Washington Watch for May 26, 2008

• By GERARD SHIELDS
• Advocate Washington correspondent
• Published: May 26, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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The shocking news in Washington last week was the announcement that U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., has a malignant brain tumor.

Kennedy has Louisiana ties in that his wife, Victoria, hails from Crowley. Her father, retired Judge Edmund Reggie, now lives in Lafayette. Kennedy was expected to soon visit Crowley to commemorate the visit of his brother, President Kennedy, more than 40 years ago, said U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.

“It’s been shocking and heart wrenching,” Landrieu said of the news. “There is a pall over the Senate.”

Landrieu remembered that Kennedy was the first congressman to call her after Hurricane Katrina hit. She still hasn’t figured out how he found her, she said.

“And he has literally never stopped inquiring about how everything is going,” Landrieu said.

U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., has not been a Kennedy fan, often deriding him for his political stances. But Vitter scrawled a personal note to Kennedy last week, he said.

“This is a life issue, this is not about party or politics,” Vitter said. “I told him that we’re praying for him and hoping for a full recovery.”

What they were worth

Louisiana had three millionaire federal lawmakers in 1996, according to a new analysis by The Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit government watchdog group in Washington.

The foundation issued the information based on federal disclosure reports required to be filed annually by members. The report is based on the 2006 year. The net worth includes the assets and liabilities of spouses, too.

Congress members must file reports that contain ranges of income. For example, an asset may have a range of $50,000 to $100,000 on the report. The foundation averaged the worth at $75,000.

Landrieu led the Louisiana list with $2.4 million. Vitter and U.S. Rep. Charles “Charlie” Melancon, D-Napoleonville, tied for second place, both reporting $1.7 million for the year.

U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, reported $610,501, while retired vascular surgeon and U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, reported $481,003 according to the tally.