Senator Mary Landrieu’s staff has released to Bayoubuzz upon our request an email dated September 16 from the Chief of Staff of the Louisiana Department of Health And Hospitals. Julia Kenny, which was sent to the Louisiana Congressional delegation.The DHH is under Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.
That letter referenced a press release in which Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) said that Reid wanted a health care bill on Medicaid that would be more favorable to Nevada and that he would not vote for a health care bill that was not favorable to the state.
The Kenny letter said in pertinent part “our thinking is that… there would likely be a high volume of states making similar demands.The letter also says, “…It appears a window has opened to make our case to the Finance Chair”
At the date of the letter, the US Senate Finance committee was drafting legislation for the US Senate version of the health care bill.
Senator Landrieu spoke on the floor today saying that she wanted to put the issue at rest and to make the record clear.She has indicated that Louisiana had a substantial Medicaid problem due largely to calculations taking into a spike in Louisiana income and that Governor Jindal’s office requested her to put the legislation into the health care bill.Today, she cited newspaper articles that quoted Governor Jindal where he established that the Medicaid fix was critical and a top priority for the Congressional delegation.
The letter from the DHH Chief of Staff appears to be strong evidence that the Jindal administration wanted the Louisiana delegation to take advantage of the opening set by the Majority Leader, Harry Reid, in obtaining Medicaid assistance for that state due to unfair calculations.Louisiana was hit hardest by those calculations due to a rise in income during the Katrina recovery.
As published previously, the DHH has told me that it and high members of the Jindal Administration were aware that the legislation was in the US Senate Health care bill days prior to Mary Landrieu’s vote on cloture.
In a press conference following Mary Landrieu's statement on the US Senate floor, the Senator told me “At no time has the JIndal administration either verbally or in writing requested to me personally or my staff that I not include the Medicaid legislation in the health care bill, nor have they asked me to remove it”.
Landrieu had been criticized by various media including Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck who referred to her in terms of being a prostitute.
Landrieu said on the US Senate floor today, “I want to put my critics on notice and I am going to submit letters and documents and articles: Nothing about this effort is secret."
Landrieu also said she will stay on the Senate floor until 5pm today and requested that if any US Senate would like to discuss the issue with her, that they do so in open.The strongly referred to Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).Both have suggested the fix was a "secret backroom deal".Landrieu said that she would want the media to tape their discussions so the public will know what was being said.
Landrieu said that the Medicaid legislation was not conditional. “This was never a condition of my vote."
On the Senate floor, Landrieu appeared to take at Governor Jindal whose office appears to have requested that the legislation be put into the health care legislation.
Landrieu said, "It takes more than intelligence to be a public official, it takes more than a fancy resume, it takes guts. Some people have more of those than others."
Amen there CN, Amen...... And the government should be supportive of individual efforts as well... this tax, burden, vanquish, impoverish attitude they follow is sort of one sided...... Not the democracy and justice for all many of us wander around looking for.... Written by
on 2/9/2010
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Hmmmmmmm, interesting Lil why did she just make it for those going to Iraq. What about those National Guard troops in Afganistan? What about the National Guard troops that have gone to help shovel snow in the climate change challenged northeast. Typical Landrieu grandstanding. The government can't do everything. National Guard troops know what they're up against when they join. Most companies in our area take care of the insurance and help the families. The government doesn't need to do what we, you and me should step up and do. Written by CN
on 2/7/2010
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I predict jail time in the future for Mitch, because he will follow the advice of his ethically challenged sister. No one needed to bribe the Lt. Governor, but mayor of NO is a different set of "opportunities". Written by
on 2/7/2010
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Yes CN, I felt a little deja vu myself watching the Landrieu video. I remember watching her address the senate for a tax break for companies employing national guard troops called to Iraq. Helping those businesses would help them keep supplying the families with a check and benefits. And to my amazement guess who didn't like that idea? Of course, it was the Family Values creww w/ Senator Vitter hiding in his closet. Perhaps you remember that or maybe you want to send more emails. Written by Lillian
on 2/7/2010
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It wasn't that long ago that she was pretty cocky about the payoff and she even corrected the peanut gallery to get the dollar figure right. Boy, now Louisiana will be know for being the premier WHINE country. Napa Valley ain't got nothing on us. Written by naive
on 2/6/2010
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When I saw the video I felt deja vu, it's Blanco blubbering. Written by CN
on 2/6/2010
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Excuse me Lenny, it's called deferments. Rush and Sean took advantage of deferments like many others did. It was perfectly legal. I know an F-16 is a jet. Written by Bobby
on 2/6/2010
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One call can save you 15% or more GollyCo. Written by
on 2/5/2010
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But if you want to play with something really neat, you ought to see what the M61A1 does!!!!! Lot's niftier than the M-16 which can be found without the automatic seer in the format of the AR-15 (just switch some numbers and letters around Salagadoola, mechicka boola, bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.... Put 'em together and what have you got? Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo -- - Salagadoola, mechicka boola, bibbidi-bobbidi-boo - - It'll do magic believe it or not - - Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo... Salagadoola means mechicka booleroo.... But the thingmabob that does the job is Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo - - - Salagadoola, menchicka boola, bibbidi-bobbidi-boo... Put 'em together and what have you got........Bibbidi-bobbidi -- bibbidi-bobbidi -- bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!!!! Written by
on 2/5/2010
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The difference between an M-16 and a F-16? I guess that might be a trick question I don’t know, Ehh, depending on altitude, upwards of around 613 m.p.h. sounds about right.. I guess a 5.56 mm. Ball round travels at a rate of around 3100 f.p.s. (slightly slower than a 30.06 round, and slightly slower than the SR-71 blackbird) or around 18,000 to 28,000 lbs difference with a maximum of around 42,000 lbs. or somewhere around 14 or 18 million dollars if a person is looking to buy one or the other, or somewhere around 48 feet in length, or somewhere around 600 miles of flight distance, but then again, you can’t refuel a 5.56 mm. Ball round... It is sort of like a .223 Remington round, but just a little more destructive... Oh, and WB II, I am sort of 'progressive' in inclination... Probably liberal, and I do prefer peace to war, but I can see Lenny’s point, in as far as the Jindoo effect is concerned, and yes Jindoo is merely a sock puppet…… It is interesting how many different extremities a puppet master can put a sock on. Written by
on 2/5/2010
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Aww, Lenny, you pacifist liberal peaceniks. There is no place for battleground references in the vocabulary of you "progressives". In fact, I thought you found the word "target" offensive. Almost as bad as "retarded" or "negro". Written by
on 2/5/2010
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Ray, You really don't think there ever was a chance of Booby Boy or Diaper Boy finding themselves in a foxhole? They did the wingnut thing and followed Druggy and hannity into the basement for the duration. In an older posting, someone described Limbaugh and Hannity as not knowing the difference between an F-16 and a M-16. That was on target. Written by Lenny
on 2/5/2010
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Ray, you look like you are spot on with your analysis, I couldn't have written it better.. Yes, it is pure chicken s--t... sort of like the Pilgrim's pride deal and many other Landrieu/Booby boy behind the scenes shennanigans.... Written by
on 2/5/2010
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If the medicare fix was not a bribe or a smokescreen, then let little Mary, the great stateswoman, pass it on its own. ----- Landrieu is the one who'd give up the nation to save her own foxhole. The old switcheroo didn't work when she did it, and it ain't working now. Just like Obama, she's too far gone to admit her failures and flaws, so her only option to spin and pretend she was right all along. --- And I hope that Reid's larceny of tax dollars doesn't save his wrinkled azz in Nevada either. Written by
on 2/5/2010
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Hey Ray, you are beating a dead horse. Most of these screwballs know what went down. But, their agenda requires dismissal of facts in any public forum. After dismissing the shenanigans of their little senator, it is easy to blow off any documentation from Landrieu. Just think of a war. Would you want them in your foxhole? Half would be crying and running and the other half would be just crying. Written by
on 2/5/2010
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Like I said, most of you wingnuts are comical, but in a pathetic way. Mary shows the world documentation with the signatures of our wimpy governor, our jr. senator and the 7 dwarfs in on the fix request and your tunnel vision prevents sight. These people sat in their closets all torn up. They couldn't vote for the bill, but were praying the dems would pass it. In south la. they are called chickens--t. Written by Ray
on 2/5/2010
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Show me a Republican who urged Landrieu to cast one of the final votes for Obamacare as long as the medicare fix was in, and I'll denounce them as well. She's just trying save her fat azz. Written by
on 2/5/2010
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I do not contend that the medicare fix was a bad thing. It is still sorely needed and justified. But it a unforgivable to use it as a smokescreen for a purely partisan vote to advance radical left-wing policy on the nation. Written by
on 2/5/2010
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I'm sure our governor and Vitter and all republicans are against child abuse. But if a provision to prevent child abuse was included in a massive bill to put government bureaucrats in charge of directly raising each and every American child, would it we be wise or courageous to vote for such a bill? -- Landrieu knows the game well, she just got caught playing it. Tiger Woods' mistresses weren't recognized nationally as whores until they got caught, either. Written by
on 2/5/2010
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Of course they asked for help, Ray-ving lib. If the bill was inevitable, and they were divvying up the spoils, then its foolish not to get yours. But the bill was NOT inevitable. If the US Senate was truly a representative body, then it would have been simple to fix the obvious discrepancy that penalized Louisiana in the medicare issue. But, thanks to the Landrieu and her fellow democrats, the process is not about solving problems, it's about making deals and securing political power and dynasties. If she had real guts, she would stand up to her leaders and demand a fix for the Louisiana problem separately, rather than cooking up her scheme with Reid to sell out the state and the nation in the process. Written by
on 2/5/2010
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What an unbelievable collection of political BS from Landrieu's office. She wants to talk about political guts???? When she tosses aside her "conservatism" each and every time her liberal handlers need her for a vote? My god, politicians are shameless. Written by
on 2/5/2010
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I see the Far Right Wingnuts are alive and well. Its comical the way they think Landrieu made up the story or Jindal and our 7 dwarfs asking for her help. Even the Tutti Fruitti senator signed on to the aid request. All their signatures were on the document and now they hide in the closet. Written by Ray
on 2/5/2010
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Our government has become a process of massive abuse, fraud and deception, with expectations so low that voters are happy as long as they get some scraps of the spoils from the looting of treasury. Unless governing returns to statesmanship instead of an orchestrated system of legislative schemes and conspiracies, America's future will continue to dim. Written by
on 2/5/2010
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In early health care strategies, Reid and others began carving out special deals for their states. Jindal's staff was wise to point that out to Landrieu and urge her to seek opportunities for Louisiana to receive similar beneficial treatments. --- But that was before the health care bill became a completely partisan democratic party screw-job. By the time of the big senate vote, it was more important for Landrieu to block the passage of the entire boondoggle than it was for her to add the medicare fix to it. Anyone with intelligence knows the medicare fix was not a bribe, but it was a cynical political ploy to try and salvage Landrieu's career after she voted with her radical party bosses on the health care bill.---If you win by cheating, people remember the win and not the cheat. But if you cheat and still lose, like Mary Landrieu did, then the cheating becomes your legacy.===Expect much more grandstanding and lies from her. Nothing is beyond her in her desperation to keep her throne. Written by
on 2/5/2010
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The Radical Right Wing Republican or Republican-thinking "no brain" Democrat will never believe Jindal asked Landrieu to vie for her vote. Written by Cajun Tsunami
on 2/4/2010
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Landrieu had been criticized by various media including Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck who referred to her in terms of being a prostitute? I guess that makes Booby Jindoo her 'pimp' daddy then? Written by
on 2/4/2010
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