Tea Party Of Louisiana Has A Messaging Problem – Or Maybe A Personnel Problem
Last night we ran with a post on a release sent out by the Tea Party of Louisiana calling for Louisiana House Speaker Jim Tucker’s resignation over the cigarette tax renewal situation.
As it turns out, the version of the release we got wasn’t the official one. The official release got caught in a spam filter. Chris Comeaux, who’s a somewhat controversial member of TPOL’s board and who is also attempting to make a career for himself as a political consultant, was the sender of the one we received.
Comeaux’s version, which went out about 45 minutes earlier than the official, said this…
Both chambers of the Louisiana Legislature have passed House Bill 591, which renews a 4-cent cigarette tax first enacted in 2000. At the time, the tax was said only to be temporary. Governor Jindal has said that HB 591 represents an actual tax increase and that he will veto it
Conversely, House Speaker Jim Tucker(R) was quoted in the Baton Rouge Advocate on May 20th: “I intend to vote for it [the tax] because I don’t want to reduce taxes on cigarettes”. According to several sources, the Speaker has been working behind the scenes to rally seventy house members to override the Governor’s veto.
The Tea Party of Louisiana demands that Jim Tucker resign as Speaker of the house.
“It is unbelievable that a republican Speaker of the House would be working hard to renew a tax,” said Bob Reid, spokesman for the Tea Party of Louisiana. “We have worked very hard over the last year to give republicans majorities in both chambers. To think that they would use these majorities to raise taxes is just unspeakable,” added Reid.
“The entire Louisiana legislature seems to be devoid of conservative leadership, in both chambers,” said Reid. “We cannot wait for fall elections to find new leadership in the House. We need new leadership right now and that’s why we are demanding Jim Tucker step down as Speaker,” added Reid.
Tucker has also been criticized for giving control of the budgeting process back to the democrats, despite republicans gaining control of both chambers earlier this year.
“The people of Louisiana want conservative leadership in the state legislature. We are tired of tax-and-spend liberals who don’t understand the limited role of government set forth in the Constitution,” said Reid.
Jim Tucker will be term limited at the end of this session. He is rumored to be running for Secretary of State and in need of support from democrats to win statewide office.
But though he represented himself as the press agent for TPOL, Comeaux has no such responsibility with that organization. As of right now TPOL’s only spokesman is Bob Reid. And the official press release Reid sent out 45 minutes after Comeaux’s version read a bit differently…
Both chambers of the Louisiana Legislature have passed House Bill 591, which renews a 4-cent cigarette tax first enacted in 2000. At the time, the tax was said only to be temporary. Governor Jindal has said that HB 591 represents an actual tax increase and that he will veto it.
Conversely, House Speaker Jim Tucker was quoted in the Baton Rouge Advocate on May 20th: “I intend to vote for it [the tax] because I don’t want to reduce taxes on cigarettes…” According to several sources, the Speaker has been working behind the scenes to rally seventy house members to override the Governor’s veto. Reid stated, “This is what we do not need from any Republican let alone the leadership.” Reid asked, “Do we have the same type of Republican Leadership problem in Louisiana as we have in Congress?”
“It is unbelievable that a Republican Speaker of the House would be working hard to renew a tax,” said Bob Reid, spokesman for the Tea Party of Louisiana. “We have worked very hard over the last year to give republicans majorities in both chambers. To think that they would use these majorities to raise taxes is just unspeakable,” added Reid.
“The entire Louisiana legislature seems to be devoid of conservative leadership, in both chambers,” said Reid. “We look at this as a test case for any Legislator who supports this including Speaker Tucker,” added Reid.
Tucker has also been criticized for giving control of the budgeting process back to the democrats, despite republicans gaining control of both chambers earlier this year. Reid emphasized, “We demand that Speaker Tucker seriously rethink his position and actions.”
“The people of Louisiana want conservative leadership in the state legislature. We are tired of tax-and-spend liberals and their RINO co-conspirators who don’t understand the limited role of government set forth in the Constitution,” said Reid.
Jim Tucker will be term limited at the end of this session. One must ask, why he would be so compromising?
Subtle differences, but they matter. The official release doesn’t repeat twice, including in a quote from Reid, a demand that Tucker step down. It also doesn’t suggest that Tucker is going to want Democrat support when he runs for Secretary of State this fall, which is an idiotic idea considering that Caroline Fayard is running for that spot and she is what passes for a bright light among Democrat politicians these days.
Reid’s release did contain a headline which read “TEA PARTY OF LOUISIANA CALLS FOR SPEAKER TUCKER’S RESIGNATION,” which he said was left in so as to get attention. I thought that was a sizable mistake when I first saw it and I still do; it definitely doesn’t fit Reid’s release which talks about the need for Tucker to change his mind on seeking an override of the veto.
I would have suggested something like “TEA PARTY OF LOUISIANA TO TUCKER: DON’T BETRAY CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES ON CIGARETTE TAX.” You’re still capturing attention, you’re putting the word out, and the media likely will pick it up, that there are key members of Tucker’s core constituency who question his adherence to fiscal conservatism and you’re offering a threat that if he does the wrong thing you’ll be working to oppose his Secretary of State bid this fall. But you’re also giving Tucker an out to avoid your wrath; he just has to do what you’re telling him you want him to do. When you say you want him to resign, he has no such out. You already declared war on him.
And from a Tea Party movement perspective, you don’t want Tucker out. First, it’s pointless for him to go now; in less than two weeks we’re at sine die and he’s term-limited anyway. He’s already going. You gain nothing by getting him out now.
And second, getting rid of Tucker now is really counterproductive. If he vanished into thin air tomorrow, the likely candidates to replace him would be Joel Robideaux, the registered independent who’s the Speaker Pro Tem, and Noble Ellington, the reformed Democrat who lost to Robideaux in the Pro Tem election a year or so ago. Neither one of those guys are exactly Michelle Bachmann or Rand Paul. But if Tucker went, and one of them managed to become the speaker, guess what happens next year after the elections? They show back up as the incumbent speaker and it’s going to be damn near impossible to get rid of them.
In the meantime, folks doing head counts are looking at a turnover of some 28-30 seats in the 105-member House. The vast – and I mean VAST – majority of those new people are going to be considerably more conservative than the people they’ll replace. Most people think we’re about to see white Democrats all but vanish from the House, and there are folks who will tell you there will be a good half-dozen current Republicans who will lose their seats to Tea Party types in the House – with another 3-4 going down in the Senate. Add in the term-limited, where open seats will almost certainly go to the most articulate conservatives running, and you’re looking at a House which no longer has a relatively conservative majority with 54 Republicans in it but now it’s a hard-core conservative House with 65 Republicans. Or 70.
Wouldn’t you want to pick a brand-new Speaker out of that group? I would imagine so. I’m thinking you want as clean a slate as possible where leadership positions are concerned, because you’re going to get a group of folks who will look a good bit like Texas’ legislature if things like incumbency and seniority aren’t in the way.
But while that’s a strategic and tactical issue which can be debated, what seems very apparent is that TPOL has a guy hanging around their organization who’s putting out unauthorized press releases making them look like fools. That ain’t good. It’s an indication, false though it may be, that they don’t have their act together and thus don’t have to be listened to. And considering the size of the sentiment in this state favorable to organizations like TPOL, they have a responsibility to represent that sentiment in a fashion which maximizes the influence of the movement at large.
Keeping Chris Comeaux around when he’s going off half-cocked and creating havoc is bad stuff. Comeaux is mucking up the works over there and damage is being done. If you can’t exercise some discipline in your organization’s message, nobody will take you seriously.
The guess is Tucker won’t. He’s going to press for that veto override and he’ll likely get it. And then TPOL is going to look like they’re not able to influence legislation. Given the state of the legacy media in Louisiana, that’s something more likely to get coverage than the original release – official or fraud – was.
What all your readers need to understand is that Tea Party of Louisiana (TPoL) is NOT a state level group and they do not represent a cross section of all Tea Party groups in the State. The only group that closely represents a state level group is the Louisiana Tea Party Federation. TPoL does not and has NEVER spoken for the majority of Louisiana’s groups. They are a local/regional group out of Denham Springs with a name that implies broad state level support.
Maybe the Hayride can investigate and see if Comeaux and Roger Villere broke any anti-kickback type laws or election laws when Villere hired Comeaux’s other business, Eaux Films, to make campaign videos.
According to Villere’s records, Eaux Films received approx. $7,000-$9,000 for his “services” and then a month or so later TPoL turned around and publicly endorsed Villere’s campaign for Lt. Governor. As the founder and board member, Comeaux held a “position of influence” with TPoL and received money from the campaign coffers of Villere. Comeaux told me personally via Facebook that he worked for Villere’s campaign, although I am unsure if he was compensated.
It is my personal opinion that Villere should resign as the head of the Republican Party.
And it is MY personal opinion that Chris Comeaux, a former registered democrat who voted for Obama, should have no position of authority in any tea party group.
TPOL nor the Tea Party Federation of Louisiana speak for all Tea Party groups in La. In sheer numbers BRTP is the largest with Tpol a close second.
Strictly speaking that’s true. But since all such organizations are part of
a larger – if however unorganized – movement, the actions of one group in
Louisiana are bound to affect both the other groups and the movement at
large.
Which is why a fatwa such as the one TPOL laid down against Tucker should be
carefully considered before released into the world. It’s true that the
other Tea Party groups can’t do anything about what TPOL does, but they WILL
be affected by those statements – just like TPOL will be affected by actions
of other groups. And the faster all of the organizations recognize the
interdependent relationship they have as members of the movement, the faster
they’ll be able to exert positive influence on government and politics in
Louisiana.
There are a lot of Obama voters in the Tea Party now. We can thank the President for opening a lot of people’s eyes. There are a lot of leading conservatives who were once liberals.
Do you actually believe that Roger Villere bought TPoL’s endorsement, or are you just saying that because you think it sounds good? Roger is a great friend of mine, but he was unsuccessful in raising any serious money for his campaign, and the idea that he would spend thousands on an endorsement from TPoL is insane. (This is besides the fact that anyone who knows Roger’s character knows that he would reject such a scheme out of hand).
On the other hand, Roger did have some great campaign ads and web videos, which were produced for his campaign by Chris Comeaux. Is it your opinion that Chris should somehow have made ads for Roger for free? Or should Roger have been prohibited from hiring Chris for his campaign because he was a board member of TPoL?
Wait a minute … I just realized that you stated that Chris Comeaux received several thousand dollars for his work for Villere, and then you turn around and say that you aren’t sure if Comeaux was compensated for his work for Villere—did you finish fifth grade?
TPoL also endorsed Landry in the primary against Downer shortly after his campaign hired Comeaux as a consultant. I don’t want to flat out say that Comeaux is a Dem who created TPoL as a way to sell endorsements that imply statewide tea party support to Republican candidates in a way that creates personal benefit for himself. But if it walks, talks and acts like a duck, then then odds only point to one conclusion.
It was Downer’s snub of a debate put on jointly by TPOL and the Baton Rouge
Tea Party which led to that endorsement, not Comeaux’s being hired.
That, and the fact that Downer had the voting record of a RINO.
Let me put it to you this way. I work for a government defense contractor & if ANYTHING of value exchanged hands between myself & a government official, both of us would have been fired & my company could have been fined & would jeopardize future business too. I know Villere is not a government employee but just using this as an example.
Even if nothing criminal happened, it is a blatent conflict of interest & Villere should have known that.
Steve Farber
Steven, this is just as idiotic. You work for a defense contractor. I promise you that executives with your employer donate to political campaigns. If your company does business in Louisiana, I promise you that they donate directly to politicians. I promise you that they have lobbyists.
In which case, according to your logic, any politician who received political support from your company who also votes for a project that benefits your company should resign, because that politician has a blatant conflict of interest. Your statements that people at your company would have been fired are stupid—neither you nor anyone else can prove any linkage between Roger’s using Chris Comeaux to produce advertising and the TPoL endorsement, because there was no linkage, just like no politician will resign and nobody at your company will get fired if a politician votes for something that benefits your company and also gets a contribution from your company.
Do you have the foggiest idea how politics works? Companies like the one you work for support politicians who agree with their views. In endorsing Villere, the TPoL supported the most conservative candidate in the race, just like they did in supporting Jeff Landry over Hunt Downer. Candidates such as Roger Villere like to hire people who agree with them, and Chris Comeaux’s work with the TPoL was likely part of the reason Roger chose him. Should Roger have hired a Democrat to produce his campaign advertising?
Ryan, I don’t believe that you and I have ever met so I don’t know how you can judge me or my past experience by a few paragraphs of text.
I believe either I didn’t explain if good enough or you misunderstood what I ‘m trying to say. First, I’m not talking about a payment from an employee to a politician. I am talking about a politician paying for support in return for an endorsement by the company. In this case the company is Chris Comeaux and Tea Party of Louisiana. Comeaux has influence over the board. Maybe the board wasn’t aware of his side bar activities.
Let’s define what a bribe and a kickback is:
http://dictionary.findlaw.com/definition/bribe.html
http://dictionary.findlaw.com/definition/kickback.html
I may have defined what happened as a kickback incorrectly, it could be argued that it’s a bribe not a kickback.
Let me give you some supporting evidence:
‘LOUISIANA INSTITUTE OF POLITICS’ FACULTY PROFILE: CHRIS COMEAUX
http://www.lanewslink.com/print.php?article=19322
—–Just to verify that Comeaux owns Eaux Films.
Go here and search for Tea Party of Louisiana
http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/819/Default.aspx
—– Owned by Chris Comeaux.
Behind the Curtain: Roger Villere, the Tea Party, and Dan Richey
http://cenlamar.com/2010/10/04/behind-the-curtai/
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/102233074.html?showAll=y&c=y
Scroll down till you see “Villere’s campaign buys Tea Party aid”
The following also shows the connection of TPoL and Jeff Landry’s campaign:
Landry hired founder of “TEA Party of LA” prior to endorsement
http://www.huntdowner.com/press-releases/2010-09-28/landry-hired-founder-%E2%80%9Ctea-party-la%E2%80%9D-prior-endorsementhttp://huntdowner.com/sites/default/files/Tea_Party.pdf
Look how Louisiana defines a bribe:
http://law.justia.com/codes/louisiana/2009/rs/title18/rs18-1469.html
“accepting, soliciting, offering to accept, directly or indirectly, a
campaign contribution, by a candidate, political committee or other
person, with the intention that the candidate will provide or influence
another to provide the contributor or another person a position of
public employment, an appointive governmental position, a public
contract, or anything of apparent present or prospective value.”
* Villere paid Comeaux THOUSANDS of dollars
* Comeaux holds a position of influence.
* Villere knew Comeaux was the founder and on the Board of the Tea Party of Louisiana. Therefore he knew he held a position of influence with the Board
* The Tea Party of Louisiana fully endorsed and Comeaux worked for the campaign.
* Comeaux was paid thousands of dollars just PRIOR to AND AFTER the endorsement for video service. – It doesn’t really matter what for.
Look Ryan, Villere may be a nice guy, I’ve never met him. He is a business man and should know the laws especially because of his top position with the Republican Party, his business experience and him running for public office.
The Hayride New Post – Tea Party Of Louisiana Has A Messaging Problem – Or Maybe A Personnel P…. Read it now at http://tinyurl.com/4x74qrq
My sediments follow those of Steve as well. We have had serious compromises in the past due the TPOL stepping in and making broad statements to the press that in no way were expressed by the Louisiana Tea Party Federation.
My personal experience with Roger Villere in Lake Charles during the Republican Round Table luncheon proved to me that he knows about flowers. How he became head of the Republican party eludes me.
[...] endorsement, and last week he picked up the endorsement of the Tea Party of Louisiana – which had kinda-sorta-we’re-not-sure called for his resignation a couple of months ago - which led to a press release last week calling Tucker the Tea Party [...]