Edwin Edwards

Flash back in time to 1969.  I was living down the street from Frank and his family and he had just asked me out. I had these go-go boots that were white and came to mid calf and boy were they the rage.   Everyone who was anyone had them.  I saved my baby sitting money to buy me that pair of boots.   Maybe it was even 1968.  Nancy Sinatra had a number one hit about them.  These boots are made for walking and they are gonna walk all over you...da da da da da na na na.  I can still hear her singing it.

Frank later told me he wanted to ask me out earlier, but he hated those boots and refused to date a girl who wore them.

My dad was all over Nancy for her anti-war stand in the Viet Nam War.  .  He was a Navy man from WWII and neither he nor my mom liked our music or our generation--- Elvis or the Woodstock or the Beatles.  So we felt like they didn't understand us.  And they didn't.  We were the Hippie Generation.

My dad, a staunch Republican had registered as a Democrat in Louisiana in those years.  In Louisiana we had a primary system that held if you were not a Democrat you would not get to vote in any of the primaries because of the lack of Republican candidates.  So everyone registered as Democrat.  Dave Treen was the first Republican Governor in a long long time.  Like since 1877.  And After Edwards, came Buddy Roemer, who you are hearing a bit about in the current Presidential Race.  Also a Republican.  And I know his wife Scarlett.  I went to their wedding, something about young blondes as wives of these politicians.

When I turned 18 in 1969 my father advised me to register as a Democrat even though he did not believe in their advocacy.  I took my first stand against him and registered as a Republican.  Even in those days I knew where my heart lay. 

So why Edwin Edwards? Edwards, now 86 years old, served as Governor of Louisiana for four terms.  Two consecutive terms as governor with David Treen in the middle, and two consecutive terms again.  He was as loved as he was corrupt.  He was well dressed, flamboyant and corrupt.  He served 10 years in federal prison for 17 counts of racketeering, extortion and money laundering along with his son Stephen who was convicted of 18 counts.  Basically he was convicted for being paid off for issuing gambling licenses in the state.  Although he is guilty of much more, they were never able to convict him of anything else.  Frank served on the Grand Jury that investigated his background at one point but was not able to convict him. Edwards frequently took trips to Las Vegas where he paid for his losses with briefcases full of cash money.  He was very candid about his misdeeds often saying, it is illegal for them to give, but is it NOT illegal for me to receive!  He is as slick as Slick Willie Clinton. And Louisiana drank the kool-aid.  For four terms. 

Edwards was there tonight at a fundraiser for the Shriner's Motorcade for Children.  We were given tickets and were able to meet Edwards and his third wife Trina.  Trina was a correspondent to the 85 year old Edwards in prison.  Tonight, she worked the crowd like a politician, she surely bought herself a "position".  Sexy and young, she brought Edwards water during his speech and yet danced with the good looking young Shriners for fun while he talked with the older crowd.

We got there early and introduced ourselves to the Governor.  Frank told him he had worked for his campaign at LSUNO ( Louisiana State University at New Orleans or LSU-NO now turned UNO -University of New Orleans)  during his first campaign run for Governor.  Back in Frank's unenlightened days when the state was enamoured and drinking of the Edwards Charisma.  Edwards was taken aback at first by Frank's statement, then said, that was in 1971.  Frank, now the one taken aback, said , Yes, it was. 

The old Coyote still is sharp.  There are many in this state who would re-elect this man as Governor.  He can't run, being a felon and all, but if he could, it would be a definite race for Bobby Jindal.

I think, also, of this man who controlled the state with a power beyond normal means, what he is now.  Coming to events like this Shriner's Motorcycle Fundraiser with maybe 80 people, a wife who is obviously a gold digger looking for a life beyond his grave and Democrats who still fawn over him when he speaks. 

Kharma............

glen:    but I still paid $20 to get my picture taken with him!  You bet that means points in Louisiana, still to this day!  Of course, I'd had about 37 glasses of wine and my dad was spinning in his grave by now......