It was always a lie, of course, but there is now definitive proof of just how disingenuous our governor’s campaign in 2015 actually was, because last night he supplied it in a speech honoring Edwin Edwards at the latter’s 90th birthday party.
As a personal note, I happened to be at the Renaissance Hotel, the venue for that soiree, last night. A friend was in from out of town and stayed at that hotel last night, and I met her for a drink at the bar just as the Edwards event was letting out. Our joke was that we were counting the ankle monitors we could see under the pants legs of the partygoers. We think there were a few.
Neither of us went inside the ballroom, which is fine by me. It appears the highlight of the event was a speech by John Bel Edwards paying homage to the old man.
. @LouisianaGov at EWE party: "When I knew I was going to go between Chris Owens and Edwin Edwards, I said, 'For the love of God.'" #lalege
— Melinda Deslatte (@MelindaDeslatte) August 13, 2017
. @LouisianaGov says Edwin Edwards gave people hope across Louisiana, respected by many, his word was good. #lalege #lagov
— Melinda Deslatte (@MelindaDeslatte) August 13, 2017
. @LouisianaGov jokes about Edwin Edwards: "If he's not running in 2019, I feel pretty damn good about our chances." #lalege #lagov
— Melinda Deslatte (@MelindaDeslatte) August 13, 2017
All of that, you might say, is relatively unobjectionable – though Edwin Edwards made perhaps more unfulfilled promises to the people of Louisiana than any political figure in the state’s history and it’s certainly a regrettable statement to say “his word was good.”
But then we have this…
. @LouisianaGov says proud to celebrate Edwin Edwards, still revered by so many in Louisiana, showed grace and dignity in adversity. #large
— Melinda Deslatte (@MelindaDeslatte) August 13, 2017
Oh, really?
This man is governor of Louisiana in large part because a majority of the state’s voters swallowed his representations of himself as not only an honest man and a man of integrity but as someone who wouldn’t tolerate those around him lacking those characteristics.
But less than two years after his election he’s not only honoring one of the most corrupt politicians in Louisiana history, he’s praising him for “grace” and “dignity” in the face of “adversity.”
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Edwin Edwards, in his own remarks last night…
Edwin Edwards talking about his federal conviction, blaming it on what he considers an unfair judge and unfair trial. #lalege
— Melinda Deslatte (@MelindaDeslatte) August 13, 2017
There’s your grace and dignity. To this day he denies doing anything illegal to create the “adversity” he faced, and he used his time in prison to find a gold-digging pen pal 50 years his junior to marry; no sooner did he get out of prison but he was attempting to put that relationship on display in a terrible reality TV show replete with Viagra jokes.
Grace. And dignity.
The one thing which can be said for Edwin Edwards that can’t be said for John Bel Edwards is that Edwin at least would give you a wink and a nod when he was debauching himself and/or obviously lying to your face. He didn’t put on airs about what a slimeball he was. The current Edwards will spit in your face and demand you agree it’s raining.
Even some of the people who consider Edwin the Grim Reaper of Louisiana’s economic competitiveness thanks to his atrocious four terms as the state’s governor will concede he had a lot of charisma. Nobody’s saying that about Gov. Honor Code. This kind of thing is one reason why.
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