News from the Louisiana delegation in the nation's capital

Don't shoot the messenger

Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, said he voted against legislation to establish an independent ethics office in the House of Representatives because "you are setting up trip wires for honest people." The six-member committee, which could for the first time take complaints from outside Congress, was to be sworn to secrecy, but Melancon was skeptical its investigations would remain under wraps. "Everyone in the world would file complaints all day long," he said. "These people would become the most powerful people in Washington." Congress has passed a raft of new ethics rules and the second-term lawmaker said there is so much confusion that he could use a full-time staffer just to decipher the rules. Melancon was one of 23 Democrats to oppose the resolution that the House passed March 11. More significantly, he was one of 18 Democrats to oppose the motion -- which passed by a single vote -- to proceed to the resolution. Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., the powerful Appropriations chairman, was so irate at Melancon's votes that he canceled a meeting with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin to talk about hurricane recovery issues. The meeting was rescheduled only when Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, intervened. Melancon said he hoped Obey doesn't withhold appropriations for his district. "I told him, if you are mad at me, fine," Melancon said. "Just don't take it out on the people I represent."

Landrieu is selective in quotes

Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's re-election campaign last week was promoting some observations made by, of all people, Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Roger Villere. In a televised interview Villere was asked about the endorsements Landrieu recently scooped up from some north shore Republicans. Villere downplayed the significance, but seemed to give Landrieu some kudos in the process for her work on Hurricane Katrina recovery. "Mary worked really hard after the storm. She's been there for a while. She's the incumbent U.S. senator. Anytime that happens you will have some relationships develop with people." Landrieu's campaign fired off a news release with the unlikely praise. The release omitted Villere's added comments, however. He went on to say, "We're going to have a lot of Democrats behind our nominee," referring to state Treasurer John Kennedy. "We feel like we will have a good opportunity in that Senate race. The time has come to have a strong push to have a second Republican U.S. senator."

Livingston takes on Libyan lobbying

Louisiana congressman-turned-lobbyist Bob Livingston recently lost one of his biggest clients, Turkey, but picked up an even more lucrative one: Libya. Roll Call, citing sources familiar with the Livingston Group lobbying firm, said Turkey was unhappy that Livingston had accepted Libya as a client, although the embassy denied it. Turkey had paid Livingston $1.8 million per year and had been with him since 2000. Libya, the paper reported, will pay the firm $2.4 million annually. In other lobbying news, former Sen. John Breaux, D-La., recently left the Patton Boggs lobbying firm to set up his own shop, but has realigned with his old employer. Patton Boggs announced last week that Breaux and fellow former Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., have agreed to become "special public policy advisers."

GOP cheerleader confident of gains

Ohio Rep. John Boehner, the top-ranking Republican in the House, predicted last week that the GOP would pick up seats in Congress. His assessment runs counter to most polls and political predictions, but with 61 Democrats running in districts won by Bush in 2004, Boehner thinks the party will fare well. "It will be a far-better Republican year than most people think," Boehner told reporters. With 24 retirements of House Republicans this year, compared to six Democrats, it might seem like an uphill climb for the GOP. But Boehner said most of the retirees were in relatively safe Republican districts. He also said that having Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., at the top of the ticket will help. What will help even more, he predicted, is whoever ends up as the Democratic nominee: Sen. Hillary Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama. "We will face either one of the most polarizing people in American politics or the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate," he said.

VP connections in Bayou State

The vice presidential sweepstakes rumor mill is getting a little more Louisiana flavor, and it's not just mentions of Gov. Bobby Jindal as a possible running mate for Republican Sen. John McCain. Two other politicians with Bayou State connections also are popping up as VP possibilities. Former U.S. Rep. Tim Roemer, D-Ind., who is backing Sen. Barack Obama for president, is getting some media speculation as a possible running mate for the Illinois Democrat. Roemer, who is former Louisiana Sen. J. Bennett Johnston's son-in-law, gets on the radar, according to the scuttlebutt, because he served on the 9/11 Commission and is president of the Center for National Policy, a think tank that deals with national security issues. National security is an issue that Obama will need some help with if he gets the nomination to face off against the more experienced McCain. Another possible VP candidate, for Obama or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., is Virginia freshman Democratic Sen. James Webb, a Marine veteran whose son fought in Iraq. Webb's wife, Hong Le Webb, is from New Orleans, and the Webbs visit the city regularly to see her family members who still live in the area.

Whistle blower finds some fans

Three top members of the House Committee on Science and Technology are urging the Centers for Disease Control to reinstate Dr. Chris De Rosa as director of the Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine. De Rosa was removed from the job last year after he complained that an agency report on formaldehyde levels in FEMA trailers gave false reassurances that they were safe. His managers at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry sent a letter to FEMA saying that the findings were possibly misleading, but FEMA continued to tout the original report to reassure trailer residents. In a letter to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Julie Gerberding, the three House committee members write: "This appears to be a classic shoot-the-messenger response from an agency which our investigation has shown to have engaged in a scientific and management fiasco at the highest levels." It was signed by Reps. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., Brad Miller, D-N.C., and Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Texas. At a hearing last week, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry officials denied that De Rosa was removed from his job because of the flap over formaldehyde.

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Bruce Alpert can be reached at bruce.alpert@newhouse.com or at (202) 383-7861. Bill Walsh can be reached at bill.walsh@newhouse.com or at (202) 383-7817.