KSLA's General Manager James Smith
 

Editorial July 27: Here We Go Again

KSLA's General Manager James Smith taped an editorial which they played yesterday evening after the local news. Above is a link to the transcript of what he said.

In this editorial Mr Smith, cites both Congressman William Jefferson(D) for bribery charges, and US Senator David Vitter(R) for cheating with a prostitute. Then he equates the two, and proposes that Louisiana politics needs cleaning up.

I will not argue that Louisiana politics needs cleaning up which is almost a joke to me after living here for decades. Perhaps Mr Smith has not been living here long so our politics may be shocking to him. I have no problem stating that Louisiana politics needs cleaning up. But perhaps we should start with Bob Odom and not Vitter. After all, who is a more crooked politician? I won’t even mention the incompetent ones. We all know who they are.

I have read many on this board say that they forgive Vitter for having sex with a prostitute, but I have not heard anyone willing to forgive Jefferson or defend Jefferson for bribe charges and stashing cash in his freezer. I take offense at Mr Smith equating a house member who is trying to stay out of the "Big House" for taking bribes, with an effective Senator trying to stay out of the "Dog House" for cheating on his wife.

We all know the media slants toward the DNC and not GOP. Was Mr. Smith’s editorial a vote cast to remove Vitter from office even though he only deceived his wife verses deceiving his office the way Jefferson did? Jefferson could possibly go to jail, problem solved. Do you feel that Mr. Smith used this event to get more mileage against Vitter? For instance, when President Clinton was caught cheating on Hillary, did KSLA broadcast an editorial lumping the Bill’s affair in with government corruption, and then call for such a clean up in Washington? Of course they didn’t.

My point is that I think KTBS slants left just like the Shreveport times, both of which are owned by out-of-state interests. KSLA is owned by Raycomm out of Alabama. I am more interested in how true “locals” feel about Vitter verses Jefferson. How do people who have lived with Louisiana politics all our lives feel about it?

I read his editorial. I don't feel like he was trying to single out one person/party over the other.. as much as he was railing against Louisiana politics in general.

Certainly I don't know his party affiliation, or his likes or dislikes. But seems we could all agree on.. that Louisiana politics is/has been, is seen nationally, as a mess.

And James Smith looks like a preacher :rolleyes:

:cool:

James Smith and Alan English are two pigeons from the same roost. They do what they are told. They are far left wing liberals :nono: :nono:

Whew that man has a really bad toupee!
I once sent a negative email to him regarding a show that was supposed to be on that night and they cancelled it with no warning and put on a local fireworks display. Anyway no big deal just thought I'd vent. Well much to my surprise a couple of days later he highlighted my email and read it to the public! I was truly shocked because I had not been asked in any way shape or form if they could use my email on t.v. I learned a big lesson that day that nothing is private!!:o :o :o

I just don't equate Vitter to corrupt Louisiana politics. Corrupt morals, maybe....but not corrupt politics like so many other politicians before him that Louisiana is famous for.

Vitter has done no political crime. The DNC is nothing more that a attack dog that is all about tearing down any one from the GOP. Liberal crap and LA has a long history of that pardon the French :D Mary, Mary will be next to go and oh what a great day that will be. No more Moon Pie for LA :eek:

I emailed Vitter and extended my personal support(forgiveness). I also urged him to use whatever political clout he had left to support Ron Paul.

I don't think you can equate the two things these men have done in terms of which one is more wrong. However, you must be reminded that soliciting a prostitute is against the law in 49 states I believe. So in truth David Vitter did break the law, did he not?

I do not support the left sided comments of this editorial for the most part and I would love to see the Louisiana politics cleaned up. You did have to look at it all for what it is though and a crime is a crime.

I think both men are crooks. Jefferson is a political crook and Vitter is a moral crook. Both are equally wrong, Both in different words use people. I used to work at a place that was like 3 businesses together. The left side of the building was a liquor store, the middle section a restaurant, the third was a motel all divided by a thin wall. I use to have deacons, preachers and so fourth come into the restaurant order liquor by the bottle and say they would be back to pick it up. They would go out the back door to the post office behind our business. They then would come back through the restaurant to pick up their booze. They would always tell us they could not go through the liquor store doors because the other people where watching that door. If they came through the restaurant then they could say they were getting food. I find it appalling, to find people hiding the very thing they preach about that are suppose to be bad. As in Vitter's case. I have nothing against church, but there's a saying pratice what you preach. I think all politicians are crooks to a degree, some worst than others. If this offends someone I'm sorry, but by working in public this is what I've seen.

Well, I would agree that politicians are a crooked lot in general, with the exception of Barry Goldwater and Ron Paul.

This kind of illustrates my point. Has anyone heard of a single case where someone emailed Jefferson extending their support and forgiveness for taking bribe money and stashing it in his freezer? I haven't.