Former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards would have turned 99 this week if he had been living. I suppose I knew him more than anyone, having been a political ally, running against him for governor in 1987, and publishing a biography of the controversial governor that turned out to be the largest selling book in Louisiana history.
Three reasons emerge as to why there continues to be so much interest in the continuing saga of the state’s longest serving governor. First of all, he was a likeable rogue. Even his ardent distracters over the years found him to be funny and highly entertaining. Few came close to mesmerizing a crowd like the Cajun from Crowley. He could have handled a late night talk show with much more pizzazz and humor than Conan O'Brien on any night of the week.
During Edwards’ third term as Governor, I invited him to speak in New Orleans to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as I was acting as host. A crowd of some three thousand was in attendance representing both regulators and the insurance industry. I took the liberty of handing the Governor a few prepared remarks, suggesting that he tell the crowd what a great insurance commissioner Louisiana had, and a few other bland comments about the state.
