Hiding from public forums, while using Special Interest Money to finance attacks

Yesterday, Rep. Cazayoux continued his refusal to attend public forums, while launching attack ads through TV and direct mail that lie about his opponents.  As reported in today’s Advocate, “Cazayoux said he could not attend the forum because he had already scheduled another event in advance.”  Earlier this week, after skipping another forum, Cazayoux’s campaign told the Baton Rouge Business Report, “it will be difficult to change our busy schedule to coordinate additional debates.”  Don Cazayoux has lied about Bill Cassidy’s position on Social Security, but does not defend his lies in public.  He refuses to attend a public forums where voters would have the chance to ask him about these lies or his own votes in Congress. 

His campaign has been contacted by all of the following civic groups, and Don Cazayoux has refused to attend:

·       AARP

·       League of Women’s Voters

·       West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce

·       People’s Voters League of Livingston Parish

·       LSU Student Government

·       Citizens for Highways and Infrastructure in Livingston Parish

·       Southern University

·       Baton Rouge Black Chamber of Commerce

Chris Ingram, a spokesman for the Bill Cassidy campaign, issued the following statement:

“Don Cazayoux is hiding behind a curtain of lies woven with the money of Special Interests PACs in Washington, DC.  Cazayoux has only been a Congressman a few months and he is already avoiding the voters of Louisiana and financing his partisan attacks with out-of-state money.

 

Cazayoux’s hoping that if he spends enough money on a big enough lie, voters will believe it, but his DC consultants underestimate the intelligence of Louisiana voters.”

Cazayoux Rallies with Pro-Abortion, Pro-Gun-Control, Pro-Tax Congressman

At an Obama/Cazayoux Rally at Southern University, Don Cazayoux will stand on stage with a Congressman who is pro-abortion, pro-gun-control and pro-taxes to rally support for Obama who is pro-abortion, pro-gun-control, and pro-taxes.  In previous Obama/Cazayoux rallies, Cazayoux has told predominantly African-American audiences that he was, “proud to endorse Senator Barack Obama for President,” and that he supports Obama’s economic agenda to tax small businesses and “share the wealth” with those who don’t pay taxes.

Chris Ingram, a spokesman for the Bill Cassidy campaign, issued the following statement:

“Congressman Cazayoux says on TV that he is pro-life, pro-gun and wants lower taxes, but in his rally today Cazayoux will stand with the Congressman responsible for rounding up the votes for Nancy Pelosi’s pro-abortion, pro-gun-control and pro-tax agenda at a rally to support a candidate for President that the NRA said would be the “most anti-gun President in U.S. history.” 

Don Cazayoux has only been a Congressman for a few short months, but he is already showing voters that he says one thing in Louisiana and does something different when it is convenient. The voters of Louisiana are smart enough to know that a Congressman who is pro-life, pro-gun and wanted lower taxes would never support Barack Obama for President.”

 

During election season candidates can say many things on TV, but they can’t hide where they raised their money.  The only poll that matters is on Election Day, and the only people who can vote in Louisiana’s Sixth Congressional District will be those people from here.

The candidates for Congress in Louisiana’s Sixth Congressional District released new financial disclosure reports this week.  If you look behind the numbers and see where support is coming from and who will have money to compete in the home stretch, the story is clear:  Bill Cassidy has support where it counts, and the money when it matters.

You can tell a lot about a candidate by where they get most of their money

Don Cazayoux is:

·         The #1 Recipient of Labor Union Money

·         The #3 Recipient of Money from Democratic Congressmen, including:

D  Charlie Rangel (National Leadership PAC) - $10,000

o   Nation’s tax-writer, currently under investigation for tax fraud.

D  Barney Frank (Barney Frank for Congress) - $2,000

o   Biggest supporter of ACORN in Congress, wants to legalize marijuana

D  John Dingell (Dingell for Congress Committee) - $2,000

o   Leading supporter of nationalized health care, organized labor, and welfare

D  Carolyn McCarthy (CAP PAC) - $2,000

o   “one of the most vocal advocates in the nation for gun control”

When TV is Dominated by Special Interest Ads, Voters Deserve Straight Talk

With Special Interest Ads dominating the airwaves and attacking Bill Cassidy with lies, it is important that voters hear straight from their candidates for Congress.

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is hoping to partner with WBRZ to host a debate.  Bill Cassidy’s campaign accepts the opportunity to discuss the issues and notified AARP today that Bill Cassidy would be happy to attend such a debate.

Rep. Don Cazayoux and his DC supporters have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in attack ads that lie to voters about Bill Cassidy. These ads lie about Bill Cassidy’s commitment to protect Social Security benefits; a promise Bill has consistently referred to as “a contract with the American people that must not be broken.”  In truth, it was Rep. Don Cazayoux who voted to increase the amount of state retirement money invested in the Stock Market[i].

Statement of Bill Cassidy:

I look forward to any opportunity to discuss the issues. I challenge my opponents, and the media, to find time for a televised debate.

Over 76% of Rep. Don Cazayoux’s campaign contributions in the last report came from Special Interests.  Voters deserve more than thirty second attack ads on TV.  It’s time they heard directly from us.

While Representative Don Cazayoux claims in his latest television ad that he has “taken on his own Party to get more offshore drilling”, his voting record says something entirely different.  In just a few months in Congress, Representative Cazayoux has voted consistently with his party leaders to block real energy solutions, including bills aimed at expanding domestic oil drilling:

• voted to block consideration of the American Energy Act, an “all of the above” energy bill (House Roll Call 524, 07/24/08)
• voted to block consideration of a bill that would allow energy exploration in ANWR and the Outer Continental Shelf (House Roll Call 391, 06/10/08)
• voted to block consideration of amendments that would permit oil exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf (House Roll Call 340, 05/21/08)
• voted to block consideration of amendments that would allow oil drilling in ANWR (House Roll Call 341, 05/21/2008 and House Roll Call 310, 05/14/08)

“It appears that Representative Don Cazayoux’s energy policy is empty rhetoric which does not match his consistent record of blocking efforts for a comprehensive approach to solving our nation’s energy problems,” said Bill Cassidy. “It is time to get serious about energy policy.”

 If Representative Cazayoux is serious about reducing the cost of gas, he needs to do more than send letters.  There are three things that should be done for his record to catch up to his rhetoric:

1. Sign the three discharge petitions to bring comprehensive energy plans to a vote:

   -No More Excuses Energy Act (HR3089)

   -American Energy Independence and Price Reduction Act (HR6107)
   -Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2008 (HR6108),

2. Support bringing Congress back into an emergency session to vote on energy, and

3. Vote against any rule that limits amendments on the House Floor so that a substantive vote on drilling can take place.

Bill Cassidy will support comprehensive energy solutions that decrease our dependence on foreign oil, increase our domestic supply, diversify our sources of energy, and conserve the energy we produce.

Increasing our supply of oil and natural gas will lower prices at the pump. Bill Cassidy will work to accomplish this by:
-Lifting the bans on domestic offshore drilling and extracting oil from shale in the Western United States
-Opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and other potential energy sources to drilling
-Supporting efforts to produce more natural gas and promote the use of natural gas for transportation
- Reducing the costly, complicated, and time-consuming maze of federal regulatory requirements affecting refineries.
-Increasing the capacity of existing refineries by reducing the costly federal regulations that affect them

Energy independence is essential to America’s long term financial stability and national security. Bill Cassidy will work to accomplish this with tax incentives for individuals and businesses that encourage these and other forms of Alternative Energy and Conservation:
-Promoting the development of alternatively fueled vehicles such as hydrogen cells
-Developing and expanding alternative technologies such as solar, wind, and clean coal
-Increasing fuel standards and promoting the use of hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles