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Marcello, executive director of the Public Law Center at Tulane Law School. Marcello is a longtime advocate for open government and once served as executive counsel to former Mayor Dutch Morial. “Many of these records already exist in electronic form and could be produced more quickly and at less cost in that electronic format. Testimony taken on Nov. 17 will play an important role in pushing the legislative study toward a good outcome in supporting legislation that would get this job done in 2011.” Marcello adds that he hopes as many open-government advocates as possible will turn out at the joint committee meeting. “Another good alternative would be to submit a written statement, which will be maintained in the study committee’s files as another voice in support of electronic delivery,” Marcello says. — Clancy DuBos
Coral Dies in oil’s Wake
JinDal on Your kinDle
Gov. Bobby Jindal’s memoir, Leadership and Crisis, will be released Nov. 15, but The Washington Post’s Stephen Lowman got an early copy of the book, which originally was
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set to be released in July under the title Real Hope, Real Change: New Conservative Solutions to Rescue America. The title wasn’t the only change. The original cover (which may or may not have been finalized) featured a large American flag with a small inset photo of the guv, along with a co-byline by ghostwriter Peter Schweizer, who has written books about the Reagan and Bush presidential families. Schweizer’s name (and the flag) are absent from the cover of Leadership and Crisis, which features a photo of Jindal striding in a sport jacket and khakis, flanked by a Louisiana state policeman and a member of the National Guard. It also features a front-cover blurb by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (“Anyone who thinks that the Republican Party doesn’t have new and innovative ideas has never met Bobby Jindal”). According to Lowman, the book includes the expected swipes at President Barack Obama and his administration for their handling of the BP oil disaster as well as a chapter titled “Do We Really Want to Be Like Europe?”. (Answer: no.) Of particular interest to Louisiana political watchers will be a section called “Men Behaving Badly,” which limns wayward politicos of both parties, including John Ensign, Mark Sanford, Larry Craig, John Edwards and Bill Clinton — though one obvious addition to the list, Sen. David Vitter, seems to have slipped Jindal’s mind. Another omission from that list: former Speaker of the House and Republican resurgent Newt Gingrich, who provided a nice back-cover blurb for Jindal, calling him “one of the most talented, reformminded governors in the nation.” Other back-cover backscratchers include Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Democratic strategist James Carville, but one blurber comes out of left field (or perhaps the backfield): New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, who says, “If you are looking for a take-charge guy, a leader who understands the need for quick, strong and decisive action, look no further than Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.” — Kevin Allman
Gov. Bobby Jindal’s memoir, Leadership and Crisis, will be released this week. It includes criticism of President Barack Obama and his administration’s handling of the BP oil disaster. photo courtesy the White house
kanYe, katrina & Bush
Former President George W. Bush also has a new book — Decision Points — and he made several TV appearances this week to promote it, including sit-downs with Fox News, Oprah Winfrey and NBC’s Matt Lauer. One confession in the book piqued the attention of both interviewers and critics, and that was his objection to Kanye West’s criticism of his performance in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (“George Bush doesn’t care about black people”). In the book, Bush writes: “I faced a lot of criticism as president. ... But the suggestion that I was a racist, because of the response to Katrina, represented an all-time low. I told Laura at the time that it was the worst moment of my presidency. I feel the same way today.” “You’re not saying the worst moment in your presidency was watching the misery in Louisiana. You’re saying it was when someone insulted you because of that,” Lauer pointed out. The former president, still clearly peeved, told Lauer: “I also make it clear that the misery in Louisiana affected me deeply as well.” Lauer spoke to West the day after the Bush interview ran, and West apologized to the president, saying, “I didn’t have the grounds to call him a racist. I believe that in a situation of high emotion like that, we as human beings don’t always choose the right words.” Bush, informed of West’s comments, said he forgave the rapper and appreciated the apology. But within hours, West took to Twitter to complain about Lauer’s interview, calling it “very brutal” and saying, “He tried to force my answers. … I feel very alone very used very tortured very forced very misunderstood very hollow very very misused.” He later canceled a planned Today show concert. — Allman
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A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research cruise completed a deep sea study earlier this month, and scientists on board found significant damage to coral systems 7 miles from the site of the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded in April. The Ronald H. Brown’s remote-operated vehicles (ROV) discovered a dead and dying coral system 4,600 feet deep and covered in a “brown substance.” NOAA estimates 90 percent of the 40 corals were affected, and another coral site 1,400 feet from that coral was in similar shape. “These observations capture our concern for impacts to marine life in places in the Gulf that are not easily seen,” NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco said in a statement. “Continued, ongoing research and monitoring involving academic and government scientists are essential for comprehensive understanding of impacts to the Gulf.” In May, Environmental Defense Fund chief oceans scientist Doug Rader warned Gambit that an oil-dispersant mix potentially could devastate the deep sea’s thousands-years-old coral systems — home to diverse ecosystems — if the oil-dispersant mix infiltrated the water columns. NOAA officials and scientists collected samples to determine if the oil and dispersant caused the coral deaths. Last week, 202 days after the BP oil disaster began, responders completed the plugging and “abandoning” of the now-capped well. Federal on-scene coordinator Adm. Paul Zukunft says 12 vessels are still at the site and waiting to be brought to shore for decontamination. The cap is marked with an 11-point star to honor the 11 lives lost on the rig. — Alex Woodward
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