Free Republic

BATON ROUGE -- Attorney General James "Buddy" Caldwell announced Wednesday that he is switching to the Republican Party, culminating a dramatic reversal-of-fortune for a Democratic Party that had dominated Louisiana politics for more than a century. Caldwell's switch leaves U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu as Louisiana's only statewide elected official, and it means Republicans are in charge of all seven constitutional offices in state government. As recently as 2004, the party held both of Louisiana's U.S. Senate seats and six of the seven constitutional offices. Caldwell said he switched because he feels more comfortable with the GOP's positions on local and...

As Louisiana’s attorney general, I am duty-bound by my oath of office to pursue a request by the governor of the state of Louisiana for legal assistance, so long as it has substantial legal merit. To save Louisiana the potential expense of filing a separate lawsuit regarding the federal health-care legislation, it was my decision to sign-on to Florida’s well-drafted action at minimal cost to Louisiana and accomplish the same legal purpose. According to state Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine, a substantial financial burden is imposed on Louisiana by this legislation. According to Secretary Levine, there is...

Attorney General Buddy Caldwell has served a search warrant at the ACORN office at 2609 Canal Street, according to Tammi Arender Herring, a spokeswoman with the office. Investigators in khaki pants and polo shirts loaded several dozen computers and other electronic items into an SUV. They are also carrying records out of the building on handcarts. The large office building sits at the corner of Dorgenois and Canal. ACORN staffers were given no notice that a search would be conducted today, Herring said. "They have been extremely cooperative," she said. Early last month, Caldwell's office issued subpoenas for records from...