Charlie Melancon: Blog of New Orleans, Gambit

Politico: Charlie Melancon leaves lobbyist job after fewer than 4 months

Kevin Allman — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:34:40 -0500

Chris Frates, Politico:

Well that was fast. Former Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La.) is leaving his spot as the International Franchise Association’s top lobbyist, a position he took in February, “to pursue business opportunities related to his broad experience in Washington and Louisiana,” IFA spokeswoman Alisa Harrison told PI in an email.…
[ Read more ]

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Tonight: Bryan Batt at Tulane

Lauren LaBorde — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:41:17 -0600

New Orleans native, stage and television actor, author, business owner, philanthropist and all-around nice guy Bryan Batt appears at Tulane University tonight as part of the John J. Witmeyer III ’68 Dean’s Colloquia speaker series.

When I spoke with him in May (here, too), the future of his Mad Men character Salvatore Romano — who was fired in the show's third season — was unknown, as show creator Matt Weiner is notoriously secretive with upcoming plot developments.…

WWL-TV: Vitter 50%, Melancon 38%

Kevin Allman — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:37:49 -0500

A telephone poll of 700 likely voters conducted last Thursday through Sunday by WWL-TV found that David Vitter is leading Charlie Melancon by more than 10 points in the Senate election to be decided Nov. 2:

Vitter received 50 percent of the vote, to Melancon’s 38 percent. None of the other 10 candidates in the race scored more than one point.…
[ Read more ]

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Debate club!

Kevin Allman — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:17:25 -0500

Hey New Orleans voters! Have David Vitter and Charlie Melancon's dueling ads left you confused?…

Vitter's latest attack ad

Alex Woodward — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 11:47:42 -0500

Republican Sen. David Vitter, taking a cue from Sharon Angle, introduced his latest ad ("Welcome Prize"), targeting democratic opponent Charlie Melancon on immigration. From Team Vitter:

I launched a new TV ad highlighting Charlie Melancon’s record of voting to make it easier for illegal immigrants to get taxpayer-funded benefits and welfare.…
[ Read more ]

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Senator Mary Landrieu, U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, Gulf Coast Officials Launch "Ready 4 Takeoff Coalition"

Matt Davis — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 22:46:27 -0500

Sen. Mary Landrieu joined U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon and other Gulf Coast leaders at the downtown Marriott hotel this afternoon to launch the "Ready 4 Takeoff Coalition," a broad-based lobbying and public relations effort to attract federal compensation and defense spending to the region in the wake of the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

The senator was ushered off to her next appointment without taking questions.…

Melancon releases first TV commercial of Senate campaign

Kevin Allman — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:09:32 -0500

On Aug. 6, Sen. David Vitter, who is facing a tough reelection fight this fall, sent out an email with the subject line MUD ALERT! — outlining what he said were connections between his Democratic opponent, Rep. Charlie Melancon, and his eleventh-hour Republican opponent, north Louisiana's Chet Traylor, whom he described as "nothing more than a tool and stalking horse for Charlie Melancon."…

Sticking to His Script

Clancy DuBos — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:43:49 -0500

[This is an updated version of my Gambit column that will appear in the July 13 issue. It is updated because former Supreme Court Justice Chet Traylor qualified against David Vitter after the dead-tree edition of Gambit went to print.]

David Vitter is sticking with what works. When Louisiana’s embattled U.S. senator qualified for re-election on July 7, he dodged questions about his latest self-inflicted scandal and instead offered reporters a familiar refrain: that his chief Democratic opponent, Congressman Charlie Melancon, is too supportive of President Barack Obama.…

Conservative challenger to David Vitter has an arf-fully interesting side business

Kevin Allman — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:49:41 -0500

Mike Spears created waves in Louisiana Republican circles yesterday when he announced he would be running for the Senate seat now held by David Vitter -- as an independent and "constitutional conservative." Spears' announcement was carried in many Louisiana newspapers (including The Times-Picayune), and he was interviewed on Fox News Radio affiliate KVOL-AM.…

Stormy's got a new Web site

Kevin Allman — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:48:52 -0500

It was almost a year ago when Baton Rouge-born porn star Stormy Daniels announced she was "exploring" the notion of running for Congress against Sen. David Vitter this November. Since then, Congressman Charlie Melancon has entered the race, but Daniels has teased and teased, making public appearances (clothed and unclothed), but offering nothing ...…

Louisiana politicians send emails in the moments after health care reform passes

Kevin Allman — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:54:46 -0500

Minutes after the health care bill passed 219-212 in the House of Representatives, several Louisiana politicos pressed SEND and sent out their statements. Below the jump, some comments from Sen. Mary Landrieu, Rep. Charlie Melancon (who voted nay) and state Rep. Cedric Richmond, who's running for Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao's Congressional seat in November, and couldn't resist slapping Cao for his nay vote.…

A holiday message from Rep. Charlie Melancon

Kevin Allman — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:16:06 -0600

Earlier today we posted a video Christmas greeting from Sen. David Vitter. Here's the holiday card from his 2010 Senate opponent, Rep. Charlie Melancon:

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Taking Vitter to Task in His Heartland

Clancy DuBos — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:17:27 -0600

A noted political science professor at the University of Louisiana-Monroe — in the heart of U.S. Sen. David Vitter’s north Louisiana stronghold — has penned a scathing criticism of Vitter’s fast-and-loose treatment of the facts surrounding various issues (particularly health care reform) in his desperate attempt to win re-election after getting caught chasing whores (again).

Prof. Joshua Stockley of ULM is past president of the Louisiana Political Science Association.…

Rep. Melancon to come to New Orleans for Obama visit

Kevin Allman — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:52:28 -0500

Guess those reports earlier this week were wrong. Robin Winchell, press secretary to Rep. Charlie Melancon, says the congressman will indeed be in New Orleans tomorrow for President Barack Obama's visit.…

Carville blasts Vitter

Kevin Allman — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:49:31 -0500

Political consultant James Carville has penned a gloves-off fundraising billet-doux for the Senate campaign of Charlie Melancon, taking square aim at Melancon's opponent, Sen. David Vitter. An excerpt:

After running around all summer scaring people about health insurance reform, Vitter decided a couple of weeks ago to endorse a plan that calls for eliminating all employer-based health insurance.…
[ Read more ]

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Meet the Candidate

Kevin Allman — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:19:26 -0500

MEET THE CANDIDATE

With a profile that’s been more private than public lately, Congressman Charlie Melancon is campaigning to be your next U.S. senator

By JEREMY ALFORD

Charlie Melancon may be the first major political candidate from Louisiana to announce a bid for office from his own dining room table. That all of his supporters, the state’s media and other political onlookers were able to fit into his charming Napoleonville home was even more remarkable.…