Louisiana's political class has produced more rogues than perhaps even Chicago. Once upon a time, the people of Louisiana bragged about it. A little delinquency in an elected official was considered colorful. And even a requirement in this country's only Mediterranean state. Edwin Edwards may not have been the last of his breed, but he was one of the last. He died this week at 93. Which leads to yet another story about Edwin W. Edwards:
He was sentenced to prison in 2001. The government asked the judge to sentence him to 35 to 40 years. The old boy replied: "I said I'd take life; it's shorter."
He wasn't wrong, even in jest. He lived another 20 years.
Sometimes we wonder if he'd have changed a thing. He was investigated by more than 15 grand juries and went to trial (the federal kind) four times. He was finally sent to the Big House for crimes related to racketeering, fraud and extortion in relation to the awarding of casino licenses. During one of the many times he left a federal courthouse, a TV reporter shouted a question at him: Did he have anything to hide?
"Of course," he said. "But not in regards to this case."
Once, after Louisiana joined the lottery craze in the 1990s, a smart-aleck reporter asked the famous craps gambler if he'd buy a ticket for the first drawing. Gov. Edwards said no, he wouldn't buy a lottery ticket; the odds were terrible.
In 1992, as the press was hounding another Southern governor about an allegation of an extramarital affair--the governor's name was Clinton--a reporter heard Gov. Edwards' advice on making light of the reported torrid 12-year love affair: "Tell the press that I said there's no such thing as a torrid 12-year love affair."
That's how he helped friends. Heaven help you if you were among his opposition! Of Dave Treen, a governor who served between Edwin Edwards' terms: "He's so slow it takes him an hour and a half to watch '60 Minutes.'"
And after one of his trials in which he was acquitted, a reporter asked him: "What's your answer to those who will say, 'Edwin Edwards is guilty as hell, but the prosecution just wasn't smart enough to get him?'"
"They're half right," he replied.
Louisiana's government might not have needed Edwin Edwards. But its reporters sure did. EWE may have been many things, but bad copy wasn't one of them.