Edwin Edwards, four time governor of Louisiana and former member of Congress announced at the Baton Rouge Press Luncheon Monday he would be a candidate for the U.S. House sixth congressional district. The reaction from the news media and others was swift with no surprises.
James Varney and Robert Mann on the editorial page of the Times Picayune of 3/19/14 in writing about Edward's decision to enter the race used the words, farce, crook, gambler, have you no shame, ex con, corrupt and washed up former governor, Tongsun Park and many other words that were unnecessary. Mann talks about the national news media flocking to Baton Rouge to cover Edwards and the campaign. So what did Varney and Mann do? Well they were one of the first to lead the parade with their editorials.
Edwards was a popular elected official with the voters of Louisiana. The sixth congressional district is republican territory we are told so the people in that district will have an opportunity to respond this November at the polls. Although out of office a number of years, Edwin Edwards knows politics and he knows government better than any politician in Louisiana today. He also knows the issues and will be able to articulate his position during the campaign.
What really chaps the Times Picayune and some of their writers is that Edwards has never been convicted of any wrong doing while in office. They and other news media outlets have never been able to scoop him. He admits he likes to gamble and that he has lost and won a lot of money doing so, has never denied being a womanizer, said he has appointed friends to state jobs (why appoint his enemies) and so many other things that he has openly admitted. Those in the news media would rather catch him in a lie.
If Edwards stays in the race it will benefit the people because a democrat is challenging a republican district. That would give other democrats the will to do the same in other parts of Louisiana that is republican territory. The former governor is smart enough to know the state of Louisiana can once again become democratic in the future.
The people in the sixth district should pay attention to what all the candidates say and whether they speak to the issues. There is no doubt in this writers mind that Edwards will. This story will unfold and play out in the next eight months. The people will once again have an opportunity to look at Edwards and decide if any of their opinions changed concerning the former governor. One can be sure the news media is loving every minute of it.
This commentary written by John Lucia.
