By Frank Donze, The Times-Picayune, March 01, 2010
As the leader of the Anybody But Batt group, Hardie largely bankrolled and masterminded the successful push to oust the Republican businessman as the council's District A representative four years ago. Now, as Batt tries to reclaim the seat in a Saturday runoff against Democrat Susan Guidry, Hardie is back with a vengeance.
In a letter mailed Monday to the district's Republican voters, Hardie questions Batt's GOP bona fides by citing payments he has made in this race, and in his past bids for the seat, to local political organizations with close ties to Democratic elected officials.
"Jay has joined forces with the old Democratic regime in an attempt to re-establish the patronage machine that strangled this city for years,'' Hardie wrote in the letter signed by him "You didn't expect them to go gently into that good night, did you?''
In his message, Hardie zeroes in on Batt's campaign expenditures to offset ballots distributed by groups associated with allies of former Mayor Marc Morial, former City Councilmen Jim Singleton and Lambert Boissieree Jr. and former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson.
Batt's latest campaign finance report shows a $4,000 cash outlay to the LIFE organization run by Morial family members and supporters and a $3,000 payment to YAPA, a group whose leaders include lawyer Walter Willard, the brother of City Councilwoman Cynthia Willard-Lewis. Payments by Batt to Jefferson's organization, the Progressive Democrats, and the groups associated with Singleton and Boissiere occurred in his previous runs for the council seat.
The Batt campaign responded late Monday.
"Perhaps Mr. Hardie is not aware that Democrats make up over 60 per cent of District A,'' a Batt spokeswoman said in a written statement. "A conscientious elected official must represent everyone. Thus, campaign funds used for printing, postage and radio is appropriate no matter what party receives the message.
The statement charged that Hardie, a Democrat, has a "personal grudge'' against Batt. citing zoning issues that Hardie opposed while Batt served on the council.
The local GOP establishment has come out in force to support Batt's bid to take back the District A seat they lost in 2006 after a run of more than a quarter-century.
Hardie's dogged opposition to Batt's candidacy has come at considerable personal expense.
The most recent campaign finance report from Anybody But Batt shows that Hardie has anted up $18,000 of the $19,000 raised and spent by the group so far. In 2006, Hardie pumped $30,000 of his own money into a blistering series of attack ads that contributed heavily to Batt's defeat, nearly half of the total raised by the political action committee.
Hardie also has contributed $5,000 to the campaign of Batt's runoff opponent, Guidry, a lawyer and political newcomer.
In 2006, Democrat Shelley Midura benefited from Hardie's effort as she defeated Batt. Midura, who did not seek re-election, is supporting Guidry.
Link to nola.com article
