Charlie Melancon for Senate > News

Charlie Melancon pushes David Vitter for five debates in Senate race

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Charlie Melancon said Tuesday that he wants at least five televised debates against Republican incumbent David Vitter in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 2 election.
Melancon, a third-term congressman from Napoleonville, sent a letter to Vitter and 10 other candidates proposing that each debate be conducted in a town-hall format, held in different regions of the state, and focus on separate topics. He said the request was based on the number of debates the major Senate candidates agreed on in 2004, when Vitter was first elected.
Only four of the five scheduled debates that year actually took place; a fifth was canceled because of last-minute votes in Congress.
"It's about being transparent and people having the opportunity to listen to where we are on issues and get asked honest questions," Melancon said.
Vitter's campaign spokesman Luke Bolar refused to agree to Melancon's request, but he said Vitter has already agreed to participate in several public discussions, including a candidate forum sponsored by Alliance for Good Government and a tea party organization in north Louisiana.
"Charlie Melancon's new appreciation for open public forums is a welcome change," Bolar said in an e-mailed statement. "It's quite different than when he hid from them during the Obamacare debate while Sen. Vitter held 24 health care town halls all around the state."
So far only one statewide televised debate has been scheduled, to be hosted by WWL-TV in October. Bolar said the New Orleans TV station is the only one to issue an invitation, and he did not close the door on adding additional events as invitations come in.
The debate about debates is a staple of political campaigns, with the candidate trailing in the polls traditionally demanding as many debates as possible as a way to gain exposure. Melancon trails Vitter by double digits in most polls and is considered to have an uphill climb in a year when Republicans are predicted to make major gains across the country.
Although Melancon asked for all Senate candidates to be invited to the debates, he said he would not object if sponsors set up criteria for participation that excluded some candidates. He said his top concern is making sure there are no "pre-screened" questions that favor one candidate over another.
"Hopefully it's not stacked with Move-On folks or tea party folks," Melancon said, referring to groups that are sympathetic to the Democratic and Republican parties, respectively. He said he would not participate in a debate hosted by a tea party organization, believing he would not receive a fair hearing.

RELEASE: Melancon Challenges Vitter to Series of US Senate Debates

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

RELEASE: Melancon Challenges Vitter to Series of US Senate Debates

Calls for five live, televised town hall-style debates across state

Tuesday August 31, 2010

Baton Rouge, LA -- Rep. Charlie Melancon, candidate for the US Senate, today called for a series of five live, televised town hall-style debates before the November 2nd election in a letter to David Vitter and the ten other Senate candidates.

"People are tired of gridlock and partisanship in Washington, and they deserve to know what the candidates for US Senate will do to put Louisiana first again," said Melancon. "That's why I'm challenging Senator Vitter to a series of five live, televised, town hall-style debates. We need to allow real people to ask us real, unscreened questions and force us to defend and explain our positions, our actions, and our records. We're running for Senate-we should answer to as many voters as possible before Election Day."

In the letter, Melancon called for a series of five televised, hour-long, town hall-style debates to be held across the state among the major party and viable independent/third party candidates for Senate.

In the 2004 US Senate campaign, five debates between Vitter and the major candidates were scheduled: Sept. 24th, Xavier University, New Orleans; Sept. 30th, KNOE-TV, Monroe; Oct. 11th, KTBS-TV/League of Women Voters, Shreveport; Oct. 21st, University of Louisiana-Lafayette/LPB-TV, Lafayette; Oct. 27th, WWL-TV, New Orleans. (The Monroe debate was ultimately cancelled at the last minute due to votes in Washington).

In the letter, Melancon proposes the following rough debate schedule and format:

Number and Location: A series of five live televised debates held in the five "corners" of Louisiana-northwest Louisiana, northeast Louisiana, central Louisiana, southwest Louisiana, and southeast Louisiana.

Debate Themes/Subject Matter: Melancon suggested each debate focus on one of the following topics: jobs and the economy; Louisiana recovery (from Katrina to the oil disaster); education; veterans; and open to any topic.

Format: A town hall format for each debate-without podiums-that allows Louisiana voters to interact with and engage the candidates. All invited candidates should attend the debates in-person and should share the stage with one another. Questioners will be chosen at random through a lottery system, with no pre-screening of questions. Candidates must answer directly to Louisiana voters.

Participants: Invited to participate in the series of debates should be Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, and Reform party nominees, and qualified independent or no party candidates.

Below is a copy of the letter that Melancon sent to Vitter. Challenge letters were also sent to the 10 other candidates in the race.

Tuesday August 31, 2010

Dear Senator Vitter,

These are unprecedented times. Our nation is dealing with the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression. Louisiana is fighting the largest oil spill in US history, with far-reaching environmental and economic consequences. Thousands of Louisianians are still recovering from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike. These times demand honest, effective leadership, but Washington is consumed by inaction, partisan fighting, and endless gridlock.

That's why Louisianians are sick of the status quo. We deserve better.

While you and I might not agree on every issue, I hope we can agree on one thing: the people of Louisiana deserve to know where all the candidates for Senate stand on the major issues facing Louisiana.

That's why I'm challenging you and all of Louisiana's US Senate candidates to a series of five televised, hour-long, town hall-style debates.

These debates should be as open and accessible to the people as possible. No podiums or pre-screened questions to protect us-let's allow real people to ask us real questions and force us to defend and explain our positions, our actions, and our records.

Let's bring these debates to all parts of Louisiana, and hold a debate in each of the five "corners" of our state: northwest, northeast, central, southwest, and southeast. Each debate could focus on one of five key issue areas: (1) jobs and the economy; (2) Louisiana recovery (from Hurricane Katrina to the BP oil disaster); (3) education; (4) veterans; and (5) any subject matter.

These debates should begin as soon as possible, because voters deserve to know where their next US Senator stands. Any major party nominee and qualified independent candidate should be invited to attend-because there are more than two choices on the ballot this November.

I hope you will participate in this unprecedented series of open debates. I look forward to your participation.

Sincerely,

US Rep. Charlie Melancon

# # #

Vitter, Melancon win Senate nominations

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

First-term incumbent U.S. Sen. David Vitter easily won the Republican nomination for re-election tonight, with U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon also cruising to victory for the Democratic nod.

State Rep. Cedric Richmond held an early lead over fellow state Rep. Juan LaFonta for the Democratic nomination in the 2nd Congressional District. The eventual winner there will meet incumbent Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao, who was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Primaries also were being held in four of the state's seven congressional districts, including teh southeastern Louisiana's 3rd District, where Melancon was giving up his seat to challenge Vitter.

"I'm honored to earn the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate from Louisiana," Melancon said in a statement released by his campaign. "I want to thank my many supporters for their hard work so far, and I want to thank the Democratic and independent voters from across Louisiana who made this primary election victory possible."

Candidate Melancon pushes job generation, downplays attack ads

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Senate race was cooking in Central Louisiana on Tuesday as Democrat candidate and U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, a made a stop at the Soul Food Academy restaurant in Alexandria.

The top issue in this campaign, Melancon said, is job generation and its role in strengthening Louisiana's economy.

Melancon also said the attack ads he and incumbent U.S. Sen. David Vitter are running against each other distract from what's important.

Increasing employment will improve people's attitudes about the future of the country's financial stability and will help stimulate growth, the candidate said.

"You get people back to work ... (and) it kind of drives itself," said Melancon of Napoleonville.

The chief focus of his stop in Alexandria, according to a news release from his campaign, was to discuss his plan to generate jobs.

Melancon focused on the role of small businesses in adding jobs through growth and innovation.

Some of the ways to help accomplish that, he said, are to cut taxes for businesses that hire the unemployed; increase tax credits and deductions for startup and reinvestment costs; increase community banks' ability to lend money to expand businesses; provide help to disaster-stricken businesses; and allow tax credits for businesses that hire military veterans.

While the government should not be directly responsible for generating jobs, Melancon said in the news release, it should help put the tools in place for businesses to receive what "they need to create jobs and succeed."

Having federal representation that is on the same page will expedite that process, Melancon said Tuesday. Whoever wins this Senate race will need to work with senior U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, to accomplish economic growth in the state.

"They have to both pull in the same direction to get things done for Louisiana," Melancon said.

On the subject of conflict, Melancon said the attack ads he and incumbent Republican Sen. David Vitter are running against each other are a distraction.

Rather than examining which candidate's plan to stimulate economic growth makes the more sense, the attack ads focus on Vitter's 2007 admission of sexual indiscretions and Melancon's taxpayer-funded luxury SUV.

Our Views: Drilling faces a new day

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

David Vitter, the starry-eyed idealist? Many people would find that an incongruous description of the tough-talking Republican senator from Louisiana. But in his approach to the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, Vitter is almost too idealistic in parts of his approach.

On one hand, he’s struck a very realistic note. As he told an oil and gas symposium at LSU, the industry and government must take steps to improve safety in offshore drilling. That might include sending a federal official to deep-water rigs, with the power to shut down drilling immediately if an issue arises.

This emphasis on safety is welcome. Too many Republicans, and too many industry officials, don’t want to face the facts that the industry — with a generally good safety record — must face changes because of the blowout that killed 11 workers and poured 5 billion barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

But Vitter in one way seems almost naive in his belief that the federal government is not going to change permitting and other regulatory oversight of the offshore drilling industry. That’s an inevitability. It is just not realistic to believe that the nation, horrified at the Deepwater Horizon disaster, will stand for the open-ended permitting and blanket exemptions from some regulations that has been the standard for more than a decade.

The Interior Department proposes new federal regulations and changes in the way that regulations are enforced. Industry is whining. It’s tough when you’ve had it all your own way for years, then a catastrophe occurs. But those are the facts.

Another fact: The nation isn’t likely to settle for much less than Interior’s proposals. If Vitter and other critics will work with Interior, the department’s regulations might end up being a good bit less restrictive than other proposals in Congress.

We agree that the blanket moratorium on deep-water drilling was a political response by the Obama administration to the disaster, and should be lifted. The U.S. House voted for an amendment sponsored by U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, that put pressure on the administration to lift the moratorium.

While Republicans — reliably in industry’s corner, no matter what — criticized it as inadequate in its wording, we disagree. That an amendment was even allowed by the House leadership is an accomplishment; the Melancon amendment is a helpful step in a process that will go on for a while.

That process should involve less shouting here in Louisiana and more focus on working with an Interior Department and White House that is responding to public opinion in the nation, not just those of us in Louisiana.

We believe we better understand the oil and gas industry than does the nation in general, but we would be as idealistic as Vitter if we were to hold out hope of returning to the old days. The state is best served by working with the administration, opposing burdensome regulations but acting in a spirit of compromise that responds to safety concerns in the wake of the oil disaster.

Democrats blast Vitter

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter is an obstructionist whose failure to work with other lawmakers on solutions to problems is damaging to Louisiana, the leading Democrat seeking to block his re-election bid said Saturday.

U.S. Rep. Charles “Charlie” Melancon said Vitter even refuses to work with Louisiana’s Democratic senior senator, Mary Landrieu, on important issues facing the state.

Instead of working on constructive solutions, Melancon said, Vitter just says “no.”

“Louisiana deserves better than David Vitter,” Melancon told a gathering of Democratic Party faithful.

Melancon was one of a series of candidates for Congress and lieutenant governor who participated in a party-sponsored forum designed to rally voter support in the fall elections.

The party primaries on Aug. 28 will allow Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians to choose separate U.S. Senate and congressional candidates, who will advance to the Nov. 2 general election. Early voting is under way and will continue through Saturday for that election.

Lieutenant governor candidates don’t appear on the ballot until Oct. 2.

Democratic Party Chairman Claude “Buddy” Leach said Republicans would have people believe that the Democratic Party is dead in Louisiana.

“That’s bull,” Leach said, rattling off statistics — 53 out of 64 sheriffs are Democrat, along with 287 out of 300-plus mayors and nine out of 10 big city mayors.

“You shouldn’t expect Republicans to be truthful anyway,” Leach added.

Leach said Democrats must be informed on such things as the recently enacted national health-care revamp and how it helps uninsured Louisiana residents as well as provisions of the so-called “Wall Street bailout” that protect credit card holders and those seeking payday loans.

In his remarks, Melancon discussed his vote against the Obama administration’s health-care revamp as well as his opposition to Vitter’s effort to repeal the measure in its entirety.

“If every time one party passes something and you go back and repeal it, we are making no progress whatever,” Melancon said. He said he would rather work on improving the measure.

“Did I like voting against health care? No, I didn’t,” said Melancon, of Napoleonville.

Melancon said he voted against the measure because of the big price tag associated with its implementation and heavy constituent opposition in the 3rd Congressional District.

The repeal Vitter is seeking would eliminate good provisions along with bad ones, Melancon said. Among the good things Vitter would repeal are provisions that help individuals with pre-existing medical conditions and some young adults get health insurance coverage, he said.

The three-term congressman addressed a new Vitter campaign ad that criticizes him for having a $50,000 taxpayer financed sport utility vehicle.

“I’ve never owned or leased one,” Melancon said, of the expensive vehicle portrayed. He said he does personally own a five-year-old SUV — purchased for about $38,0000 — that has been driven more than 100,000 miles.

“The good news is that Peachy and I have decided that if this is what their attacks are on … Peachy and I have been living the life of Ozzie and Harriet. I guess we have been dull by David Vitter’s standards.”

Vitter admitted to “a serious sin” in 2007 when his phone number surfaced in records for a Washington prostitution ring.

Metairie lawyer Cary Deaton, another Senate candidate, said he would have voted for the national health-care legislation following the lead of Landrieu.

Deaton repeated past criticism of Vitter — that the incumbent is “too character disordered to be a U.S. senator” — evoking applause from those in attendance.

A third Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Neeson J. Chauvin Jr., of Carencro, did not attend.

Vitter’s campaign did not respond to two requests for comment Saturday.

Senate hopeful Charlie Melancon wants to 'improve, not repeal' health care plan

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Charlie Melancon of Napoleonville said Saturday he wants to improve, not repeal, the health care plan passed by Congress this year.

Melancon, who voted against the plan as a member of the House, told a meeting of the Democratic State Central Committee that he did not like doing so but the plan's cost is too high.

"We have health care and we can fix it," Melancon said. He did not specify which changes he would support.

"It isn't easy being a Democrat and a Democrat from the South," a region that is growing more conservative, said Melancon, who represents the state's Third Congressional District, which stretches from the New Orleans area to New Iberia.

Unlike his major opponent in the Senate race, incumbent Sen. David Vitter, R-La., Melancon said, he is willing to compromise and work with others while Vitter is often intractable and negative. "It is about finding common ground," he said. "It is about compromise."

Melancon said Vitter's opposition to so much legislation hurts the state. "You can't say 'no' all the time," he said. "That is the message he is sending."

Vitter and many other GOP senators have promised to try to repeal the health care program.

Melancon told reporters after his speech to the governing body of the state Democratic Party that he voted against the plan because about 2,000 constituents contacted him to ask him to vote "no," while fewer than 200 asked him to support it.

"I am representing the people who elected me," he said.

Melancon was one of two Democrats running for the Senate seat to address the party's pep rally for candidates Saturday. The other was Cary Deaton, a Metairie lawyer and former Orleans Parish assistant district attorney.

The third Democrat in the Aug. 28 party primary, Neeson Chauvin of Bristol, did not attend the event, which also featured speeches from Democrats seeking congressional seats and the lieutenant governor's office in the Oct. 2 primary.

Both Vitter and Melancon must survive challenges from within their parties to meet in a Nov. 2 general election. Vitter faces former state Supreme Court Associate Justice Chet Traylor of Monroe and Dr. Nick Accardo of Franklin in the GOP primary Aug. 28.

Meanwhile, two Libertarians, Anthony Gentile of Mandeville and Randall Todd Hayes of Atlanta, La., are on the ballot for a rare Libertarian Party primary on the same day.

Melancon denied Vitter's charge in a new campaign commercial that the Democrat tapped his congressional office account to lease a $50,000 Chevy Tahoe. Melancon said he owns a 5-year-old sport utility vehicle that he bought with about $38,000 of his own money and that has more than 100,000 miles on it.

"I have never owned or leased" a vehicle at taxpayer expense, Melancon said.

Referring to his wife, Melancon added: "Peachy and I have decided if this is what they are attacking me on ... then Peachy and I have been living the life of (1950s TV sitcom couple) Ozzie and Harriet. I guess we have been dull by David Vitter standards. Louisiana doesn't need David Vitter."

Vitter admitted to an unspecified "very serious sin" after his phone number appeared in the records of a Washington, D.C. call-girl ring in 2007. Vitter campaign officials did not return telephone calls Saturday seeking comment on Melancon's remarks.

Deaton told the Democratic gathering he would have voted for the health care plan pushed by President Barack Obama if he had been in Congress. He said he favors greater government regulation of Wall Street and tougher laws to go after drug kingpins and is against privatizing Social Security.

He joined with Melancon in attacking Vitter's character. "He is a smart guy, he has very good academic credentials," Deaton said, "but he is too character-disordered to be a U.S. senator."

State Party Chairman Buddy Leach told party officials to work for their candidates in the fall elections. "It is time for us to hold up our heads, throw out our chests and be proud to be Democrats," he said. "I am sick and tired of hearing people say the Louisiana Democratic Party is dead. That is bull----."

Congress needs to finish the job

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Louisiana had two major victories recently in Congress, and now the Senate needs to do the right thing for Louisiana and get the job done.

In the final hours before the House of Representatives broke for August recess, members from across the country came together to pass two important initiatives for Louisiana: my amendment to end the deepwater drilling ban and another to dedicate up to $1.2 billion toward coastal restoration in the Gulf states.

Many of the representatives who supported these amendments have never been to our state.

But they were willing to listen when I told them how much this moratorium was hurting our workers and small businesses in Louisiana.

They listened when I explained how we lose a football field of marsh every half hour and needed a serious injection of funding to save our coast.

Those conversations paid off.

As the clock was ticking down to adjournment, the House passed the Melancon amendment to end the deepwater moratorium in a safe and responsible manner.

Instead of continuing with the current blanket moratorium that lasts until Nov. 30, my amendment would allow drilling permits to be approved for those rigs that meet the tougher safety standards issued by the Department of the Interior in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Louisianans, more than anyone, want to prevent another disaster from happening in our waters.

But the irresponsible decisions and dangerous actions of one company shouldn’t shut down an entire sector of our economy, sending thousands of workers to the unemployment line.

We need to fix the safety problems that led to this disaster in the Gulf without paralyzing America’s domestic energy industry in the process.

In a double-win for Louisiana, the House also unanimously passed my amendment to jump-start coastal-restoration projects with up to $1.2 billion in penalty payments from BP.

Survival of our coast’s fragile ecosystems — and the fishing and tourism industries that rely on them — hinges upon successful restoration of our wetlands.

The National Wildlife Federation called my amendment “among the largest commitments to restoration the federal government has ever made in this region.”

To be clear, this investment comes at no cost to the American taxpayer.

The damage the BP oil disaster is causing to America’s wetlands will take decades for us to fully recover from.

My amendment will hold BP accountable by law for repairing destruction by directing oil-spill penalty money to Louisiana.

Now that both of these amendments have passed the House, we need the Senate to get to work for Louisiana.

For the sake of our workers, our businesses, our coast and our future, we can’t afford to lose the momentum we have gained. Coastal restoration and ending the moratorium are too important to let partisan politics get in the way.

Too much is at stake.

U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon is a Democrat from Napoleonville. He is running against U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., for Vitter’s Senate seat.

Charlie Melancon launches first TV ad of U.S. Senate race

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The televised ad wars in Louisiana's U.S. Senate race is officially under way, as Democrat Charlie Melancon today unveiled a commercial aimed at introducing himself to voters and countering claims by his likely GOP opponent in the fall, Sen. David Vitter.

The 30-second commercial features Melancon in a living-room setting, looking at the camera as he says Vitter "hasn't been honest with Louisiana. And I don't expect anything different when he starts talking about my record."

In the ad, Melancon describes himself as a "pro-life, pro-gun Louisiana Democrat" who is willing to work with anyone for the state's betterment.

Although both candidates face primary challengers Aug. 28, Vitter and Melancon have been sniping at each other for months through web-only videos, automated phone calls and news releases. Melancon's attacks have accused Vitter of excessive partisanship and highlighted the incumbent's past involvement with a Washington, D.C., prostitution ring.

Vitter has countered by tying Melancon to President Barack Obama and the Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, who are unpopular in a state that is considerably more conservative than the country as a whole.

Melancon's spokesman, Jeff Giertz, refused to say where the commercials are running or how long they will be on the air. He said they are starting today and will be aired in "a majority" of state media markets.

A Vitter spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking comment. But the National Republican Senatorial Committee in Washington issued a statement late Monday in response to the ad.

"Charlie Melancon's attack ads won't distract Louisiana voters from the fact that he has spent his time in Washington carrying [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and President Obama's water as they ram their out-of-control job-killing agenda into law," NRSC spokesman Chris Bond said.

Melancon, Vitter proposals on ending moratorium similar

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

BATON ROUGE — Sections of Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter's bill lauded as lifting the moratorium on offshore drilling are mirrored in Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon's amendment passed by the House Friday.

Essentially, both say that any well that has passed safety inspections and proven that all disaster-preventive equipment is working properly should be allowed to go back to work and not wait until an arbitrary moratorium period has passed.

Louisiana's seven Republican members of the House fought Melancon's proposal. Vitter has pledged to fight the bill in the Senate.

The difference between the two proposals, says Luke Bolar, spokesman for Vitter's campaign against challenger Melancon, is the congressman's proposal "goes much farther and adds language" that wasn't in Vitter's bill.

The paragraph in question states: "Nothing herein affects the secretary's authority to suspend offshore drilling permitting and drilling operations based on the threat of significant, irreparable, or immediate harm or damage to life, property, or the marine, coastal or human environment pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act."

That extra language, Bolar said Monday "gives the secretary of the interior more authority to deal with permits."

But Melancon campaign spokesman Jeff Giertz said the additional language doesn't grant additional authority and instead says the legislation doesn't prohibit the secretary from shutting down an unsafe well, which already is under his authority.

Vitter's statement following passage of the House legislation includes criticism from the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, headed by Don Briggs.

Part of that criticism states that Melancon's amendment should have required the secretary to issue a permit rather than language saying he "shall make a determination on whether to issue the permit." That language was lifted directly from Vitter's legislation.

In a July 15 news release promoting his legislation, Vitter said: "This bill would force the Department of Interior to speed up the permitting process and make definitive decisions on issuing permits once a company has complied with the new safety and inspection requirements.

"It would be enforced on a permit-by-permit basis, making the moratorium invalid for any operator that complies with Interior's recently issued safety and inspection requirements, and would force Interior to issue a decision 30 days after receiving a permit application." Melancon's amendment has the same provisions.

Bolar said one concern is that Melancon's amendment "doesn't do anything."

He said if Melancon wanted to end the moratorium, he would have supported U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy's motion to send the bill back to committee for an amendment totally abolishing the moratorium. The motion failed 239-166 along party lines with the support of the state's seven Republicans.

Giertz said Melancon "did what he needed to do to get House approval to pass the legislation. He saw that the legislation would not have been able to pass if Cassidy's amendment was on it."

In a fiery speech opposing Cassidy's proposal, Melancon said an immediate end to the moratorium would not require safety precautions aimed at protecting lives and the environment.

"So what do we do? If we have it the way of the other side, we will send rigs back out, not inspect them. To hell with it, next thing we know we're back where we started," he said.

"This bill, my amendment, provides for safety inspections in accordance with a rolling stop to get the people back to work to make sure America has energy, to make sure the people of my district and the state of Louisiana have jobs, good jobs, and we can continue the prosperity that we have known in the past." The amendment passed 216-195, with the support of three Republicans, and the final version of the bill 209-193.

Another criticism is "why would Speaker (of the House Nancy) Pelosi, who supports the moratorium, vote for Melancon's amendment?" Bolar asked, adding that's another reason many people have doubts about Melancon's amendment.

"This is an example of why Washington is broken," Giertz said. "The reason to vote against legislation ending the moratorium is someone in the other party supports it? That's why people don't like Washington."

While Vitter fights acceptance of Melancon's amendment in the House, Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu has pledged to support it.

"Charlie Melancon's efforts to get the House of Representatives on the record against the moratorium is extremely significant and is a positive step to getting the oil and gas industry up and running in the Gulf," Landrieu said Monday. "Because of Congressman Melancon's persistence and smart maneuvering, House Republicans and Democrats are both now on record as opposing this moratorium.

"Protecting the jobs of the 330,000 Louisianans who work in the oil and gas industry should not be a partisan issue," she said. "Following the House's vote Friday, it is clear there is plenty of common ground among those in Congress who oppose this deepwater drilling suspension. We must continue to work in every way, every day, to reverse this ill-advised moratorium." While supporting the plan to lift the moratorium, many senators question the legislation.

Congress takes up slew of legislative proposals in wake of oil spill

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON - The Senate is poised to vote next week on legislation that would make companies liable for unlimited damages if they’re responsible for an oil spill, and would overhaul the federal agency that oversees the offshore drilling industry.

Democratic Senate leaders plan to introduce the measures this week, as part of a scaled-back energy bill.

“Something is going to pass ... that tightens up the procedures,” Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama said.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers have introduced dozens of oil-spill related bills since the Deepwater Horizon rig operated by BP exploded April 20 and sank, killing 11 workers and gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Lawmakers feel pressured to pass at least some of those bills before the August recess.

“It affects too many people’s lives,” said Marilyn Heiman, director of the offshore energy reform project at the Pew Environment Group. “The longer we wait, the more this memory fades in people’s minds, and we need to pass laws to make sure nothing like this happens again.”

Last week, the House passed a bill that would expand research and development for offshore drilling technology. Another House-approved measure would set up a federal committee to research better ways to respond to oil spills.

The Senate package, estimated at $15 billion, would:

- Eliminate the $75 million federal liability cap on economic damages from oil spills.

- Award grants for more research into spill responses.

- Let the Interior secretary restructure the agency that oversees offshore drilling.

- Change federal law to let families of victims killed in maritime disasters seek more damages.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said Republicans are working on an alternative package. Republicans want to lift the administration’s temporary moratorium on deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Wicker said it’s unlikely Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., will schedule a vote on any proposal “that goes contrary to the Obama administration policies.” But he said Republicans still want to draw attention to Gulf Coast concerns.

“It allows us to continue the public discourse and mold public opinion,” Wicker said.

Gulf Coast lawmakers worry that passing legislation in too big a hurry could slow down the region’s economic engines, including offshore drilling.

“We should be careful and deliberate,” Rep. Bobby Bright, D-Ala., said. “It’s important that we continue to pursue robust domestic energy production, and I believe we can do so without risking the safety of our workers and the environment.”

Gulf Coast lawmakers have taken the lead on many of the measures.

Soon after the spill, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., proposed immediately directing almost 40 percent of revenue from offshore leases to coastal states. Otherwise, she said, states won’t receive some of those funds until 2017.

Sessions said Alabama is slated to get a share of the revenue.

“That could mean a lot of revenue and maybe it will be an opportunity now to even get more,” Sessions said.

Sessions and Sen. David Vitter, R-La., introduced a bill that that would raise the oil-spill liability cap to an amount equal to a company’s last four quarters of profits or $150 million, whichever is greater. Vitter said that would mean a $20 billion cap for BP.

Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La., said the most pressing issue for the region is lifting the moratorium on deep-water drilling. The administration recently imposed a temporary ban on deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico while it reviews industry safety standards.

“If we lift that, I think we can recover,” Boustany said.

Earlier this month, Vitter and Wicker introduced a bill to lift the ban for companies that comply with the new safety and inspection requirements. Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La., introduced a similar measure.

But Wicker said there’s almost no chance Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., will take up the proposal.

Meanwhile, the bills keep coming.

Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-La., recently introduced legislation aimed at helping small-business owners and fishermen who have been forced to take out loans from the Small Business Administration because of the Gulf oil spill.

The bill would allow such loan-holders to consolidate and refinance those loans with any other SBA disaster or economic injury loans they may have. Many small businesses and fishermen obtained SBA loans following hurricanes in 2005 and 2008.

“This one doesn’t cost anybody anything,” Melancon said.

Melancon Makes Steady Gains On Vitter, Internal Poll Shows

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Last week, Louisiana Democratic Senate hopeful Charlie Melancon released an internal polling memo that showed that he had erased Republican David Vitter's double digit lead in their upcoming electoral showdown.

Internal data for that poll, conducted by Anzalone Liszt Research and obtained by TPMDC paints a picture of an electorate that still favors the GOP, but which increasingly mistrusts the incumbent Vitter in the wake of a recent scandal, and is now considering Melancon as a viable alternative.

Of 800 likely voters surveyed, 37 percent said they're likely to vote Democratic compared to 42 percent likely to vote Republican, and 20 percent undecided.

Over the last few months, according to the data, voters have become significantly more aware of Melancon, though he still remains unknown by about a quarter of the electorate. In February, his favorables were 39 percent, unfavorables were 20 percent, with 41 percent unable to rate him one way or another. Now his favorables are 47 percent, unfavorables 27 percent, and he's unknown to only 26 percent of likely voters. As a congressman from southern Louisiana, Melancon's district has been hit harder than any other by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and he's become a leading spokesman in Louisiana for both holding BP accountable and opposing the White House's moratorium on offshore drilling.

But as Melancon makes the climb toward statewide recognition, and as his approval ratings improve, Vitter continues to fall out of favor with voters. A full 50 percent say they probably or definitely would prefer him to be ousted this November, up from 45 percent a year ago. One-third say they absolutely want him out, compared to 23 percent in May, 2009. In February of this year, a similar Anzalone poll found Melancon trailing Vitter by 10 points, 48-38. This one finds them in a dead heat, 44 percent for Vitter, 43 percent for Melancon.

The poll did include a battery of negative questions, which were asked after the questions about the November election and favorability, eliminating them as a potential "push" on the earlier results. According to the poll, 51 percent of those surveyed have "heard, read, or seen anything recently about a top aide to David Vitter who resigned after it became public that he was arrested two years ago for assaulting his ex-girlfriend."

Vitter recently drew a much-publicized primary challenge from former Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Chet Traylor, but his campaign still boasts a significant lead in that race.

Gulf Coast lawmakers press to lift offshore drilling ban

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON — Democratic and Republican lawmakers from the Gulf Coast are working together to lobby the administration to speed up permits for offshore drilling in shallow water and to lift the moratorium on drilling in deep water in the Gulf of Mexico.

“This ban hurts everybody,” Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La., said on the House floor Thursday. “We stand united on the Gulf Coast to support good-paying jobs.”

Boustany and other Gulf Coast lawmakers say the administration’s policies could cost the region’s already fragile economy thousands of jobs.

“The moratorium could probably be worse than oil spill damages,” Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-La., said. “They know this moratorium is not going to be the best for the region. Safety is their concern.”

Melancon said he’s raised those issues with the White House and the Interior Department. He doesn’t expect the administration to change its position, so “we’re trying to figure out ways to attack the problem.”

Environmentalists applaud the drilling ban in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

“We support putting those regulations in place before risking another oil spill,” said Marilyn Heiman, director of the offshore energy reform project at the Pew Environment Group.

President Barack Obama imposed a six-month ban on deep-water drilling in the Gulf after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sank off Louisiana’s coast on April 20, leaving its damaged underwater well gushing oil. Federal officials suspended new permits and continued to ban 33 deep-water Gulf wells from operating while the explosion is investigated and a commission reviews safety standards.

Last month, a federal court struck down the ban, calling it “arbitrary and capricious.“ The administration recently revised the moratorium, keeping it in place until Nov. 30.

The moratorium targets drilling in deep water, but Gulf Coast lawmakers say it created a “de facto moratorium” on drilling in shallow water. Federal records show only four permits have been granted since the Department of Interior issued the first moratorium in May. In the 11 months before the moratorium, an average of 14 shallow-water permits a month were granted, the records show.

A bipartisan group of 10 lawmakers from Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Alaska took aim at the policies, introducing a resolution Thursday urging the administration to speed up permits for drilling in water 500 feet or less. They say 25,000 jobs are at risk.

The group also asked Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to clarify rules for shallow-water drilling.

“There’s no good reason to continue delaying permits for the companies that comply with those requirements,” said Sen. David Vitter, R-La., “The administration needs to act quickly and quit playing politics with the livelihoods of thousands of Gulf Coast residents.”

Earlier this month, Vitter and Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., introduced a bill to lift the ban. Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La., introduced a similar measure, which is supported by the Louisiana delegation.

“After losing fisheries and coastal tourism to the spill, Louisiana’s economy cannot afford to lose energy jobs to politics,” said Cassidy, a member of the Natural Resources Committee.

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., chairwoman of the Senate small business committee, will hold a hearing Tuesday on the impact of the moratorium on small businesses.

“Idling the Gulf’s shallow-water rig fleet indefinitely would be another blow to a region that has already suffered enough during this unprecedented disaster,” she said.

More than 11,000 people showed up for a rally in Lafayette Wednesday to protest the ban. Offshore drilling is a major employer in the Gulf.

Boustany said the ban is “is galvanizing” people.

“The long-term impacts are real,” he said, adding that it could drive some companies overseas. “Once a rig is gone it could be years before it returns, if it returns at all.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said the ban will give officials time to investigate what happened to the Deepwater Horizon, which she said confirms “the inherent catastrophic dangers of deep-water drilling.”

But Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., said the administration’s policies have made the country more dependent on foreign oil, “wrecking our economy” and “kicking people when they’re down.”

Internal Dem Poll Has Vitter, Melancon In Dead Heat

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Democrats are circulating an internal polling memo out of Louisiana that finds Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-LA) in a dead heat with David Vitter in the race for Vitter's Senate seat.

"The race for Louisiana's U.S. Senate seat has undergone a fundamental shift in the past few weeks," the memo reads. "Vitter's mishandling of the [a recent scandal] and the emergence of a strong Republican primary challenger are new, dramatic hurdles to Vitter's already imperiled re-election prospects. Charlie Melancon's active role during the oil spill has provided him with a platform to demonstrate his strong leadership on behalf of Louisiana voters on a statewide platform. The head-to-head vote with Charlie Melancon is now a dead-heat, fifty percent of voters prefer someone new to another Vitter term, and voter perceptions of Vitter are tanking as the electorate continues to warm to Melancon."

The memo, compiled by the Democratic polling firm Anzalone Liszt reseach, holds that Melancon still trails Vitter by the slimmest of margins, 43-44, and that Melancon's best hope for victory is to shore up the black vote. "Exit polling from 2008 shows Mary Landrieu won 96% of the African American vote against former Democrat John Kennedy. Assuming Melancon solidifies 90% of the African American vote on Election Day, the vote would move to 46% Melancon / 44% Vitter."

With the memo set to be released shortly, Vitter's camp sent out a fundraising pitch this afternoon, citing "national polling out of Washington [showing] Senator Vitter with a commanding 53%-33% lead among likely voters."

TPM's Polltracker finds Vitter leading Melancon by a large, slowly shrinking margin, with the most recent data now a month old.

Sen. David Vitter re-election campaign shifted from 'likely' category by political analyst

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

In another sign that Republican Sen. David Vitter has had a rough time over the past few weeks, the independent Cook Political Report (subscription required) has shifted its ranking of his re-election prospects from "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican."

While noting that Vitter "seems ideologically well-suited to" Louisiana and is running on "friendly terrain" in a state that gave John McCain a 19-point margin over Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, senior editor Jennifer Duffy notes that recent "events have occurred that add an enormous amount of uncertainty to the race."

Those events include: the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, "which has impacted Louisiana's economy and ecosystem more than other Gulf Coast states" perhaps roiling voters' views of government and incumbents; questions about Vitter's handling of revelations that he had employed a staffer who was convicted of holding a woman hostage and stabbing her, and who had an outstanding warrant for drunk driving; and the fact that "Vitter got a credible primary challenge from former state Supreme Court judge Chet Traylor."

It remains to be seen whether Traylor, who is not well-known in the state, can raise enough money to mount a challenge to Vitter in the closed primary. Traylor, a former State Trooper, has said he expects to be competitive.

Democrats are hoping Traylor will force Vitter to spend at least some money and energy in the Aug. 28 GOP primary, although the incumbent remains a heavy favorite to prevail and move on to the Nov. 2 general election.

Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, is expected to emerge on the Democratic side, where he will join candidates from the Libertarian and Reform parties, along with independents to challenge Vitter.

Duffy concludes: "Vitter is not without his strengths and he does get to run on friendly terrain. We'll keep a close watch on this to see whether any or all of the recent events have an impact, but for now it seems this race no longer belongs in the Likely Republican column, so it is moving to Lean Republican."

Charlie Melancon Statement on Capped Well

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Today, U.S. Congressman Charlie Melancon (LA-03) made the following statement in response to reports from BP that the oil leak in the Gulf has been stopped for the first time since April:

"I am cautiously hopeful that BP has finally stopped the oil from gushing into our Gulf. If the cap holds, this will be a turning point in our recovery from this disaster. After enduring 86 days of this catastrophe, we will finally be able to move forward with cleaning up the oil and repairing the damage.

"The recovery will take years, but Lousianians will never stop working to make this right. And I will keep fighting to hold BP fully accountable and ensure they pay for every dollar of damage they've caused."

Congressman Melancon represents in Congress the areas of coastal Louisiana most directly affected by the oil leak, including Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary and southern Jefferson Parishes. The Deepwater Horizon platform was located 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana's Third Congressional District.

Louisiana lawmakers urge action on Avondale shipyard closing

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON - Northrop Grumman’s plans to close its shipbuilding operation in Avondale will cost Louisiana thousands of jobs at a critical time for the region’s already fragile economy, Louisiana lawmakers said this week.

The company announced plans Tuesday to close the plant by 2013 and consolidate operations at its facility in Pascagoula, Miss.

The decision “couldn’t have been more cruelly timed,” said Rep. Charlie Melancon, a Democrat.

“We are working to cope with the severe economic impact of the BP oil disaster and now one of our major employers has decided to close up shop and leave our state,” Melancon said in a statement.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers from Louisiana want to meet with Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, a former Mississippi governor, to discuss the closing. Mabus heads the administration’s recovery efforts for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said she will urge Mabus and Northrop Grumman officials to “reverse this short-sighted decision.”

Republican Sen. David Vitter, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said President Barack Obama also must “step up.”

As many as 12,000 jobs could be lost, including 5,000 at the shipyard and 7,000 indirectly related to the shipyard, Vitter said. He blamed the problem in part on Obama.

“The Obama administration’s cuts and delays in the shipbuilding budget seriously undermines the industrial base and its support of our national security interests,” Vitter wrote in a July 13 letter to Mabus.

Capt. Beci Breton, a spokeswoman for Mabus, said the secretary is open to meeting with Louisiana lawmakers.

“He has spoken to members of the Louisiana delegation as well as Gov. (Bobby) Jindal about Avondale in the past,” she said.

But Breton said Mabus considers Northrop Grumman’s plan an internal business decision.

“We’ll stay engaged and monitor the developments with the goal of making sure we can execute our shipbuilding plan affordably,” said Commander Victor Chen, a Navy spokesman.

Mississippi lawmakers, meanwhile, welcome Northrop Grumman’s move.

“We are gratified that Northrop Grumman has confidence in our diverse and experienced workforce in Pascagoula to provide even more shipbuilding for our national security,” Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.

Northrop Grumman is building several ships for the Navy in the Gulf Coast, including two guided missile destroyers, two amphibious assault ships and an amphibious helicopter carrier under construction in Mississippi, Chen said . The company is also building two amphibious assault ships in Avondale.

Northrop Grumman officials said the consolidation of operations in their Pascagoula facility would reduce costs and increase efficiency.

“This difficult but necessary decision will ensure long-term improvement in Gulf Coast program performance, cost competitiveness and quality,“ Wes Bush, Northrop Grumman’s president and CEO, said in a statement Monday.

Bush said the company will work with federal and state officials to help employees land other jobs. Some workers may work in the Mississippi plant, he said.

Louisiana lawmakers said the state’s economy already has suffered major harm from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which has forced the closure of many businesses dependent on tourism or fishing.

Landrieu said state and federal officials have worked hard to support the Avondale shipyard.

“Despite that support and the increased productivity of the employees at Avondale, Northrop Grumman has tragically chosen to turn its back on Louisiana and thousands of workers in the state,” Landrieu said in a statement.

Bill would protect whistleblowers in offshore drilling industry

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON — Offshore oil workers would be protected against retaliation if they tell on companies that break the law or violate safety rules, under legislation that Rep. Charles Melancon introduced Tuesday, July 13.

Melancon, D-La., cited recent testimony from two widows who said their husbands had privately expressed safety concerns about the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.

Eleven workers were killed when the rig exploded and sank April 20, leaving the underwater well pouring oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

Melancon said “those 11 people might still be with us’’ and the Gulf Coast region “might not be going through this traumatic episode’’ if the workers with concerns had felt free to express them publicly.

The federal whistleblower law that protects workers who complain about safety conditions is too broad, said Melancon. He said his proposal would focus on offshore drilling workers.

The bill doesn’t have other co-sponsors yet. Democratic and Republican lawmakers, who have launched investigations into the explosion, have raised concerns about safety on rigs.

“We need to hold these companies accountable,’’ Melancon said.

Melancon says he is optimistic about race

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, a Democrat from Napoleonville, said Thursday his polls show him trailing incumbent Republican Sen. David Vitter by nine percentage points in the race for the U.S. Senate, with plenty of time to win by November.

Both candidates view the other as their only competition, although there were four others who qualified Wednesday and more who might by today's deadline.

Melancon stopped at The Town Talk and KALB Channel 5 in Alexandria Thursday morning.

Vitter addressed a crowd at Alexandria International Airport on Wednesday, where he said Melancon was in league politically with President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, both Democrats and both unpopular in Louisiana.

Melancon said he's optimistic about winning because the polling numbers tell him that many in the state do not know him and would vote for them if they did.

According to March polling results supplied by the Melancon campaign, Melancon's name was recognized by 59 percent of state voters while Vitter was known by more than nine out of 10. In that same report, compiled by Anzalone Liszt Research, Vitter held a 47-37 percent edge in likely votes.

That number now is 47-38, Melancon said.

As he meets constituents, Melancon might have some explaining to do, such as why he voted for Obama's taxpayer-funded bailouts of big corporations, which Vitter voted against. Vitter has hammered Melancon at every opportunity for that vote.

Melancon said he voted for taxpayer-funded bailouts because he remembered the mid-1980s when Louisiana's economy took a dive.

"I didn't want to revisit the '80s," he said. Colleagues in Congress were looking at major unemployment without money from Washington, he said.

Louisiana, at that time, looked like it might escape the brunt of the recession, until the BP oil spill and Obama's drilling moratorium. That move could do away with thousands of good-wage jobs in South Louisiana, whose misfortune might ripple upward to the rest of the state, Melancon said. Northwest Louisiana, he said, might weather it better than the rest of the state because of the gaming industry and Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport and the Haynesville natural gas developments.

Melancon said he was against the Gulf moratorium, which was a decision made by Obama.

The president had opened up oil and gas drilling off the U.S. East Coast and the Gulf Coast of Florida, for which he "caught holy hell from the left wing of the Democratic Party," Melancon said.

Boustany, Melancon sound off on moratorium

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

LAKE CHARLES, LA.(KPLC) -Two of Louisiana's Congressmen in Lake charles today see the appeal court decision on the drilling moratorium as a positive sign for the state's economy.

A federal appeal court's refusal to re-instate the ban on deepwater moratorium is a victory for those who warn such a ban would have a devastating effect on the state's economy. Seventh District Congressman Charles Boustany says the moratorium could even jeopardize Gulf Coast restoration. "The key is to get the federal dollars in to do this. And the most logical way to do that is revenue sharing from the oil production in the Gulf of Mexico. But if you have a moratorium in place, that shuts down all that industry and we lose all those jobs and we lose all that drilling activity there will be no revenue to help us restore our coastline."

The Interior Department says it halted new permits and suspended drilling on exploratory wells to protect the Gulf from another disaster. Boustany says compromise would be great but he doesn't see it. "Right now the administration has basically been intent on a very political decision to shut it all down, to basically shut down an entire industry. We feel that is very arbitrary and capricious to put it in the words the judge used."

Though the federal appeals court refused to immediately re-instate the ban the appeal will move ahead. Third District Congressman Charlie Melancon does think compromise is possible. "My hope today is to get on the phone and either talk with Secretary Salazar's office or with someone at the White House and see if we can't, you know, enough's enough. Let's see if we can find the compromise that I've talked to them about trying to find somewhere's between, 'Drill, baby, drill' and the moratorium. We can keep the industry going and still keep it safe. It's about the economy and it's about keeping the jobs that are here that are important to us."

Melancon is running against David Vitter for U.S. Senate.

U.S. Rep. Melancon: Louisiana deserves better

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon has dubbed his current series of campaign stops in his attempt to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., as the "Louisiana First" tour.

But it's the Napoleonville Democrat's favored tagline — "Louisiana deserves better" — that's become the central theme of his campaign and his attempt to contrast himself with Vitter.

The persistent drip of news in recent weeks surrounding the resignation and criminal history of a longtime Vitter aide has been chum in the water for Melancon and the state Democratic Party, who have seized on the story to portray Vitter as dishonest and avoiding questions.

Vitter aide Brent Furer, who in 2008 pleaded guilty to holding his girlfriend at knifepoint in an apartment and stabbing her in the hand, was disciplined with paid leave by Vitter but kept on staff in the wake of the plea.

State Democrats and several women's groups say Furer was Vitter's designated point man on women's issues, but Vitter has denied the charge despite several women's group leaders saying they were directed to Furer by Vitter's office when they had quaestions on issues.

A day after qualifying for the election, Melancon said in a campaign stop at Monroe's Warehouse No. 1 Restaurant early Thursday evening that the Furer affair is illustrative of a larger point about Vitter.

"This is all about accumulation of breaks with the trust of the people of this state," Melancon said in an interview with The News-Star.

"The issue in the campaign is that he doesn't respect women. He votes against them. He tells people he's for them and then votes against them."

Melancon said Vitter, who made a campaign appearance in Monroe Wednesday night, should have fired Furer immediately after the aide pleaded guilty.

Melancon did not mention Furer during his remarks to the 40 supporters who showed up at the restaurant.

Instead, he said Louisiana needs both of its senators to work cooperatively, which Melancon said Vitter has done.

Melancon also attempted to cast himself as a centrist Democrat amid attacks from Vitter and Republicans who say he is joined at the hip to President Barack Obama and other national Democratic leaders who are deeply unpopular in Louisiana.

"My party is not always happy with me," Melancon said.

"Contrary to what my opponent says, I don't always follow the party line as he does."

Joshua Stockley, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and a former president of the Louisiana Political Science Association, said Melancon must cast himself as a "Louisiana Democrat" and distance himself from national Democratic leaders if he is to successfully unseat Vitter. Melancon trails Vitter in both fundraising and in the polls.

Melancon also must amplify turnout by exciting Democrats to vote for him, not just vote against Vitter, Stockley added.

Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo, who introduced Melancon Thursday, said he has a few months to develop grassroots support and cement a bipartisan image.

"The average person wants somebody who can work with both parties to get things done," Mayo said.

Charlie Melancon and David Vitter make it official in U.S. Senate race

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

BATON ROUGE -- The fall election season officially got under way this morning with the start of the three-day candidate qualifying period for federal, state and local races.

Candidates were lined up outside the Secretary of State's office before the doors opened at 8 a.m. to sign up for a campaign season where a U.S. Senate seat, the lieutenant governor's post and all seven of Louisiana's U.S. House of Representatives seats are up for grabs along with a number of local seats.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., and U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, both signed up for the Senate race within 45 minutes of each other as groups of their sign-waving supporters waited outside.

The candidates missed each other by a few minutes, but their remarks made it clear what themes they would be stressing in the months ahead.

Vitter accused Melancon of being too closely tied to President Barack Obama and the national Democratic Party, while Melancon stressed his political independence and pledged to work in the tradition of conservative Democrats such as former Louisiana Sen. John Breaux.

"People in Louisiana vote their conscience and they vote for the person," said Melancon, who predicted the race would get "very dirty."

For Vitter, it was his first time facing the media since news broke last month that one of his aides had pleaded guilty in connection with a 2008 altercation involving an ex girlfriend. The aide, Brent Furer, remained on Vitter's staff until ABC News reported that Furer stabbed and threatened to kill the woman during a 90-minute ordeal.

Vitter declined to directly answer questions about the incident, except to refute media reports that Furer was assigned to handle women's issues in his office. Calling the November elections "absolutely critical," Vitter said he would continue to oppose the president's agenda, and criticized Melancon for supporting economic bailout legislation that passed Congress in 2008 and 2009.

"We need to have proper checks and balances against what is, in many ways, a radical Obama agenda," Vitter said.

Also qualifying in the Senate race was Anthony Gentile, a Libertarian from Mandeville who has run unsuccessfully in other races; Cary Deaton, a Democrat from Metairie; and Mike Spears, an independent from Lafayette.

State Rep. Juan LaFonta, D-New Orleans, was the first to qualify for a federal race, signing up to challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Ahn "Joseph" Cao, R-New Orleans, in the 2nd District. By mid-morning, Cao and state Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, had also qualified for the contest.

By early afternoon, six of Louisiana's seven incumbent congressmen had qualified for re-election. Two of them - Republicans John Fleming of Minden, who represents the 4th District, and William Cassidy of Baton Rouge, who represents the 6th District, sent representatives in their place, while the others appeared in person.

In the 3rd District, where Melancon is giving up his seat to run for Senate, two Republicans filed to take his place. Jeff Landry, a lawyer from New Iberia, and former state House Speaker Hunt Downer both qualified for a seat that the national GOP has high hopes of recapturing from the Democrats.

Three Republican officials jumped in the race to fill the final year of the lieutenant governor's term. St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis was the first to qualify, followed shortly by Secretary of State Jay Dardenne and state GOP Chairman Roger Villere.

The special election for the state's No. 2 post became necessary when Mitch Landrieu resigned in May to become mayor of New Orleans.That primary is Oct. 2.

The first round of party primaries is Aug. 28 for the federal races, and a runoff, if necessary, is Oct. 2. The general election is Nov. 2.

Candidates for statewide or multi-parish races have until 5 p.m. Friday to qualify at the Secretary of State's office in Baton Rouge. Local candidates can sign up at their parish clerk of court's office.

Are FEMA trailers being used to house cleanup workers?

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - The boxy white trailers used to house hundreds of thousands of people following hurricane Katrina are reportedly making a second appearance.

The government banned the sale of the trailers after high levels of formaldehyde found in some of them were linked to possible health risks. Some fear contractors along the Gulf Coast may be overlooking a potentially dangerous situation.

U.S. Representatives Edward Markey and Charlie Melancon are trying to put the brakes on contractors who have apparently started selling the campers to oil spill relief workers to use as living quarters.

"It's stunning on one hand, but not surprising this has been characteristic of everything that has occurred since day one," said Markey. Melancon says that workers are spending all day in toxic fumes and oil could be returning to trailers that cause a number of health problems.

The trailers have serial numbers and are supposed to bear stickers indicating they were FEMA formaldehyde trailers, and buyers are supposed to sign a waiver stating they are aware of the health risks involved.

Melancon and Markey aren't convinced that has happened. They are worried those identifiers may have been removed from the trailers before they were sold. "It's not like a mattress where they've taken off the warning label," said Markey. "This is more like a pack of cigarettes that is harmful to people's health that is now being used to house people's health."

When asked about the potential dangers to oil spill clean-up workers living in the trailers, Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Erin Brewer said it is too early to tell. "This is the beginning of the story and it's not clear to me how long the oil response workers will be in the trailers and what the other risk factors are for health problems," said Dr. Brewer.

The U.S. General Services Administration released a statement Friday evening stating the agency's Office of Real Property will send an email to travel trailer buyers. It reminds them that they must notify anyone who buys the trailer in the future that it was once a FEMA trailer and that it is against the law to use it as housing.

House changes damages law

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives voted Thursday to overhaul the law that limits the amount of damages that families of the 11 rig workers who perished in the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon can recover.

The bill, co-sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., and Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, passed on a voice vote as three of the widows and the father of another of the 11 men watched from the House gallery.

Minutes before the vote, Texas Rep. Lamar Smith, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, called for a "no" vote, saying the legislation, which is opposed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, was not well thought-out, could have unintended consequences, and might even hurt those it is intended to help.

Conyers ridiculed that notion.

"This is not going to hurt the victims," he said. "The victims came before the committee and testified in favor of this kind of relief. For us now to think that we are inadvertently doing some harm to those who have lost their loved ones is untenable and uncontemplatable."

The House bill would amend the Death on the High Seas Act and the Jones Act, both dating from 1920, and the Limitation on Liability Act, dating from 1851.

In a letter to lawmakers, the president and executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned that "this change in the law is not limited to claims arising out of the Gulf oil spill. As a result, it would apply to thousands of claims unrelated to the oil spill, including many maritime-related asbestos claims. The expansive nature of these provisions could expose hundreds of asbestos and other defendants to significant additional liability totally unrelated to the situation in the Gulf."

Keith Jones of Baton Rouge, the father of Gordon Jones, a Deepwater Horizon oil rig worker, was joined in the gallery by Courtney Kemp, the widow of Roy Kemp from Jonesville; Natalie Roshto, the widow of Shane Roshto, from Liberty, Miss.; and Shelly Anderson, the widow of Jason Anderson, of Midfield, Texas.

Roshto and Anderson testified Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, which considered similar legislation to change the current law.

"I am not a lawyer by any means, but the policy behind this (existing) law does not make any sense to me and does not seem fair," Roshto said in her testimony. "Under current law, because Shane died on an oil rig in federal waters, Shane's death is limited to pecuniary damages, which essentially limits his loss to the value of his paycheck and funeral expenses. If Shane had died on land, the law would have recognized that Shane's life was more valuable."

Speaking on the House floor before passage of the bill, Melancon described meeting the family members of the deceased workers. "I have seen the pain on their faces. While we cannot relieve these families from the unimaginable grief they will go through for the rest of their lives -- losing a husband, a father, a brother and a son -- we can fix a law that is clearly outdated and wrong."

Melancon criticizes Vitter about former aide

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon is criticizing incumbent U.S. Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana for delaying the firing a legislative aide who stabbed and slashed his girlfriend.

The Napoleonville Democrat, who is a likely candidate for the Republican junior senator’s seat in November, said Vitter’s knowledge of the incident and his keeping Brent Furer on his staff showed poor judgment.

“This is why I’m running,” Melancon said. “I’m a father and I have a daughter. What’s he doing with a guy like this on his staff?”

Vitter declined comment Thursday. His campaign spokesman, Luke Bolar, said the senator was focused on the oil spill and called Melancon’s statements “desperate.”

Both Melancon and Vitter are scheduled to participate in the Kenilworth Civic Association Independence Day Parade tonight, according to press releases and emails seeking the attendance of volunteers to enthusiastically cheer the candidates.

Furer, 40, has also been arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated four times, including twice in East Baton Rouge Parish, where a warrant was issued for “failing to appear,” according to court records. Furer has also pleaded to possession of cocaine in Jefferson Parish, court records showed.

Vitter fired Furer last week after learning about the drunk driving charges. Vitter said in a statement last week that he suspended Furer after the attack but reinstated him after consulting with the congressional employment office.

The Melancon criticism comes as he has issued a new web advertisement criticizing Vitter and what he calls his lack of support on women’s issues. Furer handled abortion issues for Vitter.

“This is about Vitter having to fess up as to why he protected this guy for two years,” Melancon said. “This (incident) didn’t happen last week.”

In 2007, Vitter admitted to committing a “serious sin” after phone records showed that he had been calling a high-priced prostitution service during his days as a U.S. House member between 1999 and 2001.

“We run for public office and we answer to the people,” said Melancon, elected to the House in 2004. “David Vitter needs to answer to the people.”