The National Republican Senatorial Committee should prove its allegation. Senator Landrieu and Harry Reid should present evidence to support their defense.
Below is a release from that organization involving Harry Reid and Mary Landrieu:
The National Republican Senatorial Committee sent out the following email:
All – please see the following statement from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in response to the story below:
“It’s not surprising that Mary Landrieu wants to repay Harry Reid now that he’s bought her vote for the Democrats’ massive $2.5 trillion government-run health care plan, but their backroom deals in Washington are not helping the people of Louisiana, who still faced 7.4 percent unemployment in October 2009. As the federal budget deficit for 2009reached $1.42 trillion – a number higher than the total national debt for the first 200 years of the United States – perhaps Landrieu should focus less on repaying her liberal friends in Washington and more on getting Louisiana’s economy back on track.” – Amber Wilkerson Marchand, NRSC spokeswoman
Fresh off the inclusion of $100 million for Louisiana's Medicaid program in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's health care bill comes word from the Times-Picayune that Mary Landrieu will host a New Orleans fundraiser for Reid next month.
It should come as no surprise that Landrieu or any other Democratic senator would host a fundraiser for Reid, who is the party's leader and among its most endangered incumbents in the 2010 election cycle.
And these fundraisers are scheduled well in advance, and Reid's bill just came out Wednesday evening.
Here's the Times-Pic on the New Orleans fundraiser:
The event was planned "several weeks ago," according to Landrieu's office.
She and political consultant James Carville will host a brunch on Dec. 12 at the St. Charles Avenue home of David Voelker, an investor who chairs the Louisiana Recovery Authority and was a supporter of Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
With help from Reid, the health care bill provides Louisiana with between $100 million and $300 million in Medicaid financing for fiscal 2011.
The fundraiser sets the entry bar for individuals at $4,800, plus $1,000 for a guest.
I admit that the timing of the story about the fundraiser is horrible and both Senate Landrieu and Harry Reid should provide specific details about facts related to her involvement in the fundraiser.But, as I mentioned in a column yesterday regarding a fundraiser with Louisiana Bobby Jindal and a Florida attorney who gave to Republican politicians including having contributed to Governor Jindal and which attorney is accused of 1billion dollars in fraud concerning a Ponzi scheme, timing and the facts are everything.
In that case, the attorney’s contribution to Jindal and even John McCain occurred in 2008 the Ponzi scheme seems to have occurred in 2009.Governor Jindal and John McCain should not be smeared for actions of an attorney that appears to have occurred months after the contributions.
These fundraisers do occur months in advance.Senator Landrieu, a Democrat, certainly would help her Senate leader, also a Democrat.Not only might that assistance be helpful to her, but, it might also be helpful to Louisiana.
Senator Landrieu plays a critical role as a moderate Democrat and swing voter.
In fact, her assistance seems to be appreciated by the Louisiana Secretary of Health and Hospitals, Alan Levine, who was quoted by the Times Picayune to say, “"Look,'' said Levine, who has been lobbying the administration and Congress on the FMAP issue for eight months, "it's good to have a senator in a position to be able to make demands like that.''
"While I don't support the bill, she is doing the best she can to help the state, and she should be applauded,'' he said.
More importantly, the Republican Senatorial committee should be held to prove that any vote has been “bought” as a result of a fundraiser that was obviously planned in the past.
Specifically, they should be held to prove that a specific quid pro quo occurred between Harry Reid and Mary Landrieu, that she would hold a fundraiser for Reid in exchange for his helping her.In fact, the facts appear that Senator was attempting to help the state offset a substantial cost to Louisiana, despite the Republican Senatorial claim. Also, in the world of politics, there is also the possibility that she was attempting to help Harry Reid, in part, for her own personal political gain. However, in fairness, that is normally the nature of the political beast whenever a fundraiser or even a vote occurs.
If the Republican Senatorial committee has specific evidence, Bayoubuzz will publish it.But, timing is everything.Jindal should not be responsible for a contribution that occurred a year ago.Should Landrieu (who is being praised by the Secretary of Louisiana Health and Hospitals) be held responsible for helping the party leader in a fundraiser while according to the Levine the Senator is attempting to help Louisiana with a major budget deficit?Where is the “political buy”?
Where are the facts that the fundraiser has anything to do with an attempt by Senator Landrieu to help Louisiana?Where is the video tape or audio tape that shows a quid pro quo?
The Republican Senatorial committee might be right in their allegation, but, if it is only an allegation without anything else, then, they just really don’t know.
Stephen, you can do better than that. You know full well...or at least *should* know full well that it is next to impossible to *PROVE* that Reid got Landrieu's yes vote on cloture in return for the 100 to 300 million dollars for Louisiana (What's a few hundred mil, anyway?).
We all know that that is how things are done in Washington. This one stinks. Do you really think it's a coincidence that a few hundred million for Louisiana got written into the bill at the last minute and then Landrieu, who had refused to commit up until that point, announced that she was giving Reid what *he* wants and would vote yes on cloture despite the overwhelming desire of her constituents to vote no?
You know that something like that is doggone hard to prove. I'm surprised that you are even challenging anyone to prove it.
It was a sellout which smacks of a bribe...a second Louisiana Purchase...and Landrieu should be ashamed of herself. Why not just sell our nuclear secrets to Iran for a few hundred million? Louisiana gets a few mil...maybe...and the country goes down the tubes in the process. Our Representatives in Congress are supposed to be more principled than that.
The issue of the timing of the fund raiser is a much easier matter to prove or disprove. Documentation (emails, phone bills, interviews of James Carville and the host) should abound as to when and how...and maybe even why...the fundraiser for Reid was arranged. Written by Richard
on 11/23/2009
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And watch, 5 years from now she will suddenly announce that she has decided not to seek re-election for whatever reason. But she does couch her statements as though she really believes we are all as gullible as her hardcore constituents. But regardless, with this recent vote she cannot avoid taking her place right alongside the other Louisiana “statesman” Russell Long (another Louisiana Dem), who cast the deciding vote to pay away our exclusive control of the Panama Canal. And Long promoted himself as a “conservative.” But he was neither liberal nor conservative – he was just a Long. It was, though, an “interesting” time and another excellent study in liberal sophistry. Somehow the brain trust of the Carter administration and their lackeys in Congress rationalized that the stipulation in the Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty that our use, occupation, and control of the Canal would be “in perpetuity,” should not have been interpreted to mean “for all time.” And Long and the majority of his peers in Congress attempted to assure this country’s citizenry that he and his bunch knew what was best for us and the country (much as it is done now). So with Long’s deciding vote they passed the Torrijos-Carter Treaty that paid away our control of the Canal back to Panama. Not long after, we all woke up to discover that the Chi-coms now run the Canal and could during an international conflagration, or much less, shut it down on a whim. And that’s why there will always be a Louisiana and the embarrassment that goes with it. Written by jackamo
on 11/23/2009
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Dec 12th - take to the streets and show Harry Reid what you think about him and his friend Mary. Written by kpf, .. what I mean is ... "show the love"
on 11/23/2009
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No, I would think that perhaps 'Louisianans' will discover she sold what was left of our soul..... Written by
on 11/23/2009
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What about next door at Mississippi. Can you agree Mississippi should get the same consideration as Lousiana. Oh, that's right; Reid isn't after Mississippi's two Republican senators if he gets his 60 Democrats.
Sen. Mary may later discover, or rather, Louisianians discover, she sold her soul. Written by Charlie Stogner
on 11/21/2009
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"ABC News' Jonathan Karl reports: What does it take to get a wavering senator to vote for health care reform? Here’s a case study. On page 432 of the Reid bill, there is a section increasing federal Medicaid subsidies for “certain states recovering from a major disaster.” The section spends two pages defining which “states” would qualify, saying, among other things, that it would be states that “during the preceding 7 fiscal years” have been declared a “major disaster area.” I am told the section applies to exactly one state: Louisiana, the home of moderate Democrat Mary Landrieu, who has been playing hard to get on the health care bill. In other words, the bill spends two pages describing would could be written with a single world: Louisiana. (This may also help explain why the bill is long.)" Now that we have established that she is a professional lady, all is left is to haggle over the price. If she votes for this crap legislation she is history and will stay in Virginia...hopefully.
Senator Harry Reid, who drafted the bill, cannot pass it without the support of Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu.
Written by CN
on 11/20/2009
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I think the column is very fair. The GOP should prove their case. Also, ask yourself, how many republicans have helped other republicans get elected? How many republican Senators and House members have helped the House Minority Leader or the whip,George W. Bush when he was President or the Speaker when they were in the control seat? Fundraisers take quite a while to put together and it just so happens that the dates have some relative correspondence. The GOP should be blasted if they have no other evidence than mere coincidence. Also, as the column says, Landrieu and Reid should present evidence which I think would be easy to do. Written by Randy
on 11/20/2009
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Not only will the bill cost trillions, but the bribery to get the votes will be costly as well. I'd feel sorry for the taxpayers - except the more D.C. screws the working taxpayers, the greater the backlash in 2010 will be. BTW, check out the link for an interesting article: "Société Générale has advised clients to be ready for a possible "global economic collapse" over the next two years" - Hayek's "Road to Serfdom" is here. ach-tee-tee-pee colon 2X forward slash 3X w dot telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/6599281/Societe-Generale-tells-clients-how-to-prepare-for-global-collapse.html Written by kpf
on 11/20/2009
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Just another GOP tempest in a teapot Steve, I'm surprised you're taking this nonsense seriously. It's a good thing for Mary Landrieu to host a fundraiser for her party's Senate leader. Gives him an opportunity to see things here first hand. Written by David Quidd
on 11/20/2009
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The National Republican Senatorial Committee should prove its allegation. Senator Landrieu and Harry Reid should present evidence to support their defense. 
