Reply #4: Great Gambit Article about Bernhard!

[funkybutt]

http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/current/politics.html

After the pounding it took in the last round of elections, the Louisiana Democratic Party needed to search for new leadership. That's not a shot at former party chair Mike Skinner, a Lafayette attorney. Rather, it's a reflection of one of the fundamental rules of politics: winning matters.

When the party chose Shaw Group CEO Jim Bernhard as its new chair several weeks ago, it signaled that it was ready for the kind of sea change that many believe the Democratic infrastructure needs at all levels, from the national headquarters down to the parish committees.
...

These days, Bernhard is criss-crossing the state to meet with newspaper editors and local party leaders, mostly introducing himself and his vision. As part of his effort to build a party of ideas, he wants to conduct thorough research into major issues, propose realistic solutions, and then present them for public debate. He says he will ask all 3,500 Democratic elected officials in the state to donate at least $100 each to help bankroll the party's rebuilding effort. "If you can't give $100 as an elected official, you can't really call yourself a Democrat," Bernhard says.

Look for Bernhard to write a substantial check himself, which no doubt is a big reason he was given the job.