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Story Archives: Two wrongs don't make a right


Two wrongs don't make a right
posted Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 @ 10:48 pmE-mail Story E-mail Story | Print Story Print Story 
One would like to believe U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu had learned how to exercise some diplomacy by now in airing grievances with officials from her home state.

After all, Landrieu has served in an elected capacity in Louisiana since 1980. Maybe the aging process is taking its toll on her.

Aging process or not, Landrieu was out of line recently in comments she delivered about her differences with Gov. Bobby Jindal and his secretary at the state Department of Health and Hospitals, Alan Levine. The differences concern health care reform.

In case you missed it, Landrieu told the Associated Press last week that she believes Levine is "wrong, usually morning, noon and night, and as far as I'm concerned, he can go get another job."

Landrieu went on to tell the AP that Jindal had "wrong priorities." We are not going to suggest what Jindal's priorities should entail, but we are comfortable knowing that Jindal's ideas, or priorities, in reshaping 1/6th of the U.S. economy (health care) differ from President Obama's, which Landrieu supports.

Remember, Obama's and the Democratic-controlled Congress' idea of health care reform would result in higher taxes and in time, rationed health care for many Americans. It's that simple. Anyone who tells you otherwise would be dishonest to say the least.

We suspect Landrieu's unnecessary remarks toward Jindal and Levine were prompted by pressure she's most likely feeling as the ongoing debate over health care reform evolves. That's understandable. It's understandable because Landrieu is in the dubious position of favoring a health care reform movement that an overwhelming majority of her constituents oppose.

Out of touch with reality comes to mind. Out of touch, or Landrieu believes she can support legislation today that a majority of her constituents oppose and hope her constituents forget about it when she stands for re-election in four years, assuming Landrieu will seek a fourth, six-year term in the Senate.

We suspect there is more to the spat between Landrieu and Jindal as well as his secretary at DHH. It probably concerns the blunt criticism—some of it unnecessary—that Landrieu received for securing a $300 million federal appropriation in one health care reform bill the Senate contemplated last year. It became affectionately known as the "Louisiana Purchase." The purchase, of course, was an appropriate description of Landrieu's decision to support a Senate health care reform bill in exchange for a $300 million appropriation for Louisiana's beleaguered Medicaid program.

What was not appropriate was Landrieu's detractors calling her a "prostitute" over the "Louisiana Purchase" flap. Comments such as that have no place in a public discourse.

Landrieu's confrontational remarks about Jindal and Levine have no place in a public discourse either.

Two wrongs don't make a right.
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