Melancon ready for term

• By PATRICK COURREGES
• Advocate Acadiana bureau
• Published: Jul 15, 2008 - Page: 1BA - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, said Monday that, lacking opposition in the fall election, he will be able to work for his district without the distractions of a campaign.

Melancon automatically won a third consecutive two-year term in Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District last week when no one signed up to run against him.

The 3rd District generally covers the state’s south-central and southeastern coastal and near-coastal parishes from Iberia and St. Martin parishes in the west to St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes in the east.

Melancon’s first two elections to the office came after bruising campaigns in 2004 and 2006.

He said having no challengers this time around is a good feeling.

“Whether they looked at it from a standpoint of challenging an incumbent takes him away from the work he should be doing or its just luck, I don’t know,” Melancon said.

He said he intends to make good use of the time and energy that would otherwise be tied up with a political race.

Melancon said the top of his agenda is filled with working to do what is necessary to continue the rebuilding and restoration work on the coast in the continuing recovery from hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

He is hopeful the Morganza-to-the-Gulf levee and hurricane protection plan that has been stalled might be ready to begin moving again.

Melancon also said he believes the national outcry over fuel prices has reached a level that will force Congress to take action.

“I would be absolutely shocked if the message all members of Congress are getting is not ‘Do something,’” he said. “Four dollars a gallon for gas is killing the economy. Five dollars a gallon for milk is killing the economy.”

Melancon said the underlying thread causing the nation problems in its reaction to rising fuel prices, health-care affordability and issues such as global warming is an increasing national debt.

He said the federal government must act to make the economy more stable to allow needed actions to be taken.