THURSDAY: Phil St. Amant and Roger Villere

HOUR ONE: 

Colonel Phil St. Amant discusses the recent burning of the Jordanian fighter pilot by ISIS and gives his opinion on how the United States should respond.  Colonel St. Amant graduated from West Point Academy in 1963.  He spent 30 years in the army and had two tours in Vietnam.  His 97 year old father is a World War II veteran.  

"For America, we are so involved everywhere, and there is so little understanding, generally, among our leaders about these places," the colonel begins when asked about the safety of America.  

Colonel St. Amant begins describing the content of the ISIS video.  "This is a great step forward in the ISIS fighters and the degree of barbarity they are capable of," he says, "There is a big difference between cutting someone's throat and burning someone alive."  The colonel states, "I'm sorry I watched it <video>, but I think I needed to see it." 

"I don't think it's necessary for everyone to serve in the military to serve this country," the colonel says.  "I think the country is perhaps getting a little soft... ever since 1973 when Mr. Nixon did away with the draft there has been a movement to admire the military publicly, but privately hoping it's not their child going to war." 

He describes his experiences in the military in Lebanon.  "There were about 244 soldiers and marines killed, mostly marines."  

"I have heard reports that he sneaks a cigarettes from his secret service detail every once in awhile," St. Amant says of President Obama, "Though I tend to find fault with other things." 

Jim discusses Vladmir Putin and his rumored Asperger Syndrome.  

A listener comments that Representative Fleming leaves security meetings and watches instead Fox News for information.  

Colonel Phil St. Amant gives his opinion on drones.  "It's easy to think that someone not as benign as Amazon.com would drop explosive 10 lb packages."  

"I am not one who believes that soldiers should stand up and argue about lawful orders they are given." St. Amant says the best president he served under was President Ronald Reagan whose birthday is tomorrow.  "He understood that America has an exceptional history made by exceptional people.  He thought things through... He was not held up by artificial arguments.  Things were either right or wrong." 

Colonel St. Amant gives closing comments about ISIS.  


HOUR TWO: 

Louisiana GOP Chairman Roger Francis Villere Jr. comments on the upcoming governor's election and shares his opinions of Governor Bobby Jindal and the Republican Party.  He is also the owner of Villere's Flowers.  

"I anticipate an extremely big risk race," Villere says, "We just don't know yet, it's still early.  I don't see a high profile democrat getting in at this point." 

Question from twitter, "Why did they turn on Representative McAllister after his affair but still support Senator Vitter?"  Villere responds, "You know we are talking about something that happened years ago...  We need to concentrate on the positive and move forward."  

"Someone with his views... is that what we really want to hear trying to move our state forward?" Villere says of Rev. Jeremiah Wright. 

The chairman expresses the importance of prayer to him.  

Jim comments on Villere's early race with David Duke.  Villere comments on the recent news with House Whip Steve Scalise.  "I've never heard him tell an off color joke or anything out of bounds... Steve is an honorable person.  I think the whole things is ridiculous and a made up, jimmed up issue that was blown out of proportion." 

The chairman gives his opinion on Governor Bobby Jindal and shares his support for "strategic budget cuts" without raising taxes.  "Can we afford to have duplicated programs at multiple universities?" Villere comments on the proposed cuts on higher education, " I don't think so."  Villere comments on Jindal's quest for the White House.  

 

LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center launches an initiative providing doctors in Louisiana with proven strategies to reduce and treat obesity in children. The project is lead by Dr. Amanda Staiano who says the Child Obesity Treatment Toolkit helps primary care physicians determine who's at risk for obesity.  "It teaches doctors ways to assess obesity and ways to treat childhood obesity in clinic settings," said Staiano.  

Staiano says childhood obesity is a very serious issue in Louisiana with half of our kids being overweight or obese. She says they have great recommendations on how to treat obesity and screen for it, but many physicians aren't using them.

"This toolkit is trying to get into the hands of doctors, nurses & dietitians, so they can better understand what children are most at risk for obesity," said Staiano. "And then give that advice to parents and families."

Staiano says they have over 2,000 hard copies of the toolkit they plan to distribute throughout the state or doctors can download it online at www.pbrc.edu/obesitytoolkit. 

She says Louisiana ranks near the top of obesity prevalence even in preschoolers.

"It's really important to intervene early in a child's life," said Staiano. "Make sure that child is set up with good eating habits, good physical activity and also good self-esteem."

TUESDAY: Terry Layman, Jane Page, Rob Maness, Dale Brown, George Morris

HOUR ONE: 

Actor Terry Layman and Director Jane Page promote LSU's upcoming play, All My Sons by Arthur Miller which premieres Friday night.  Terry Laymon will be playing 'Joe Keller' in the play.  Layman shares his experience working with Scarlett Johanson.  

"It's a classic play... It's extremely funny and when it turns dark it takes your heart right along with it," Layman says.

Colonel Rob Maness who received 14% of the vote in the senate elections joins the show to discuss his conservative views.  He comments on the national budget and his ideas on how to improve the national security strategies.  

When asked if he would run for federal office, Maness says, "We'd like to keep our options open." 

Maness discusses his views on the national debt.  

"Giving out free community college when you have the opportunity to work for it?  I don't think so," says Maness.

A listener says the United States went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan "on a credit card."  Maness responds, "I call on Congress and our President to put our country into a declared state of war."  He continues, "As a country and as a people, we have to get right with our own citizens and our own law."

Maness comments on the Measles Outbreak and the question of vaccinations.  "We think the vaccination system worked very well in our family... We all have different opinions, and mine is that it works."  

"Choose the opportunity," Maness says, "Don't worry about getting free money."  

HOUR TWO: 

Former Louisiana Basketball Coach and two time NCAA Basketball Coach of the Year Dale Brown commemorates the 25th anniversary of the highest scoring game in United States college basketball at LSU vs. Loyola Marymount.  It was a non conference game: 148-141 overtime.  

"When I was on the court watching it," Brown says, "I thought I was watching a Chinese ping-pong match."  

On May 18, 1990, Ronald Reagan joked at the LSU commencement speech asking whether all the cameras were for him or Dale Brown.  

"The ball changed once every twelve seconds," Jim says of the LSU v. Loyola-Marymount basketball game in 1990.

"I told them, these guys could catch you faster than you could say shizam!" Dale Brown says, "And guess what?  They said shizam." 

Dale Brown comments on the basketball player Hank Gathers.  

When he retired, Brown asked his wife, "Where do you want to live?  Any place in the world? ...and we wanted to live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana." 

"The first time I ever went out to recruit... I said, 'I'm here to recruit a human being first and a basketball player second.'" 

Writer for The Advocate, George Morris, discusses his coverage of the LSU vs. Loyola-Marymount game.  

MONDAY: Ava Haymon, Moira Crone, Richard Sexton, Jensen Moore, Foster Campbell, and William Taylor

HOUR ONE: 

Poet Laureate of Louisiana Ava Haymon comments on the upcoming Celebration of Literary Arts in St. Francisville.  

Author Moira Crone joins the show to discuss her book.  She will also be in attendance of the St. Francisville Celebration of Literary Arts.  She shares her opinion on what drives writers.  

Photographer Richard Sexton will also be attending the Celebration of Literary Arts in St. Francisville.  He shares his perspective on the culture of New Orleans and Latin America and discusses his book.  

LSU Professor of Mass Communications Jensen Moore comments on the Superbowl commercials.  Every 30 seconds of commercial during the Super Bowl costs 4.5 million dollars.  111.5 million people watched the 2015 Super Bowl.  The Budweiser 'lost dog' commercial is at the top of the Super Bowl Ad Meter.  The Always 'like a girl' commercial was the number two Super Bowl commercial. 

Moore comments on the half time show.  

HOUR TWO: 

Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell comments on the shrinking Democratic Party.  "They don't want to do the right thing, they just want to do the republican/democratic thing," Campbell says of politicians.  Campbell says payday loans "ought to be about morality."  Campbell comments on the oil and gas industry.  "He's not going to be the next president," he says of Governor Bobby Jindal, "he's going to spend the rest of his life as a lobbyist." 

"I think people as a whole like a politician to tell it like it is," Campbell says.  

William Taylor "the unofficial Saints historian" comments on the Super Bowl.  "The ending was storybook," Taylor says.  The Patriots won the Super Bowl for the 4th time in 14 years.  

Taylor discusses the stats of the Hall of Fame members.  

FRIDAY: Noel Hammatt, Caroline Roemer Shirley, Russel Honore, Dan Claitor, Carolyn Hill, Musheer Robinson, David Duke

HOUR ONE: 

Former Baton Rouge School Board member Noel Hammatt joins the Executive Director of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools Caroline Roemer Shirley to discuss Louisiana education and if charter schools are the right choice to help the public education system.  

There are 134 charter schools in Louisiana that serve about 70 thousand students.  

Roemer and Hammatt discuss the Governor's executive order on statewide testing.

A listener asks about Voucher schools in Louisiana versus charter schools, and Roemer says, "The lines are often blurred between the two," when they are in fact distinctly different.  "Any charter schools that use public dollars... they (public money) are returned."

A listener asks how charter schools address the needs of disabled students.  

General Russel Honore "The Hero of Katrina" joins the show to share his considerations on running for governor.  "We are the third largest energy producer, and our state is broke," Honore continues, "I don't have a party affiliation."  Then he jokes, "People told me I need to get some wizards." 

"That man is one of my heroes in life," a listener says of General Honore, "He's crazy enough to cut through all the political fluff and tell the truth!" 

He says, "It would have to be a real epiphany for me to run {for governor}."  Honore continues, "When I told the reporter I would think about it, I didn't mean that's all I think about."

HOUR TWO: 

Senator Dan Claitor on drones.  He says he got footage of LSU baseball team last year from the backyard of a lobbyist with his drone.  

Claitor discusses his past bill on protection against drone privacy violations.  

BESE board member Carolyn Hill joins the show.  If brought up for question, says she would vote for Superintendent John White to step down.  

Musheer Robinson from the Louisiana NAACP is joined by former representative and KKK Grand Wizard Dr. David Duke.  

Robinson comments on his career as a businessmen and his travels from China to Cuba as he creates opportunities for small and medium businessmen.  "Baton Rouge is sort of like old Louisiana," Robinson says, "we all know Baton Rouge is enormously segregated." "I had numerous stops by police simply for being in my neighborhood," Robinson says.  His past home was near Highland Road in Baton Rouge.    

Robinson says, "Organizations like the NAACP are about addressing contradictions that still occur from slavery or segregation.... What you're doing is to really stomp on people in pain." Duke responds that "Our people are always stuck with the racist card which is about the worst thing you can call somebody." 

Robinson says, "From your {Duke's} standpoint, Scalise represents only white people... you represent pro-segreagation."  Duke says to Robinson, "I believe in equal rights.  You believe in discrimination." 



Thursday: Maxine Crump and Stephanie Grace

HOUR ONE: 

President and CEO of Dialogue on Race in Louisiana Maxine Crump comments on yesterday's conversation with David Duke.  "Your white skin has a pass," Crump says, of how people react to the effects of those inflicting racism.  "People who refer to their ethnicity along with American is just people referring to their ethnicity... People confuse ethnicity with race." 

A listener asked why blacks refer to themselves as "African-Americans" instead of simply "American." 

Jim asks Maxine Crump what she thinks of David Duke's statement "Diversity is our downfall."

Crump discusses Duke's statements about different people of different ethnics having their own universities.  "If they all poured into LSU, they'd be asked to assimilate," Crump says of Southern University students.  Crump continues, "We need to ask ourselves questions.  What's the problem with diversity?" 

A listener says that Southern University has segregated themselves.  

William Taylor joins the show to comment on The New Orleans Saints.  

HOUR TWO: 

Columnist Stephanie Grace of The Advocate discusses House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, Governor Bobby Jindal, and Senator David Vitter.  Grace also comments on Duke's threat to run against Scalise.  

Grace says, "I think David Duke has got to be loving this moment... with everyone paying attention to him."

Grace comments on the prospects of Senator David Vitter as the next governor and the comments by Duke on Medicaid.  Duke argued that Medicaid in Louisiana shouldn't only pay for those who don't have jobs and can't afford healthcare, but also the working poor.   

Grace says, "I agree David Vitter is the man to beat." She also comments on Governor Jindal's "no go zones," in an article she wrote.  

Stephanie Grace compares the pledge Republicans make to Grover Norquist to a "purity pledge." 

Michelle Southern recalls David Duke shirts among her classmates in elementary school.