This week, US Senator David Vitter has shown the rest of the country what we have known here in Louisiana for some time. Vitter has proven again that he is a skilled legislator who is fiercely loyal to his constituents and refuses to back down from any fight. Against the likes of John McCain, Ted Kennedy, and his own President, Vitter, and four other junior GOP members, took on a flawed immigration bill that was being stampeded through the upper chamber and wrestled that bull to the ground. Viva Vitter!
Further coverage:
Junior GOP Senators Defeat Old Guard(Washington Times) - Mr. DeMint, Mr. Vitter of Louisiana and Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, all of them in the class of 2004, spent hours camped on the Senate floor protecting their rights, objecting to Democratic requests and generally making life difficult for Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat.
Immigration Debate Kindled New Kind Of Rancor (SF Gate) - "Eighty percent of the American people were against this bill," [Vitter] said. "For anybody to suggest that was about racism, I think itself is the height of ugliness and arrogance."
Senate Hands Bush Major Defeat On Immigration (Reuters) - "The next step is to immediately push the president to take up his word and enforce security at the border," said Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican who help lead the fight against the bill.
While McCain, Giuliani and Romney have been running for months, Fred Thompson, by all accounts, is ready to throw his hat into the Presidential race. Recent polls show the television star, lobbyist, and former Senator climbing and now in a solid second behind Giuliani.
But what do we really know about the Thompson record? Some conservatives, particularly the socially concerned, have eagerly embraced him. However, now some are questioning the actor's stance on a critical litmus test for conservatives, abortion. Here it is “Law and Order” style...
Fred's response?
We here at OrN are looking forward to the dream becoming a reality. Will the man live up to the myth? You decide.
House GOP Continues To Fight "Mommy Dearest" (The Advocate) - “I like all tax breaks, but we just have to come to a realistic understanding,” the governor said Wednesday morning.
We're Last, But Not For Long...Cockfighting Ban Passes (Times-Pic) - The long, controversial history of legal cockfighting will come to an end in Louisiana -- and the United States -- on Aug. 15, 2008, if Gov. Kathleen Blanco signs a bill sent to her by lawmakers Wednesday.
NEWSFLASH! Pelosi Still A Liberal (The Hill) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is working hard to make sure that the fiery liberal wing of the Democratic Party remembers that she is one of them. She is also going out of her way to reassure opponents of the war that she is on their side.
Immigration Measure Imperiled Again In US Senate (WaPost) - The Senate yesterday turned back a series of amendments from both parties aimed at substantially altering controversial immigration legislation, but the bill shed supporters as it became mired in procedural problems that left backers concerned about its prospects.
Republican Delegation Fights Fire With Fire (The Advocate) -
Parents who send their children to private and parochial schools would be able to deduct part of the tuition and fees they pay under a bill that cleared the House on Monday.
The income tax deduction was one of a number of tax breaks that Republicans pushed through at the start of the final week of the legislative session.
GOP lawmakers also advanced tax relief on gifts, college contributions and business utilities.
Reckless and Nude? (Times-Pic) - A nude driver hit a trooper at a traffic stop in East Baton Rouge Parish and tried to run over two more in Ascension Parish before they ended the early morning chase by shooting out a tire, state police said.
The law firms – and a dozen others nationwide – are getting ready for a predicted explosion of climate-related work tied to government regulation, lawsuits against energy companies and new markets that will trade the rights to emit carbon. Some lawyers are trying to tie the damage from Hurricane Katrina to global warming – and the energy companies who may have contributed to that warming.
Paris Is Free! (AP) - The 26-year-old celebutante was greeted by an enormous gathering of cameras and reporters upon leaving the all-women's facility in Lynwood about 15 minutes past midnight. She had checked into the Century Regional Detention Facility late June 3, largely avoiding the spotlight, after a surprise appearance at the MTV Movie Awards.
In a trial that has become proof positive of the need for civil justice reform, a judge ruled in favor of the defendants in the case of the $54 million missing pants.
Yes, the lunacy of this case is extreme. However, what is no laughing matter is that Louisiana is ranked 48th in judicial fairness by major employers, and jurisdictions like Orleans Parish have been listed as "Judicial Hellholes" by the American Tort Reform Association.
Senate committee approves $1.9 billion for Road Home shortfall but continues to look gift horse in the mouth (The Advocate) - The committee — at the Blanco administration’s urging — committed $74.5 million in cash to build a new charity hospital in New Orleans.
The federal government is critical of the state’s hospital plan, questioning the proposed size and cost. The dispute leaves the state with the choice of going back to the drawing board or possibly giving up $226 million in federal funds for the teaching and research hospital.
Edwin Will Not Attend Brother's Funeral (Times-Pic) - "It's not that they don't want to let him go," Marion Edwards said. "It's just such a complicated deal."
'08 Dem Contenders Roll Out Health Care Reforms, Hillary A Little Gun Shy (AP) - When it comes to health care reform, Hillary Rodham Clinton epitomizes the old adage, "once burned, twice shy."
Immigration Bill On Ninth Life (The Hill) - Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), a key opponent to the bipartisan immigration bill that will be taken up again next week, said Sunday that support for the legislation “continues to erode.”
