Teacher groups combine election efforts

For the first time in the long history of both organizations, the Louisiana Association of Educators and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers are pooling their resources and funding for a single election cycle.
The immediate goal is to communicate to its shared 40,000 or so members, with a universe of influence of three to five — meaning 120,000 to 200,000 potential votes — that nothing matters more than the race for governor. And by extension, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education seats.
Dubbed “It’s Time to Get it Right,” the campaign will offer recommendations for governor, BESE and legislative seats. But the top of the ticket is all that matters this year, especially if the BESE races on the fall ballot produce no clear majority and the governor’s appointees to the board will make the difference.
Both teachers groups intend to max out financially on state Rep. John Bel Edwards’ bid for governor and, much more importantly, push its members to get involved with both money and sweat equity. LAE and LFT will be more involved in this governor’s race than any other in recent memory and they’re communicating daily, organizers say.
The architects of the standalone campaign say the catalyst for the joint effort was the session’s debate over paycheck protection, which the unions and others managed to stall. Major union wins on the Jefferson Parish School Board last year also set the stage.
As a single unit, the Get It Right campaign could potentially become a second source of organization and money outside of the Democratic Party for Edwards. This is especially important with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu presumably sitting on the sidelines, although that could always change.
LAE and LFT have supported similar candidates in the past, but those previous election cycles have usually been marked by disagreements in other races — playing out against a backdrop of competition, sometimes-conflicting goals and scant shades of mistrust.
Separately the unions have small election budgets and even together their money isn’t exactly jaw-dropping. Some radio is expected, but real value could be seen in phone banks, data gathering and the mobilization of troops. The most impressive coup would be the unions getting their national counterparts to pay attention and open their money spigots, a stratagem that is in the works.
But more than anything else, how the unions play jointly in the election cycle is what matters most. And those cards aren’t being shown.
With Edwards expected to possibly lead the primary field as the lone Democrat, their efforts may be best reserved for the runoff. If the unions are to participate heavily in the primary, the trick may be helping to decide Edwards’ opponent.
Some Democrats are rallying around the idea that they want U.S. Sen. David Vitter in the runoff, which mirrors the preference of Vitter boosters wanting Edwards. Neither side appears overly enthusiastic about facing either Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle or Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne in the final showdown.
In what could only be produced by Louisiana’s open primary system, that means the pro-Vitter super PAC Fund For Louisiana’s Future and the unions could have a shared goal in the primary.
Looking ahead, the real questions will be whether the unions can make this temporary marriage a happy one and whether it morphs into other significant team-ups in the future.
Planning a photo in the voting booth?
If you are so excited about voting in the fall elections that you are planning on snapping a selfie — that’s a a self-taken photo with a cellphone camera — while performing your civic duty to post on social media, there’s something you should know.
For starters, you may be asking yourself why anyone would want to take a selfie in a voting booth. Some folks may just want to promote voting on Facebook and Twitter or mark an occasion.
Officials in New Hampshire, meanwhile, are worried voters will use the photos as a way to sell their votes, which is notable since New Hampshire is not Louisiana. So they banned such selfies, and a federal judge has ruled the law unconstitutional, according to recent coverage from The Washington Post.
But what of Louisiana? Our law states “no person shall knowingly, willfully, or intentionally; as a voter, election official, watcher or person assisting a voter, allow a ballot to be seen, except as provided by law.”
The question was posed more directly to Secretary of State Tom Schedler, who cited the law and remarked via email, “That said, the law was obviously written before the advent of social media and the ballot selfie. I remind voters that their vote is private unless they publicly disclose it. The bottom line for me, is Geaux Vote!”
Landrieus sharing email lists
A bit of palace intrigue swept through Democratic circles last month when New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu fired off an email to a campaign list that was at one time controlled by his sister, former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu.
It carried the following message: “We’d like to send you periodic emails from Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s campaign because of your past support for Mary Landrieu’s campaign for U.S. Senate.”
That Mitch Landrieu is now sending communications to a list built for a U.S. Senate campaign is not worth reading into, said a source familiar with the siblings. Politicians share lists all the time and such a swap, originating in the Senate race last year and finally surfacing now on the mayor’s side, is likely the case here.
Lots of laughs from LegisGator
The recent LegisGator banquet in Lake Charles, organized annually by SWLA Economic Development Alliance, provided just as many chuckles as it usually does, beginning with U.S. Sen. David Vitter.
During his opening remarks, Vitter noted that he looked forward to playing golf at the Elephant Stomp event next year with Senate President John Alario and the representative to be chosen as speaker. But that would leave them one player short of the needed foursome.
“For the lobbyists out there, let the bidding,” Vitter said, stopping short, “I mean the application process begin.”
Was the joke an early sign that Vitter will back Alario as Senate president? Not necessarily. Campaign spokesman Luke Bolar confirmed it was a joke and nothing more.
Then there was Congressman John Fleming, who was thankful not to hear any remarks about his flowing coiffure.
“I’m glad you didn’t make another hair joke,” he said after being introduced.
Fleming also stated plainly, inside another joke, that he would be a perfect fit to fill the state’s other U.S. Senate seat should Vitter be elected governor.
Bringing it back around to Alario, Congressman Garrett Graves said he remembered the Senate president’s very first day in the Legislature.
“I was watching TV and my bottle got clogged,” Graves said. “I threw up on myself and ruined my onesie.”
They Said It
“If this keeps up I may be term limited before inauguration day.”
—Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, on filling in as acting governor while Gov. Bobby Jindal is out of state, at a recent gubernatorial forum
For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Jeremy Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.