Elephant Jokes

Billy Nungesser drops out of two previously agreed to debates with Jay Dardenne. Wonder what he's worried about.

Also, I know it's kind of silly to use this word in association with Billy Nungesser but here's hoping he can muster up more grace than David Vitter could back during the height of media focus on his similar problem.



Note also, Vitter has endorsed Nungesser making this statement.

Vitter said that Nungesser "represents our mainstream, conservative Louisiana values. He is not a RINO (Republican in Name Only) in any way."

While we can at least understand why Nungesser's supporters would take pains to make sure their candidate is not mistaken for a "RINO" we wish they wouldn't say it out loud like that. It just makes some jokes a little too easy and we find it difficult to restrain ourselves. This is especially true when we learn that one of these events Nungesser ducked out on was hosted by something called the Pachyderm Club.

Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne told a Baton Rouge Republican group that his opponent in the Oct. 22 election for the state's second-highest office is not the fiscal conservative he makes himself out to be. Dardenne addressed the Pachyderm Club of Greater Baton Rouge alone, after Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser failed to show. The two candidates are Republicans and the only candidates in the race.

(snip)

He alleged that while Nungesser was criticizing BP and its role in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on news shows almost daily last year, "we have a candidate who has profited personally" from the disaster.

Dardenne said that a marina in which Nungesser has an interest was making money from the oil company by leasing it space. Nungesser has said in the past that his businesses -- including the marina - are in a trust and he has not received any money from them.

Dardenne said while Nungesser portrays himself as a "fiscal conservative," some of his businesses in Plaquemines have been hit with $100,000 in tax liens. Dardenne did not specify which companies were involved.

"He is not willing to talk about his past, but is willing to talk about mine," Dardenne said. "He has attacked my credibility and misleads voters about my record. ... Lying and buying are not going to win the election."

Nungesser has about $1.66 million on hand for the last month of the race, including $1 million in loans he made to his campaign. Dardenne has more than $600,000 on hand, and he has not loaned his campaign any money.

So this could have been a pretty interesting debate had Nungesser actually been there to answer any of these charges. Although maybe not so much from a public safety standpoint.