Gret Stet Governor Jeff Landry served one term in Congress. He accomplished nothing, but he seems nostalgic for his brief time as a Congressional bomb thrower. Yesterday, The Clownfish offered some unsolicited advice to the Louisiana delegation:
Dig the crocodile tears wept by The Clownfish over the suffering of New Orleanians. He doesn’t give a shit about us. As far as he’s concerned, we’re a cautionary tale of Democratic misrule in a red state. Substitute Black for Democratic and you get it: New Orleanians are stupid children who should bow down to Big Daddy Clownfish.
The 2012 consent decree between the Obama Justice Department and then Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration was designed to reform a rogue police department that disgraced the city during and after Hurricane Katrina and the Federal Flood. The most egregious incident occurred at the Danziger Bridge where police shot and killed two unarmed civilians and wounded four others. Then, NOPD engaged in an elaborate coverup to protect the criminal cops.
The legal history of the Danziger Bridge case was tangled: convictions followed by a reversal then by guilty pleas from the most culpable cops. This and other incidents of police brutality are why a consent decree was necessary. The Clownfish regards this as handcuffing the police, I regard it as a necessary corrective. We’ve seen what an uncuffed NOPD is capable of and what could happen if the consent decree is lifted. Besides, the State Police has its own problem with police brutality. Just ask the family of Ronald Greene.
Judge Morgan had the temerity to question a scheme in which State Police will have a permanent station and undisclosed duties in New Orleans:
“At a hearing with NOPD brass, Morgan noted that State Police doesn’t fall under her purview, but she said that the state agency had been “less than clear” about its plans, including how the new troop will coordinate with NOPD.
“Often the leadership of the State Police have been giving confusing and contradictory information, and in my opinion that’s not a good start to this relationship,” Morgan said.
“While no one would suggest the people of New Orleans and the NOPD do not want the additional help,” Morgan added, “it likewise is true no one wants to return to the practices that brought about the consent decree in the first place.”
Judge Morgan was being polite. The consent decree was imposed because of police brutality and civil rights violations against Black New Orleanians. If NOPD has been handcuffed, they brought it on themselves with their own misconduct. Shorter Adrastos: The punishment fits the crime.
Impeachment is in vogue among Republicans. They talk a big game but haven’t produced any results. The Clownfish makes this suggestion at a time when the House GOP majority is down to one. If another House Republican resigns or dies, MAGA Mike Johnson will be obliged to turn over the gavel to Hakeem Jeffries. The mere thought of that *should* be enough to extinguish the impeachment fever that The Clownfish is seeking to stoke, but House GOPers are just as stupid as Jeff Landry.
Impeachment was designed to remove Federal officials who have committed “high crimes and misdemeanors” not people with whom wingnuts like The Clownfish have policy disagreements. Judge Morgan is doing her job. I suggest that Governor Landry do likewise instead of acting like he’s a pundit for the right-wing blog, The Hayride.
Here’s hoping that impeachment fever will break in both Washington and Baton Rouge.
The last word goes to The Neville Brothers: