Free Republic

In his October 29, 2006 article about the Dixie Chicks documentary Shut Up & Sing, Boston Globe writer Damon Smith’s two opening paragraphs contained a big, fat whopper born of leftist urban legend. He wrote: Just weeks after 9/11, Ari Fleischer, then White House press secretary, warned Americans to ‘watch what they say.’ Beyond alarming civil-rights advocates, who recoiled from the ominous tone of his words, Fleischer's admonition was a reminder that, in some quarters at least, any voice of dissent could be construed as anti-patriotic, regardless of content or context. Just ask Bill Maher -- or the Dixie Chicks…”...

Former Rep. John Cooksey, R-LA, will not seek to unseat Rep. Rodney Alexander, D-LA, in the Nov. 2 primary, confirmed Lee Fletcher, Cooksey's former staff aide, on Wednesday. Fletcher himself was the Republican nominee in 2002 for the seat Alexander won after Cooksey entered the U.S. Senate primary for the seat still held by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-LA. Cooksey ran a weak third in the senatorial primary. Fletcher suggested that he may run again in 2004. Former Rep. Clyde Holloway, R-LA (1987-1993), a Forest Hill nurseryman, who was overwhelmingly defeated in 2003 in a race for Louisiana lieutenant governor, indicated...

<p>A former Monroe congressman and the Ouachita Parish sheriff threw their support Friday behind Republic gubernatorial candidate Bobby Jindal.</p> <p>Dr. John Cooksey, a former U.S. representative, and Ouachita Parish Sheriff Richard Fewell met with Jindal and a group of supporters at the foot of the Louisville Bridge in West Monroe to announce their endorsements of Jindal. Both Fewell and Cooksey said they believed Jindal could better deal with the state's financial woes than his Democratic opponent Kathleen Blanco, who is the state's lieutenant governor.</p>

<p>Former 5th District Congressman John Cooksey said the recent election to determine his successor featured a discouraging practice - "Republicans stabbing other Republicans in the back."</p> <p>Cooksey, R-Monroe, said he believes the scenario was written and carried out by national Republican officials, uncontrolled by the Louisiana people in the election.</p>

<p>BATON ROUGE -- Within moments of U.S. Senate candidate Suzanne Haik Terrell conceding defeat to Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu Saturday night, state Republican Party members were quick to affix blame for the loss on several factors.</p> <p>From too much outside interference from Washington to not enough effort by Gov. Mike Foster and U.S. Rep. John Cooksey and failure to have a strong Republican in the 5th Congressional District race, theories abound.</p>

Candidates count down pre-vote hours Posted on November 4, 2002 With one day left before Election Day, Louisiana's senate candidates have all scheduled cross-state jaunts to court the last of the undecided voters. "We're starting Monday off in Monroe at 9 a.m., and (we'll) start a fly-around tour of the state," said Gary Brown, spokesman for State Rep. Tony Perkins, R-Pride. "We plan to hit all the major cities in the state on Monday." Perkins is one of three Republicans - U.S. Rep. John Cooksey of Monroe and Commissioner of Elections Suzanne Haik Terrell of New Orleans are the others...

McCrery endorses Cooksey Staff Reports Posted on November 2, 2002 U.S. Rep. John Cooksey of Monroe on Friday made his final sweep through Shreveport before Tuesday's Senate election and picked up the formal endorsement of a congressional colleague. Fellow Republican Jim McCrery of Shreveport, who represents Northwest Louisiana's 4th Congressional District, endorsed Cooksey over two other GOP candidates. State Elections Commissioner Suzanne Haik Terrell of New Orleans and state Rep. Tony Perkins of Pride also are in the race to unseat Democrat Mary Landrieu of New Orleans. Cooksey already has been endorsed by Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster. Terrell has enjoyed...

Republicans want Bush to visit La. Strategists say president could help force Senate runoff. John Hill / Louisiana Gannett News Posted on October 28, 2002 BATON ROUGE - Some Louisiana Republican strategists want President George W. Bush to come here in the final week of the U.S. Senate race in an effort to force Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu into a runoff. "The president is very popular," said Verne Kennedy, who polls for Elections Commissioner Suzanne Haik Terrell, the New Orleans Republican who is in second place in all the polls made public this past week. "I don't know what...

Poll: Landrieu in front, still facing runoff John Hill / Louisiana Gannett News Posted on October 23, 2002 BATON ROUGE - U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu is out front in her bid for re-election, according to a poll conducted last week for The Times and KSLA TV-12. Landrieu had 44 percent of the 400 likely voters polled statewide Thursday-Saturday nights by Mason-Dixon Opinion Research of Columbia, Md. While she still could score a primary victory Nov. 5, she certainly has a good chance of finding herself in a heated runoff. The question now is against which Republican challenger. While the poll...

Landrieu on verge of winning Nov. 5, pollster says Date: October 22, 2002 Reporter: Theresa Schmidt Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says Senator Mary Landrieu is on the verge of winning in the November primary if she can hold on to her white vote in the final two weeks and get a large turnout of blacks. A poll taken and paid for by Pinsonat's firm, Southern Media and Opinion Research, says Landrieu has 45-point-one percent and her closest opponent, Elections Commissioner Suzanne Haik Terrell, has 15-and-a-half percent. With 24-point-six percent of the vote undecided, Pinsonat says Landrieu only needs five percent of...

Liberal Senator Landrieu Mary, Mary, quite contrary how do our taxes grow to Hillary and the DNC you just won't learn to say "No!" With less than a month to go before election day, Mary Landrieu is pretending to be a "conservative Democrat." She is touting a voting record that is "74% in agreement with President Bush" and trying to pretend that the agenda she's advancing isn't out of step with the voters of a state that supported President Bush in 2000. In all honesty, her record isn't the worst in the Senate, but she is being a hypocrite...

LAFAYETTE -- Dr. John Cooksey, Republican congressman and U.S. Senate candidate, said Wednesday that more evidence of terrorist involvement is needed to justify a U.S. attack against Iraq. "With the intelligence information I have, I'm a little reluctant to go in and do indiscriminate bombing or even smart bombing," Cooksey told the Lafayette Chapter of the American Association of Drilling Engineers. He said his reluctance is because of the likelihood of civilian casualties. "I don't want to go in and kill a lot of innocent people," he said. Cooksey said he worked as an eye doctor in Africa, treating victims...

<p>"Louisiana could well be the state that provides a Bush majority in the Senate," NRSC Executive Director Mitch Bainwol said in explaining why the Republican fund-raising committee decided to intervene in a Republican primary.</p> <p>"I'm shocked," said state Sen. Tony Perkins, one of Mrs. Terrell's Republican primary rivals. Mr. Perkins says Mrs. Terrell is a centrist and that only a conservative like himself can win in the state.</p>

Foster will not run for U.S. Senate The Associated Press Posted on August 24, 2002 BATON ROUGE - Republican Gov. Mike Foster turned down President George W. Bush's request that he run for the U.S. Senate against Democrat Mary Landrieu this fall. Foster's decision Friday came after days of pressure from friends and calls from Bush. The president felt that Foster was the party's best chance to wrest the seat from Landrieu and perhaps move the Senate to a Republican majority. Foster, with just more than a year to go in his second term, remains highly popular with Louisiana voters,...

Tony Perkins planning to run for U.S. Senate John Hill / Louisiana Gannett News Posted on May 21, 2002 BATON ROUGE - State Rep. Tony Perkins is the latest politician to announce plans to run against U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu in her bid for re-election this fall. Perkins, a conservative Baton Rouge Republican, announced the formation of the "Perkins for Senate" campaign committee, which enables him to begin raising money. After the legislative session is over, Perkins said he will "travel across Louisiana to meet with friends and supporters and to formally announce my decision concerning my candidacy for United...

<p>WDSU television news anchor Norman Robinson has confirmed that he is considering a run against U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans. The Louisiana Political Fax Weekly reported that Robinson was "mulling" the idea after being "encouraged" by unnamed people to challenge the six-term incumbent. When asked in a telephone interview Friday whether his mulling might blossom into a candidacy, Robinson said, "It may; I don't know." He said his status as a local household name gives him the luxury of not having to decide whether to take the plunge anytime soon. Robinson said he would run "if I thought I could really do some good. . . . I have a different concept of what it means to be a public servant . . . to really serve the people, not get rich off the public trough." Was that a broadside against Jefferson? Not at all, Robinson said. "I have no thoughts on Jefferson. None." Robinson isn't the first WDSU anchor to consider dabbling in politics. Last year while on maternity leave, Melanie Sanders appeared in and narrated a campaign commercial for the mayoral campaign of her husband, City Councilman Troy Carter. A telephone call to the station for comment on the ethics of Robinson's situation wasn't returned.</p>

<p>Sounding very much like a gubernatorial candidate but stopping short of an official announcement, U.S. Rep. David Vitter, R-Metairie, told a group of Louisiana newspaper executives Saturday that the state needs to fundamentally change its business and political practices if it wants to attract new industry and keep young people from leaving for better jobs.</p>

<p>A new statewide poll shows Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., with a comfortable lead over Rep. John Cooksey, R-Monroe, in the 2002 Senate race. Landrieu polled 61 percent in a telephone survey of 600 registered voters conducted March 11 to 15 by Market Research and Analysis. Cooksey polled 10 percent, and Public Service Commissioner Jay Blossman received 3 percent. Blossman later quit the race. Twenty-six percent of those surveyed were undecided. The poll had a margin of sampling error of 3.9 percentage points. The question was part of a poll paid for by Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who was surveying her own prospects for governor in 2003.</p>

COLUMN: President's nod would tip scales for Cooksey Byron McCauley / The Times Posted on March 31, 2002 Last week in an editorial board meeting with The Times, I asked U.S. Rep. John Cooksey whether he has sought the support of President George W. Bush in his bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu. Answer: It is Republican Party policy not to choose sides when there are two Republicans in a race. This must have been Cooksey's lucky day because hours later, Public Service Commissioner Jay Blossman, the other Republican in the race, announced he was quitting for personal reasons....