By now pretty much everybody in the state knows about Caroline Fayard’s goofy “I hate Republicans” rant, complete with a clumsy blood libel about conservative kids being served BBQ-style.

To some it might be curious that the state Democrat Party was so un-PC in its treatment of the gaffe, as the state party had almost nothing to say about it. They largely left Fayard to offer up a non-apology which mumbled something about context and the content of her prepared speech. The whole thing came off as unprofessional, to be sure.

And part of that involved the fact that Louisiana Democrat Party chairman Buddy Leach was at the event and spoke shortly before Fayard did.

But The Hayride has obtained a copy of the invitation to the hate-fest put on by the Washington Parish Democrat Executive Committee, and now we know who the funders of it were.

The top group of the folks listed on the invitation, styled “Benefactors,” include:

• State Senator Ben Nevers, the pre-eminent proponent of tax increases in the Senate these days;
• State Rep. Harold Ritchie, who calls himself a long-time smoker while he’s touting a massive hike in the cigarette tax;
• Washington Parish President Richard “Ned” Thomas;
• Bogalusa Mayor Charles Mizell, who got himself into a nasty controversy arising from a suspect deal involving the appearance of favoritism over an ambulance company he owned before getting elected in the fall last year;
• Washington Parish assessor Randy “Country” Seal, who is a Democrat candidate for Washington Parish Sheriff this fall;
• Mike Thomas, a Democrat candidate for Washington Parish Sheriff this fall;
• Jimbo Stevenson, a Democrat candidate for Washington Parish assessor this fall; and
• Mike Daniel, whose campaign website at danielforsheriff.com says he’s running for Washington Parish assessor this fall;

Thomas is also listed as a “Sustainer” on the invitation, along with a couple of other entries:

• The Central Trades And Labor Council, which is the local AFL-CIO affiliate; and
• Washington Parish Sheriff Robert Crowe, who was the main player in the ugly ambulance deal last fall that was just resolved last week and has had a very spotty record on the job.

In short, virtually every Democrat politician looking for office in Washington Parish, as well as the state Democrat party chair – and by the way the kids from Students Learning Government at Bogalusa High School – was on hand.

So naturally, nobody wants to say anything. They’re all pretty uncomfortable.

Most people think Fayard is going to run for governor. She’d be a terrific ambassador for the state, wouldn’t she? She certainly knows how to handle herself in front of the adults – and the high school kids, too.