to be part of health reform or something we dealt with this year in some way.''

By Jonathan Tilove 

New Orleans Mayor’s Race

New Orleans mayoral candidates have been taking to the airwaves.  Mayoral Candidate John Georges will launch the first in a series of campaign television ads Monday.  The first 30-second spot will also air twice during the Saints game against the Patriots.  The first television ad gives a biographical sketch of the businessman and political activist who now wants to be Mayor.

Leslie Jacobs is also running a commercial that is also expected to run during the Saints game.   Jacobs has made a big media splash as she attempts to gain more recognition.

Other commercials that have been on the air recently have been of Troy Henry narrated by New Orleans native Wendell Pierce. 

Ears are waiting to hear the notes from Irvin Mayfield Jr.  Last week, he gave an indication that he would announce this week whether he will run for the top spot.