

Our View: Edwards' candidacy should raise the caution flag

6:15 PM, Mar. 28, 2014  |  Comments
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Now that Edwin W. Edwards has decided to run for Congress, Louisiana citizens and voters in the 6th Congressional District in particular need to think seriously about what that means to our state.

To jump-start your thinking, we only had to delve a little more than a decade into the past to see where history might repeat itself. Here's a replay of our editorial from Oct. 25, 2002:

"The man who seemingly had an answer for every problem, accusation or allegation finally ran out of places to turn.

"Former Gov. Edwin Edwards lost in his bid to remain free pending an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court and reported to a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas. He began serving a 10-year sentence for his conviction on racketeering, extortion and fraud charges. Another tattered feather in the cap of Louisiana politics.

"One of the most recognizable figures in Louisiana history having the jailhouse doors close behind him marks another unfortunate chapter in a long-running tale of state shenanigans and dubious lore. It does also offer a potential message for current and potential leaders who bother to take notice.

"It should signal a need to operate in the best interests of the state and its residents, and to do so without under-the-table dealings or unethical practices. We've had plenty of that in our state already.

"Maybe there was a time long ago when political antics and wrongdoing provided an odd source of comedy, but it's not amusing anymore. Too many leaders entrusted with shaping our future have strayed from the course.

"Former governors, current and past commissioners of insurance, commissioners of agriculture and other high-ranking state leaders either sit behind bars or face the possibility of incarceration. Louisianians deserve better.

"Our state often lags behind others in vital areas such as education, health care and economic development. Flawed and criminal leadership does nothing to help our situation and retards the prospects of catching up with the rest.

"Edwards likes to point to his legacy as governor and the things he did for the state during his four terms. That legacy will forever be tainted by what happened at the end of his tenure and the punishment he received. He becomes a member of the not-so-elite circle of Louisiana politicians with a prison record...

"Maybe now the people that Louisiana residents vote into influential offices will understand that charisma, power, importance and legacy can quickly erode amid controversy and illegal activity..."

It's a sad day to think so many in Louisiana may have forgotten the national black eye that the Edwards era brought to our state, and how much dedicated effort has taken place to try to overcome it.

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