Times Picayune Article 

TAMMANY POLITICS
Times Picayune
Saturday, November 10, 2007

Not funny, candidate says

A Halloween costume that entertained guests at a John Schroder fundraiser by poking fun at his opponent has become a campaign issue, with both candidates for the House 77th District race spending money to diffuse the fallout from the prank.
     Colleen Hawley, who learned of the costume after Schroder's 21-year-old daughter posted a photo of it on Facebook, describes it as misogynistic and cruel for its insults, sexual innuendos and allusions to her physical appearance.
     She was so mortified that she sent a letter to voters alerting them of the incident.
     "Louisiana elections should not be about 'fat jokes' or 'demeaning women.' The election should be about creating a bright new future," Hawley wrote in the Nov. 1 letter.
      Hawley is now slim but weighed more than 200 pounds before she underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2001.
     Schroder, who said he "got a chuckle out of" the costume but had nothing to do with its design, accused Hawley of milking the incident for political gain by portraying him as hostile to women.
     "She's using the opportunity to say I don't care about women, that I don't care about children. She's playing it into the political realm," Schroder said.
     The man behind the costume is Nixon Adams, chairman of the Mandeville Zoning Commission and an occasional volunteer for Schroder's campaign.
     Because the Schroder camp has disputed some of Hawley's endorsement claims, Adams thought it would be amusing to go to Schroder's Halloween fundraiser dressed as Hawley herself, wearing a blonde wig and a sandwich board of suggestive quotes from purported supporters.
     Earlier this week, Schroder's campaign disseminated an automated phone call with a message from Adams, stating that the costume was his idea and calling Hawley's outraged response a cheap campaign trick.
     In an interview, Adams said he never expected that Hawley would see the costume, since she was unlikely to show up at her opponent's fundraiser.
He chided her for taking his "satire" too seriously.
"Why would we send somebody to Baton Rouge with skin that thin?" Adams asked.

Colleen's Response

November 1, 2007

Dear Fellow Residents of Eastern Tangipahoa & Western St. Tammany:   

Please, read this!

I know you must be ready for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, I know I am. I know you must be tired of receiving candidate information in your mail boxes, but I ask that you please read this personal message from me. I am sending you this note, not from Colleen Hawley “The Candidate,” but from Colleen Hawley “The Person”. When I decided to run for state representative, I did so, I believe for all the right reasons—to help move the state forward; no strings attached…no hidden agenda. I have talked about the issues, attended all the forums and stuck to matters of public record… so that the voters could make an informed decision. My mentality was never to win at all costs, to destroy individuals or hurt families.

However, something horribly inappropriate occurred this past weekend that I cannot ignore.  Louisiana elections should not be about “fat jokes” or “demeaning women.” The election should be about creating a bright new future.

John Schroder, my opponent, threw a Halloween Costume party fundraiser last Saturday night in downtown Covington. One of the “costumes” included a “Colleen Hawley Endorsement Billboard.” The assortment of quotes portrayed me as promiscuous, referred to my former weight problems, and insinuated I have sexually transmitted diseases. According to the Internet site where the photograph is posted, instead of asking the man to remove his costume, the Schroder Campaign exalted the behavior by giving him a prize in the costume contest! Apparently, it was not enough to keep their locker room humor within their inner-circle. The award winning costume was posted on the Internet by a Schroder family member along with other photos of the party. I have retained a copy of the digital image for legal purposes, but have chosen not to enclose it with this letter so as not to offend anyone or further distress my family.

I am, needless to say disappointed, but I have thick skin and understand that politics can sometimes be ugly. My sons and parents were deeply offended. This behavior is demeaning to men and women, sexist and cruel. More importantly, these sophomoric and malicious antics are not reflective of the type of leadership qualities anyone should expect in their elected officials. Elected officials have an obligation to be the best, not sink to the lowest. I wonder how Mr. Schroder would have felt if these things were said about his wife, his daughter or his mother? I wonder if this would have been condoned if my husband were alive to defend my honor.

I’m not sure what motivates this type of act … perhaps to make me so uncomfortable and humiliated as to bow out. I will not be bullied! I will not withdraw. I will not succumb to  “good ole boy” gutter tactics. Although I am far from perfect, I have strived to live my life by a very simple philosophy, which I have enclosed.  Please know that win or lose, whether you vote for me or not, it was important for me to respond to this affront to my character in a personal correspondence.  

Very Truly Yours,

Colleen Hawley