Louisiana Politico | Former Capitol Hill Flack | History Lover | Proud Cajun | Connoisseur of Boudin & Cracklins | Anxious LSU Fan | The Opinions Here Are Mine
My grandfather grew up in Avoyelles Parish speaking French as his first language. He often talked about being paddled by his teachers for using the language in school.
Today, inside the U.S. Capitol, his grandson got to exchange greetings in French with the President of France.
Happy
#MardiGras
from Washington, D.C. — where this dish is being served in the cafeteria of the U.S. House of Representatives and called “Red Beans and Rice.”
In 1932, when Huey Long moved into his offices in the Senate Office Building, now Russell, he didn’t understand that the building’s postal abbreviation — S.O.B. — would show up on letters sent to him. The Kingfish was so enraged by the envelopes addressed to “Huey Long, S.O.B.,
On Huey Long’s first day in the U.S. Senate, he immediately annoyed his new colleagues by wandering around the Capitol’s corridors with his large entourage of bodyguards and aides, obnoxiously proclaiming to everyone he came across that “The Kingfish has arrived!”
While waiting
LISTEN: 1965 — Senator Russell Long of Louisiana calls the Oval Office and has an animated conversation with Lyndon Johnson about why Shreveport won’t be receiving funding for a new Post Office.
Despite the fact that Russell Long and LBJ had been freshmen senators and longtime
When Huey Long campaigned across Louisiana’s bayous and backroads during the 1928 race for governor, an experienced politician took him aside and told Long, a Baptist from rural Winn Parish in North Louisiana, that if he was going to win a statewide election, he would need to
When the NFL negotiated the deal to merge with the upstart American Football League in 1966, their proposed agreement ran afoul of existing anti-trust laws. With no legal alternative, the only way the two leagues could join was if Congress passed a special exemption for them.
Was digging through the LPB digital archive today — didn’t know that there was a time when a Governor would address reporters while wearing a purple and gold LSU track suit.
#LaGov
#LaLege
Also — during Hurricane Andrew,
@KLFY
was translating
@robperillo
’s forecasts into Cajun French in order to reach the older population in Acadiana with critical information.
Huey Long was never subtle with the fact that his ultimate dream was to become President of the United States.
When he moved into the Louisiana Governor’s Mansion in 1928, he incessantly complained that the old antebellum house was falling apart and infested with rats.
After a
The original complaint about
@SEC
referees — then U.S. Senator Huey Long tries to “reason” with two officials during a 1932
#LSU
game in Tiger Stadium. Allegedly, the Kingfish was annoyed with repeated penalties against the Tigers at the goal line.
#GeauxTigers
#LaGov
Some history made tonight...
- First Democratic Governor since 1976 to win re-election to a second consecutive term.
- First incumbent Governor to win after being forced into a runoff.
- First time since 1991 that both Kentucky and Louisiana have elected Ds.
#lagov
#lalege
At times like these, I’m reminded of a quote from Senator Russell Long, who at age 16 lost his father to an assassination.
“It is the ballot rather than the bullet that should determine America’s destiny.”
One of Huey Long’s pet projects of personal pride was a complete overhaul of
#LSU
’s marching band. At his direction, the university’s band nearly doubled in size, bought new instruments, and redesigned their uniforms.
He even had Castro Carazo, the bandleader from his favorite
Big Day for the Bayou State in Congress!
Not only will a Louisianan be wielding the Speaker’s Gavel for the first time in history, but the No. 2 job in House Leadership, the Majority Leader, will also be occupied by a Congressman from the 64 parishes.
One day while campaigning for governor, Earl Long stopped to see the elderly patriarch of a large family in a rural area. Eager to have the man’s support, the candidate cut a deal — if the family voted for him, the state would pave the road that led to their home.
After the
My favorite clip from the documentary “Louisiana Boys: Raised on Politics” — Mayor Curtis Joubert of Eunice, standing over a cast-iron pot, explains why being able to make a roux and converse in French is critical to political success in Acadiana.
#LaLege
#LaGov
Every year....Ok, Mobile did not host the first Mardi Gras celebration in what is now the United States. In 1699, Iberville and his men celebrated Fat Tuesday on Mardi Gras Bayou in what is now Plaquemines Parish. Mobile did not have a Carnival until 1703....
#OnlyLouisiana
Did you know New Orleans did not host the first North American Mardi Gras.
Mardi Gras arrived in North America on March 3, 1699, A few years later, soldiers and settlers wore masks as part of Mardi Gras festivities in the newly founded city of Mobile (today Alabama).
1979 — Before
#LSU
played No. 1 Alabama under the lights in Death Valley, Mike the Tiger followed Bear Bryant around during pregame warmups while sporting a
#BeatBama
button.
Trattoria Alberto — the classic Italian restaurant on Capitol Hill that is a Washington, D.C. landmark.
@SpeakerBoehner
ate here so much that when House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost his seat in a primary in 2014, political reporters waited outside the restaurant to get a
Back when Huey Long was in power, he had the infamous “switch” in his Capitol office that would cause the voting board to malfunction while he and his henchmen lobbied legislators to flip a few votes.
#lalege
#lagov
When I was a freshman at the
@ManshipSchool
, most mornings I would pick up a copy of the
@nytimes
from in front of the Middleton Library and read it while eating breakfast in the 5.
No way I thought that I would see my own name in a Times byline just four years later...
While Huey Long, his wife Rose, and his son Russell all served in the U.S. Senate, the Long family’s political dynasty also extended for decades on the other side of Capitol Hill…
Huey’s older brother, George “Doc” Long, won election to Congress in 1952 and represented
Why my wife isn’t crazy about watching political-themed TV shows with me —
House of Cards: “There’s no way that the House Majority Whip has enough free time on a session day to pass an education bill, mastermind a murder, and then randomly go eat ribs on a whim.”
Madam
Getting married in Vermilion Parish means - a tugboat passes right after your rehearsal dinner, two of your groomsmen get stuck behind a tractor, and you and your bride dance to a Wayne Toups song!
Thankful for everybody who came to Abbeville to celebrate with us.
Returning from a doctor’s appointment in New Orleans, Edwards held a press conference about the indictments on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion — wearing a purple and gold
#LSU
track suit.
#LaLege
#LaGov
One of my final meals before leaving Washington, D.C. and moving back home — you know I’m getting
@SpeakerBoehner
’s veal special and a glass of red wine at Trattoria Alberto!
Trattoria Alberto — the classic Italian restaurant on Capitol Hill that is a Washington, D.C. landmark.
@SpeakerBoehner
ate here so much that when House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost his seat in a primary in 2014, political reporters waited outside the restaurant to get a
One of the most incredible statues in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center is of Congressman-Elect Jack Swigert of Colorado, in his full astronaut suit from the Apollo 13 mission.
An Air Force pilot that flew fighter missions in Korea, Swigert was was originally a backup on Apollo 13
EWE en Français: Back home in the heart of Acadiana for the final rally of his 1987 campaign, Edwin Edwards makes an impassioned plea for the support of Cajun voters in their native tongue.
#LaGov
#LaLege
The Monocle on Capitol Hill — the small old-school restaurant, with its dark paneled bar and booths long claimed by famous patrons such as Speaker Tip O’Neill and Senator John Tower.
The Monocle was a favorite haunt of Senator Howell Heflin of Alabama, whose picture still sits
The “Board of Education” Room on the House side of the U.S. Capitol — named after the moniker for the legendary cocktail hours that Speaker Sam Rayburn used to host here in the evenings after the conclusion of business on the House Floor.
On the evening on April 12th, 1945,
One of my favorite pieces of Louisiana Political Memorabilia — a 1974 Mardi Gras doubloon thrown by Mayor Moon Landrieu’s supporters to celebrate the near-completion of the Superdome.
#LaLege
#LaGov
When Huey Long was trying to get the Legislature to approve construction of the Capitol, he had the maintenance crew drill holes in the old House and Senate Chamber’s ceilings so rain fell directly on the heads of lawmakers who opposed his bill.
#LaLege
#LaGov
Governor-Elect
@JeffLandry
joins Huey Long, Buddy Roemer, and Bobby Jindal as Louisiana’s only chief-executives to win their initial election to the Governor’s Mansion without going to a runoff.
However, it is worth noting that both the Kingfish and Roemer won because their
DID YOU KNOW — The first African-American to serve as Majority Whip in the U.S. House was Baton Rouge native William H. Gray, III? Born when his father was a Dean at Southern, Gray’s family later moved to Philadelphia and he represented Pennsylvania in Congress from 1979 to 1991.
Long before Donald Trump had his famous “Make America Great Again” red hat, Edwin Edwards had his “Louisiana Crabs Are Great” red t-shirt.
#LaLege
#LaGov
Huey Long proudly boasted that the was LSU Football’s biggest fan, attending as many games as possible and often watching excitedly from the Tigers’ sideline, even though he had a bad habit of getting in the way.
The Kingfish fancied himself a part-time football coach as well
The hire of Woodward means for the first time since 1955 (the days of AD T.P. “Skipper” Heard and Coach Gus Tinsley) Louisiana natives will lead both
#LSU
’s athletic department and football program.
#GeauxTigers
#BootUp
The Gipper in Death Valley — Ronald Reagan on the field in
#LSU
’s Tiger Stadium after delivering the commencement address to the university’s spring graduates in 1990.
#GeauxTigers
#OnThisDay
in 1935, U.S. Senator Huey Long of Louisiana, age 42, died at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge, two days after being shot in a corridor of the Louisiana State Capitol during a nighttime special session of the Legislature.
#LaGov
#LaLege
A week before Louisiana’s elections in 1930, when Governor Huey Long was set to be on the ballot for the U.S. Senate, six agents from the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification, including the Kingfish’s deputized brother-in-law and cousin, kidnapped two men out of a
Washington Mardi Gras History: 1969 — just a few weeks into his term, President Richard Nixon welcomed Queen Victoria Edwards of Crowley to the Oval Office, accompanied by her father, Congressman Edwin Edwards, who served as the chairman of that year’s festivities.
#LaLege
#LaGov
Was cleaning out a closet and found one of my favorite gifts ever — the
#lalege
edition of “Guess Who” that
@ALLYCE_TRAPP
made for my birthday last year using the
@PARLouisiana
guide. Guess I’ll need a congressional version soon!
Is it a good idea to talk politics at the table this week — probably not.
So this Thanksgiving Day, let all Louisianans embrace the message of unity on Gov. Edwin Edwards’ shirt. It is a cause we truly can all get behind.
#LaGov
#LaLege
When
@LizMurrillforAG
’s takes office in January, women will have held every statewide-elected office in Louisiana except Insurance and Agriculture Commissioner.
U.S. Senator
— Mary Landrieu (1997-2015)
— Elaine Edwards (1972)
— Rose McConnell Long (1935-1936)
Governor
—
What happened when Lafourche Parish’s gregarious Cajun sheriff left a Christmas Party and was the victim of an assassination attempt masterminded by his embittered political rival?
This wild, but true, story from the Bayou has it all — colorful characters, political intrigue,
Happy
#MardiGras
from Washington, D.C. — where this dish is being served in the cafeteria of the U.S. House of Representatives and called “Red Beans and Rice.”
#OnThisDay
in 1812, Louisiana was admitted to the Union as a state, exactly nine years after the signing of the Louisiana Purchase between France and the United States. Happy Statehood Day!
#LaLege
#LaGov
When Franklin Delano Roosevelt made his first offical visit to New Orleans in April 1937, the city’s leaders treated the President to lunch at
@AntoinesNOLA
, the famed Creole restaurant on St. Louis Street in the French Quarter.
Organizers of the event had warned Mayor Bob
This meatless gumbo has a distinct Louisiana flavor, thanks to the roux, Creole seasoning and the “holy trinity” of Creole cooking (onion, celery, bell pepper).
1956 — seeking the votes of Louisiana’s delegation during his bid for the Vice Presidency at the Democratic Convention in Chicago, Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts visits Governor Earl Long in his hotel suite to ask for his support.
#LaGov
#LaLege
1974 — Governor Edwin Edwards meets with Elvis Presley in his dressing room before a sold-out concert at the Monroe Civic Center and presents the King of Rock and Roll with a plaque honoring his financial contribution to the
@LAStatePolice
’s Boys Camp.
#LaGov
#LaLege
After just a short while in the Senate, Huey Long decided that having control of just one of Louisiana’s two seats in the upper chamber was not enough for him and set his sights on defeating his colleague, Senator Edwin S. Broussard, in 1932.
Broussard, a fiery Cajun who was
President Ronald Reagan tours flooding in Monroe, Louisiana on January 2, 1983, with Governor Dave Treen and Congressman Jerry Huckaby riding along in a National Guard jeep.
#LaGov
#LA05
#OnThisDay
in 1989, in one of the strangest Louisiana political stories of all time, former Lafourche Parish Sheriff Bobby Tardo attempted to assassinate his political rival, then-sitting Sheriff Duffy Breaux, as he left a Christmas party.
#LaGov
#LaLege
I must admit, I was wrong on this one - Donald Trump will not be the first sitting Commander-in-Chief to watch an
@LSUfootball
game. That distinction goes to President William Howard Taft, who in 1909 watched the Tigers play Sewanee in New Orleans.
#LaLege
#LaGov
While Presidents have been at
@LSU
events before — Reagan gave the commencement address in 1990, W. in 2004, and Carter, Ford, and Bush 41 attended the Lod Cook dedication in 1994 — Donald Trump will be the first sitting Commander-in-Chief to attend a Tiger Football game.
#LaLege
For the opening of his last regular session in 1963, Gov. Jimmie Davis did not have a traditional delivery of his message to the joint session of the Legislature — instead he brought in his band and sang the entire speech.
#LaLege
#LaGov
#OnThisDay
in 1929, the Louisiana House of Representatives voted 58-40 to impeach Governor Huey P. Long on charges related to a threat the Kingfish had made against
@theadvocatebr
and Baton Rouge State-Times publisher Charles Manship.
#LaLege
#LaGov
While covering Washington Mardi Gras in 2019 for
@LaPoliticsNow
, I went down the
#LaGov
line of succession and found that Senate President John Alario was the only one still in the state. When I called for comment, he said, “Westwego can be the capital for a few days.”
#LaLege
So in
@BryanCranston
’s new show, he plays a New Orleans judge...so can someone explain to me why the trailer shows the Acadiana flag in his courtroom?
If elected, Dr.
@jbletlow
will be the fourth woman in Louisiana history to succeed her spouse in Congress.
• Rose Long filled Huey’s U.S. Senate seat in 1936.
• In 1973, Lindy Boggs won Hale’s seat in
#La02
.
• In 1985, Catherine Long won Gillis’ seat in the old 8th.
#LaLege
1993 – Minutes after President Clinton finished delivering his first message to a Joint Session of Congress outlining his Administration’s economic plan and the accompanying tax hike, assembled reporters in Statuary Hall asked Senator Richard Shelby, the two-term Democrat from
Camelot among the Cajuns — U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts and his wife Jacqueline campaign at the 1959 International Rice Festival in Crowley, Louisiana.
JFK and Jackie made the trip to rural Acadiana at the request of Judge Edmund Reggie, who had rallied the
When French President Charles DeGaulle visited New Orleans in 1960, his security was shocked to see that Governor Earl Long carried a pistol in his pocket to an offical luncheon at the Roosevelt Hotel. “I don’t need all them bodyguards like Huey,” Uncle Earl said.
#LaGov
#LaLege
French President Emmanuel Macron is considering a visit to New Orleans at the end of the month. Would be the first visit to the former colony by a French head of state in almost a half-century,
@mikejsmith504
reports:
Kitty Kimball — the first woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court — is honored with a statue outside the historic Pointe Coupee Parish Courthouse in New Roads.
The last two years have been filled with incredible people and amazing memories. From the corridors of Capitol Hill to Bastrop, Bunkie, Bogalusa and all points in between, it has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of
#TeamLetlow
.
#WinTheDay
Consider this — if you lived in Louisiana’s Eighth Congressional District in 1957, your U.S. Senator was the nephew of your Congressman, who was in turn, the Governor’s brother.
Russell Long liked to joke that his family didn’t have reunions, but they did tend to get together
While Huey Long, his wife Rose, and his son Russell all served in the U.S. Senate, the Long family’s political dynasty also extended for decades on the other side of Capitol Hill…
Huey’s older brother, George “Doc” Long, won election to Congress in 1952 and represented