Louisiana Politics: Scalise becomes big rainmaker for GOP

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise has been breaking Capitol Hill fundraising records this election cycle and filling his war chest at a rate that most candidates can only dream of.
According to the whip’s re-election campaign, Scalise has raised more than $15 million this cycle, bringing in $4.8 million during the third quarter alone.
By the campaign’s count, in the last three months he has participated in more than 100 fundraising events for individual candidates, his leadership fund and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
With his huge national profile, Scalise, a Republican from Jefferson Parish has been bringing in cash from all 50 states, in addition to his solid Bayou State base of donors.
The whip’s plentiful campaign kitty is not only beneficial for him, but also for the House Republican membership that he could come to lead.
So far this cycle, Scalise has given $5 million to the NRCC, helping boost vulnerable candidates across the country as the GOP is desperately trying to defend their majority.

Ward’s waves in the Senate
State Sen. Rick Ward, R-Maringouin, has been dropping into Senate districts across the state to provide friendly waves and hellos to his colleagues.
The in-person visits are notable as the term winds down and the body looks toward the election of a new president in 2020.
“I want to make sure we have a cohesive group of people in place for next term. We all do,” said Ward, who’s expected to be a candidate for the upper chamber’s gavel-to-get. “The most senior members will have just eight years under their belts next term, unless they crossed over from the House.”
Ward said he’s endeavoring with his Senate counterparts to find “pragmatic and accountable” avenues for adapting to that sea change and working with the House.
From a dossier standpoint, he has youth, religious credits and a GOP label working for him.
But he hasn’t publicly tipped his hat.
“I’m focused on my re-election,” he said.
Also expressing interest at one point or expected to run are Sens. Bret Allain, Sharon Hewitt and Ronnie Johns.

Political history: A grocery
bag that campaigns
One of the Bayou State’s most legendary forms of political advertisement — until 1997, at least — couldn’t be found on television or on the radio or on billboards.
Instead, it was a simple, brown paper grocery bag.
Starting in the 1970s, New Orleanians brought home their groceries every fall in the paper sacks with big political advertisements printed on the side. They all came from the same place - the Schwegmann chain of supermarkets, which was the ultimate shopping destination for “making groceries” in the Crescent City.
It is nearly impossible to exaggerate how much of an institution the Schwegmann brand was in New Orleans at the time. In the era before Wal-Mart and Costco, it was the region’s first “mega-store,” offering everything shoppers needed under one roof. It was a local chain stocked with Louisiana products at prices that were unmatched. “It was the breadbasket of the working people, the cheapest place in town for shrimp and okra and Camellia red beans,” wrote the New York Times in 1996.
John G. Schwegmann, the chain’s founder, was a astute businessman with a taste for politics. Even though managing his grocery empire was a full time job, Schwegmann was not just content with cutting checks for candidates. He wanted to be a political player himself.
He had near universal name recognition and was associated with a brand beloved by a vast majority of the public. But while he was a ground-breaker in business, Schwegmann’s political skills often left much to be desired. He ran unsuccessfully for Jefferson Parish president, Congress and governor.
He did win seats in both houses of the Legislature but was largely ineffective as a lawmaker.
According to The People’s Grocer, with Schwegmann, the line between his grocery stores and political apparatus was always a bit blurry. In the beginning, he would use space in his weekly store circulars as position papers, writing about his thoughts on political issues. In Schwegmann’s view, why waste money on mailers when you already sent something out weekly to every resident of Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard Parishes?
As time progressed, Schwegmann took it a step further. He would make endorsements in big races and then print ads for his preferred candidates on the side of each bag that his customers used. “Every customer will take home Mr. Schwegmann’s advice on what to do in this election,” said columnist James Gill at the time.
The idea stuck and political ads would continue to appear on Schwegmann bags until the chain went out of business in 1997.

They said it
“I’ve expressed to the president that tweeting a little less wouldn’t cause brain damage.”
—U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, on President Donald Trump’s social media, on CNN
“With the exception of Israel, I trust every country in the Middle East as much as I trust gas station sushi.”
—Kennedy, on foreign policy, on CNN
For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Jeremy Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.