[StBernard] Candidates deliver jabs

[Westley Annis]

Candidates deliver jabs
By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
Advocate Capitol News Bureau
Published: Oct 5, 2007 - Page: 1A

SHREVEPORT - Organizers of a northwest Louisiana forum struggled to keep the
four best-financed candidates in the governor's race on topic Thursday
instead of trading jabs.

State Sen. Walter Boasso touched off the tit-for-tat exchange by accusing
U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal of voting against a health insurance program for
children in working families.

Jindal, R-Kenner, voted against an early version of the bill that President
Bush vetoed Wednesday. Jindal skipped a subsequent vote but supported a
later compromise version of the bill that would expand the federal State
Children's Health Insurance Program, called SCHIP.

Jindal on Wednesday criticized Bush's veto, which stalls Louisiana's plans
to add coverage for 10,000 more children.

Boasso, D-Arabi, said Jindal should be in Washington corralling votes for an
override of the president's veto.

The accusations rankled Jindal, who largely ignored criticisms at last
week's candidate forum. He accused Boasso of misstating the facts and then
attempted to give his side.

Boasso interrupted him.

"Bobby, you called me corrupt. Put it up," Boasso said, referring to
Jindal's campaign commercials that paint him as being part of a corrupt
crowd.

Forum moderators steered the candidates - Boasso, Jindal, Public Service
Commissioner Foster Campbell and New Orleans businessman John Georges - to a
question on ethics. The event at LSU-Shreveport is the second of three
forums expected to feature all four front-runners before the Oct. 20 primary
election.

Georges, who has no party affiliation, used the spat to emphasize the
importance of being an independent candidate.

"What we just witnessed just now is part of the partisan bickering," he
said.

Jindal briefly mentioned his plan to hold a special session on ethics if
elected governor. Then he went back to defending his record on SCHIP.

He said he voted against the earlier version of the children's health
insurance bill because it would have taken away money for such things as
wheelchairs for the elderly. Jindal reiterated his opposition to the
president's veto of the compromise bill and scolded Boasso.

"Don't make up things about my record," Jindal said.

Boasso repeated his criticism of a campaign flier and a television
commercial that makes unsubstantiated allegations about him.

"You have sent out information saying I was corrupt. If you think I'm
corrupt, either get to the Attorney General's Office and prove it or Bobby
drop it. Y'all have done a wonderful job twisting the facts," Boasso said.
"What you're practicing in Washington and what you're preaching in Louisiana
is not the same two things."

Campbell, a Bossier Parish Democrat, jumped in to add his objection to
Jindal's commercials, which depict him and Boasso as clowns.

Accusing people of doing something they did not do is unethical, Campbell
said. "It borders on a lie."

Jindal told Boasso that ethics is not about calling people names but about
bringing change.

The forum's moderators again intervened, trying to bring the program back on
point. Jindal objected, accusing the moderators of allowing Boasso to make
accusations without giving him a chance to respond.

Finally, one of the organizers jumped onstage and told the candidates to
stick to the subject.

Between the bickering, the candidates did talk about issues important to
northwest Louisiana. Each promised to make completing Interstate 49 to the
Arkansas border a priority, improve education and increase degree programs
at LSU-Shreveport.

KTBS 3 and the local chambers of commerce sponsored the forum, which was
televised in north Louisiana.

The candidates chatted quietly onstage while they waited for the forum to
begin.

Jindal's supporters started chanting "Bobby" when they caught sight of him.
Campbell's crowd tried to drown them out with their own cheers.

Former Shreveport mayoral candidate Liz Swaine, who helped run the forum,
admonished the audience to be silent during the hour-long program.

The four front-runners will face off at least one more time before the Oct.
20 primary election. Baton Rouge's WAFB Channel 9 and WWL-TV in New Orleans
are jointly hosting a forum Oct. 18, less than 48 hours before voters go to
the polls.

Jindal may have a conflict on the last debate. Oct. 18 is the day the U.S.
House of Representatives is expected to try to override President Bush's
veto of a children's health insurance bill.

Jindal's spokesman, Trey Williams, said the date for the vote is not
concrete. At this point, Williams said, Jindal plans to participate in the
debate.