More feedback for the old guard.

The Acadia Parish Republican Executive Committee gave approval to a resolution last week voicing the group’s displeasure with Republican Governor Bobby Jindal’s endorsement of longtime Democrat John Alario for Senate President. The resolution also called on the Republican Party of Louisiana to publically “show leadership” and requests that Republican State Senators who represent parts of Acadia Parish not vote for Sen. Alario during the process.

“I’m fully in support of the resolution which opposes Alairo for Senate President,” stated PEC Chairman Larry Miller. “We do not need for longtime Edwin Edwards allies to have any more power in this State.”

PEC member Nick Bouterie, added, “Senator Alario, deservedly or not, has earned a reputation that any real conservative-reform Governor should not want in his hand-picked President of the Senate. Louisiana’s leadership and politics needs to move forward, not back.”
Noted by several Republican activists and supporters across the state is how four years ago, the Louisiana Republican Party ran ads comparing then-Democrat John Alario to the mafia. Many wonder what has changed, other than party affiliation.

The resolution, word for word…

Whereas, on October 25, 2011, recently re-elected Republican Governor Bobby Jindal endorsed Senator John Alario for Senate President.
Whereas Governor Jindal campaigned in 2007 as a conservative reformer, and Senator Alario’s past politics, specifically that of being the “right hand man” of former long-time Democrat Governor Edwin Edwards, are well known.

Whereas the reputation John Alario, a “newly converted Republican”, has garnered over the decades of being part of the good ole boy political machine, run by Louisiana Democrats, is not one that lends itself to the promotion of real reform in Baton Rouge and within the Capitol.

Therefore, we, the members of the Acadia Parish Republican Executive Committee, wish to voice our displeasure with Governor Jindal’s choosing of John Alario for the Senate Presidency.

Further, we ask that the Louisiana Republican Party show leadership, publicly, declaring that Louisiana’s Republican Party does not approve of endorsing a politician of Sen. Alario’s reputation and background to carry a conservative reform agenda in the Legislature.

Further, we ask that the Republican State Senators currently representing parts of Acadia Parish do not cast their votes for Senator Alario during the process of choosing legislative leadership.

Acadia’s PEC is now the third one – that we know of – to pass such a resolution. Caddo and St. Tammany have gone before in condemning the choice of Edwin Edwards’ top legislative stooge as the Senate president; we’re sure there will be more.