Will Democratic Representative-elect Cedric Richmond be a Superstar?

New Orleans' Democratic Representative-elect Cedric Richmond

Cedric Richmond, the Democratic Representative-elect from New Orleans [Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District], is either a scoundrel or a superstar. Those who dislike Richmond dislike him with a white hot intensity. NOLA.com, the web presence of New Orleans' famous Times Picayune newspaper, gives him favorable reviews.

Representative-elect Richmond caught my attention because he is the first Democrat in the current season, when I began paying attention to these things, who is having a Debt Retirement Party.

It's not that I am against retiring debt. Put the debt on display, we have campaign finance reports filed with the FEC and we have OpenSecrets.org compiling that data. If you're going to haul off and have a fundraiser to retire your debt, then show us the debt. Richmond qualifies by showing debt.

Richmond is reporting that his campaign raised $894,227, spent $772,099, has cash on hand in the amount of $120,026. Richmond shows debt of $170,631. See, http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00030184&newMem=Y

This fundraiser is scheduled for Zea's Restaurant in New Orleans. It will be a lunch on December 7th, according to the Sunlight Foundations's Party Time. http://politicalpartytime.org/party/24076/#invite. That's refreshing, a politician having a fundraiser in his own district. Zea's of course is a Louisiana treasure with locations throughout the state and in Alabama and Texas.

It looks like the Political Development Group is managing the event for Richmond. The Political Development Group has filled the niche for other Democrats including Missouri's Russ Carnahan, New Mexico's Marin Heinrich, and Colorado's cartwheel turning Ed Perlmutter. Perlmutter was supposed to be in a squeaker with Republican Ryan Frazier in Campaign 2010. Upon winning decisively, Perlmutter celebrated with cartwheels.

The suggested contributions for lunch a Zea's with Representative-elect Richmond seem standard $5000 for a Host, $2,500 for a Sponsor, and $500 for a Guest. The checks are to be made payable to the Richmond for Congress Committee and sent to Political Development Group's D.C. address.

One note about the Political Development Group. They seem to have their eye on the ball. What's left of campaign finance law sets limits on how much a person can legally give a candidate for a given election cycle. PDG keeps it clean by directing contributors to the General Election Debt. Nice clean accounting keeps everyone out of trouble. Good job PDG.

Richmond defeated one term Republican Joseph Cao. Democratic Representative Charlie Melancon was bested by Republican Senator David Vitter, proving that Republicans don't give a rat's petunia about family values. The Melancon seat, Louisiana's 3rd District went to Republican Jeff Landry. Cedric Richmond is the lone Democrat in the Louisiana delegation.

Richmond is the only Democratic candidate in Campaign 2010 for whom President Obama cut a television commercial. Richmond, who plays basketball, will be an important asset for New Orleans with his inside track to the White House.

Richmond goes to Washington with legislative experience under his belt in Baton Rouge. You can make odds that Richmond, who lambasted Cao for being a back bencher will make his presence known on the Hill.



H.R. 5136 EXPANDS HEALTHCARE REFORM FEATURE TO TRICARE

A couple of days ago I read a story from the Washington Post "Popular benefit of health-care law excludes military families" by David Hilzenwrath. That link is: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/25/AR2010052501685.html.

In all the anxiety surrounding the debate about Health Care Reform military families were concerned that they'd lose the good plan they already have, TRICARE. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates requested Congress exclude military families and TRICARE from the overhaul.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

It turns out that "Obamacare," as the Republicans are want to call Health Care Reform, isn't so bad as the Health Insurance/Republican propaganda said it was. Now America's military families are wanting to get some of what the rest of the nation's families got.

Remember the problem that occurred in the coverage of American young adults. When they were 18 and not in school their health care was being canceled by the insurance industry. I remember on particularly painful incident involving former Kansas City Royal, Fred Patek. Patek's daughter, Kimberly. was no longer on the family's plan and her coverage had not yet begun. She was paralyzed in an automobile accident. The bills were massive. Several fundraisers were held to assist in paying those fees.

Under Health Care Reform that can't happen anymore. American families are seeing the benefit of their college age kids not being put at risk by the insurance industry. Military families rightly want the same.

That takes us back to H.R. 5136, the Defense Appropriation Bill. Specifically Section 708 titled "EXTENSION OF DEPENDENT COVERAGE UNDER TRICARE." This will cover the older military "brats" until they reach age 26 unless they can enroll in an eligible employer-sponsored plan.

For those who want to read chapter and verse of the TRICARE expansion, link up at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c111:2:./temp/~c111rb7Dp6:e369786: or link to Thomas.gov and search using the keyword TRICARE or the bill number H.R. 5136.

Representative Martin Heinrich

The Washington Post reports that the TRICARE expansion amendment to this bill was proposed by New Mexico's Democratic Representative Martin Heinrich. Heinrich is from Albuquerque and is a freshman in the Congress.

H.R. 5136 was before the House last night in the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, to make amendments.  If you want to see our elected leaders acting like adults with true bipartisan effort, you should see them pass one of Ike Skelton's bills.  H.R. 5136 remains as unfinished business, last night was all about making amendments.