A full-throated endorsement of John Bel Edwards by a state employee, Ed Orgeron, who, as the head coach of LSU, also happens to be by far Louisiana’s highest paid employee? Really?
This is a bad look even if it is not an outright legal or ethical violation (which itself needs to be investigated, by the way), especially since Coach Orgeron happens to have just received a raise and a contract extension on March 20. The LSU Board of Supervisors which granted the raise happens to have been appointed by, you guessed it, John Bel Edwards! This is too much happenstance for our tastes, and kudos to Senator Kennedy for calling out the Governor for this tawdry episode in Louisiana politics.
But as bad as this looks, the fact that it happened at all says more about John Bel Edwards’ lack of any sense of propriety and his broken ethical compass than the mere facts of the matter. Make no mistake- this is political thuggery worthy of the worst years of the Huey Long era. We suspect that most LSU fans do not attend football games for political theater and many will be offended outright by the head coach’s insertion of politics into their favorite sport.
It is still early days, but the Governor is off to an 0 and 1 political season.
Louis Gurvich, Chairman
Republican Party of Louisiana
Comments