Edwin Edwards' LA Supporters Petition President Bush to Reduce 10-Year Sentence

Shreveport, LA, Times ^ | 03-08-03 | Hilburn, Greg

[Theodore R.]

BATON ROUGE - Nearly 300 of Edwin W. Edwards' friends and acquaintances are organizing an April meeting to kick off a petition asking President George W. Bush to reduce the former Louisiana governor's 10-year prison sentence.

Shreveport investor Ed Powell, a former Buick auto dealer, is heading the effort that has involved 275 backers organized in something called The Committee to kick off a drive to collect 1 million signatures on a single petition to present to the White House.

[Theodore R.]

With the exception of former Speaker E.L. Henry, this list of supporters reads like a "Who's Who" among the Louisiana "democracy." Henry sought to succeed EWE in the 1979 governor's election, running on an anti-Edwards platform. He was creamed in the primary and, I believe, he later switched parties. Perhaps though he too is back in the "democracy."

[Claire Voyant]

What a corrupt state.

[staytrue]

I wonder if we at FR should launch something similar for Traficant.

[MEG33]

I don't like crooks even though they have their good side!

[Theodore R.]

What do you think are the odds that Bush will commute the sentence? Most of the people behind the petition drive were Gore, Jr., supporters and presumably Friends of Bill as well. There is still that 1/3+ of the LA electorate that will never tire of EWE.

[Theodore R.]

It has been said that the people of LA, God bless them, are just too poor to be honest!!!! So they must look to "night riders" like EWE to rescue them from their poverty.

[Types_with_Fist]

What a corrupt state.

Amen! Born and raised there. I survived three of Edwards' terms. Then fled for better circumstances. We need to write to Bush and see if he can possibly add on to that rat's sentence. 10 years is nothing close to what he deserves. Of course, as I remember, the voters deserved him also.

[staytrue]

Traficant was a petty thief who might have deserved a year or two, but got 8 instead. Rostenkowski did much worse and got only a year I think.

[staytrue]

How come no one has mentioned Edwards nickname "the silver zipper" ?

However, I will say that in the election where Edwards ran against David Duke for governor (and some people in other states actually have the gall to complain about their candidates.), Edwards was quoted as saying "David Duke and I have one thing in common, we are both good under the sheets.

[Theodore R.]

And now BOTH Duke and EWE are in prison. I am not sure if Duke has yet surrendered to the national authority, but he is in the process of doing so. People in LA just can't get it right.

[PAR35]

Since former president G.H.W. Bush supported him in his last successful run for governor, he should be willing to sign the petition.

[Theodore R.]

People in LA just can't get it right.

Yea, much to the relief of Senator Landrieu! Now she is joining the anti-Estrada brigade in the Senate as her mentor, John Breaux, supports Estrada.

[Theodore R.]

You are right, about the Bush I White House supporting EWE in 1991. Maybe the Bushes would commute the sentence in the expectation of gaining "moderate" support in Democrat LA.

[the_bull35]

I would like to offer my support to help governer Edwards any way I can. So when the petition comes out I would like a chance to sign it and I also know more people who would sign for Edwards so just let me know how I could help