Moon Griffon
Encyclopedia
Blane M. Griffon, known as Moon Griffon is a conservative radio talk show
host who broadcasts statewide through station KMLB
FM
in Monroe
, the seat of Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana
. He has sometimes been called the "Rush Limbaugh
of Louisiana" though his program reflects his distinct Louisiana accent and his own brand of politics. Besides his Monroe outlet, Griffon broadcasts from stations in Alexandria
, Baton Rouge, Lafayette
, Lake Charles
, Natchitoches
, Shreveport, Thibodaux
, and Winnfield, Louisiana
, and Natchez, Mississippi
. He acquired a New Orleans outlet in nearby Slidell
late in 2008.
While on the air, he often endorses Republican Party
candidates, including attorney general
candidate Royal Alexander
, who was handily defeated by the Democrat
Buddy Caldwell
in the November 17 general election
. Early in 2011, Caldwell switched to GOP
identification. Many Republican candidates, and some Democrats as well, frequently appear on his program. He also urged listeners in the 32nd Senate District to support the successful Republican candidate, Neil Riser
, of Columbia
, the seat of Caldwell Parish. Riser was elected to succeed the Democrat Noble Ellington
of Winnsboro
, the seat of Franklin Parish.
Griffon frequently hosts the Hammond
attorney
and state government watchdog C.B. Forgotston
, known for his fiscal conservative views and opposition to gambling
and political corruption
.
restaurateur Chester T. Kelley for a full segment on the program. At the time the conservative Kelley was unsuccessfully opposing the reelection of the more moderate Republican Jim McCrery
of Shreveport. In 2008, Kelley emerged as an independent candidate for the U.S. House against Republican John C. Fleming
, who barely managed to hold the seat vacated by McCrery, who retired from the House after twenty-one years of service.
Griffon has also held Governor Bobby Jindal
accountable for a lack of reform in state government. He has often criticized Jindal for inaction in meeting the state's fiscal woes and for campaigning out-of-state to raise funds for himself and other Republican candidates.
On December 10, 2007, Griffon announced his strong opposition to Jindal's expected support for incoming State Representative
Noble Ellington as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Ellington, who was term-limited in the state senate and hence ran for the Louisiana House of Representatives
, was closely tied to the former Democratic administrations of Edwin Washington Edwards and Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and was a strong supporter of numerous tax increases. Ultimately, Jindal, acting on the advice of then incoming Speaker
Jim Tucker
did not recommend Ellington for the chairmanship. Griffon further voiced strong opposition to Republicans for accepting Ellington into the party when he defected in December 2010 in preparation for a possible run for House Speaker in 2012. He also opposes the defection of State Senator John Alario
to the Republican Party in preparation for a 2012 run as State Senate President. Griffon considers Ellington and Alario "big government" advocates, not conservatives.On October 25, 2011, Jindal endorsed the election of Alario as State Senate President; in Louisiana, legislators nearly always defer to the governor in the selection of their presiding officers.
In 2008, Griffon endorsed the Republican U.S. senatorial candidate John Neely Kennedy, the state treasurer, in Kennedy's unsuccessful challenge to incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu
. Kennedy occasionally appears on Griffon's program. Landrieu defeated Kennedy with 52 percent of the vote in the November 4 general election.
In November 2008, Griffon left the Republican Party and re-registered as a "no party" voter. He cited Jindal's political moves as a reason for leaving the party. "My frustration with Bobby Jindal is that he is not being a conservative," Griffon said in an interview. "Conservatives are mad as hell and they’re not taking it any more." Griffon has also criticized former Republican Governor David C. Treen
for Treen's support of Senator Landrieu and Treen's unsuccessful attempt to obtain a pardon
or commutation of sentence
for Treen's old Democratic rival, former Governor Edwin Washington Edwards. On several days in late November 2008, Griffon humorously suggested that listeners mail change-of-voter registration cards to Treen and urge Treen to join the Democratic Party.
In October 2010, former State Senator Mike Smith
, a Democrat from Winnfield
, using his first name, "Kenneth," called the program to allege that Griffon is controlled by two unnamed wealthy Republicans. Griffon denies the allegation and claims that he alone owns his company and urged Smith to call again for further sparring. Smith is a cousin of Republican State Senator Gerald Long
.
, the seat of Iberville Parish south of Baton Rouge. One of his grandfathers was a sheriff
of Iberville Parish for sixteen years until he was unseated by Jessel Ourso. Griffon's father served an unexpired term as an Iberville Parish police juror. Griffon has two brothers and two sisters. He graduated from high school in 1979 and was recruited by coach and later athletic director Benny Hollis (1939–2011) to the University of Louisiana at Monroe
to play basketball
. Griffon subsequently graduated in 1983 from ULM, then known as Northeast Louisiana University. On his radio program on May 13, 2009, Griffon revealed that he had kept a pistol for protection in his ULM dormitory
room during his college years. Griffon and his wife, the former Tonia Digirolamo (born 1963), a nurse at a specialty hospital, have four children. The oldest was born in 1986; the youngest is a special needs daughter, Mattie (born 1996), whom Griffon frequently mentions on the program. He is an avid fisherman
. Griffon was a caterer before he began his radio career.
Griffon also addresses dinners and private gatherings as an entertainer and a motivational speaker.
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host who broadcasts statewide through station KMLB
KMLB
KMLB is a radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Licensed to Monroe, Louisiana, USA, the station is currently owned by Holladay Broadcasting. The current schedule includes Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Moon Griffon, Michael Savage, Neil Boortz, Art Bell, George Noory and Rob...
FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
in Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
, the seat of Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. He has sometimes been called the "Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
of Louisiana" though his program reflects his distinct Louisiana accent and his own brand of politics. Besides his Monroe outlet, Griffon broadcasts from stations in Alexandria
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
, Baton Rouge, Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
, Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
, Natchitoches
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
, Shreveport, Thibodaux
Thibodaux, Louisiana
Thibodaux is a small city in and the parish seat of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 14,431 at the 2000 census. Thibodaux is a principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux...
, and Winnfield, Louisiana
Winnfield, Louisiana
Winnfield is a city in and the parish seat of Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census. It has long been associated with the Long faction of the Louisiana Democratic Party and was home to three governors of Louisiana.-Geography:Winnfield is located at ...
, and Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
. He acquired a New Orleans outlet in nearby Slidell
Slidell, Louisiana
Slidell is a city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 25,695 at the 2000 census. The Greater Slidell Community has a population of about 90,000...
late in 2008.
While on the air, he often endorses Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidates, including attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
candidate Royal Alexander
Royal Alexander
Richard Royal Alexander is an attorney from Shreveport, Louisiana. In 2007, he was the Republican-endorsed candidate for Louisiana Attorney General. A first-time candidate for public office, Alexander finished second to James D. "Buddy" Caldwell, a Democrat, in the nonpartisan blanket primary...
, who was handily defeated by the Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Buddy Caldwell
Buddy Caldwell
James David Caldwell, Sr., or Buddy Caldwell , is the Republican attorney general of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Prior to serving as attorney general, Caldwell was the district attorney for Madison, East Carroll, and Tensas parishes from 1979 to 2008...
in the November 17 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
. Early in 2011, Caldwell switched to GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
identification. Many Republican candidates, and some Democrats as well, frequently appear on his program. He also urged listeners in the 32nd Senate District to support the successful Republican candidate, Neil Riser
Neil Riser
Hartwell Neil Riser, Jr., known as Neil Riser , is a funeral home owner in Columbia, the seat of Caldwell Parish in northeastern Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate. On January 14, 2008, Riser succeeded outgoing Democratic Senator Noble Ellington. Riser is the first...
, of Columbia
Columbia, Louisiana
Columbia is a town in and the parish seat of Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 477 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbia is located at ....
, the seat of Caldwell Parish. Riser was elected to succeed the Democrat Noble Ellington
Noble Ellington
Noble Edward Ellington, II , is a wealthy cotton merchant from Winnsboro, the seat of Franklin Parish in northeastern Louisiana, who is a freshman, and as of December 17, 2010, a Republican, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 20...
of Winnsboro
Winnsboro, Louisiana
Winnsboro is a city in and the parish seat of Franklin Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of July 2009, the estimated city population was 4,377...
, the seat of Franklin Parish.
Griffon frequently hosts the Hammond
Hammond, Louisiana
Hammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,049 at the 2009 census. It is home to Southeastern Louisiana University...
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and state government watchdog C.B. Forgotston
C.B. Forgotston
Charlton Bath Forgotston, Jr., known as C.B. Forgotston , is an attorney, political pundit, and state government watchdog who resides in Hammond, the principal city of Tangipahoa Parish, a part of the Florida Parishes east of Baton Rouge in southeastern Louisiana...
, known for his fiscal conservative views and opposition to gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
and political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
.
Controversy
At times, Griffon has irritated the GOP leadership. In 2006, he invited the Shreveport catfishCatfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
restaurateur Chester T. Kelley for a full segment on the program. At the time the conservative Kelley was unsuccessfully opposing the reelection of the more moderate Republican Jim McCrery
Jim McCrery
James Otis "Jim" McCrery, III , is an American lawyer who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1988 to 2009; he represented the 4th District of Louisiana, based in the northwestern quadrant of the state.McCrery was a ranking member on the House Ways and...
of Shreveport. In 2008, Kelley emerged as an independent candidate for the U.S. House against Republican John C. Fleming
John C. Fleming
John Calvin Fleming, Jr. is a Minden, Louisiana physician, the author of the book Preventing Addiction, and the Republican U.S. representative from Louisiana's 4th congressional district...
, who barely managed to hold the seat vacated by McCrery, who retired from the House after twenty-one years of service.
Griffon has also held Governor Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
accountable for a lack of reform in state government. He has often criticized Jindal for inaction in meeting the state's fiscal woes and for campaigning out-of-state to raise funds for himself and other Republican candidates.
On December 10, 2007, Griffon announced his strong opposition to Jindal's expected support for incoming State Representative
Louisiana House of Representatives
The Louisiana House of Representatives is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Louisiana. The House is composed of 105 Representatives, each of whom represents approximately 42,500 people . Members serve four-year terms with a term limit of...
Noble Ellington as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Ellington, who was term-limited in the state senate and hence ran for the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
, was closely tied to the former Democratic administrations of Edwin Washington Edwards and Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and was a strong supporter of numerous tax increases. Ultimately, Jindal, acting on the advice of then incoming Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
Jim Tucker
Jim Tucker (Louisiana politician)
James Wayne Tucker, known as Jim Tucker , is the departing Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, and an ally of Governor Bobby Jindal. An investment banker from the Terrytown section of the New Orleans metropolitan area, Tucker's District 86 includes precincts from both Jefferson and...
did not recommend Ellington for the chairmanship. Griffon further voiced strong opposition to Republicans for accepting Ellington into the party when he defected in December 2010 in preparation for a possible run for House Speaker in 2012. He also opposes the defection of State Senator John Alario
John Alario
John A. Alario, Jr. , is an American businessman from Westwego in Jefferson Parish in the New Orleans suburbs, who is the dean of the Louisiana State Legislature, having served consecutively in the law-making body since 1972. He was the District 83 member of the Louisiana House of Representatives...
to the Republican Party in preparation for a 2012 run as State Senate President. Griffon considers Ellington and Alario "big government" advocates, not conservatives.On October 25, 2011, Jindal endorsed the election of Alario as State Senate President; in Louisiana, legislators nearly always defer to the governor in the selection of their presiding officers.
In 2008, Griffon endorsed the Republican U.S. senatorial candidate John Neely Kennedy, the state treasurer, in Kennedy's unsuccessful challenge to incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu
Mary Landrieu
Mary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...
. Kennedy occasionally appears on Griffon's program. Landrieu defeated Kennedy with 52 percent of the vote in the November 4 general election.
In November 2008, Griffon left the Republican Party and re-registered as a "no party" voter. He cited Jindal's political moves as a reason for leaving the party. "My frustration with Bobby Jindal is that he is not being a conservative," Griffon said in an interview. "Conservatives are mad as hell and they’re not taking it any more." Griffon has also criticized former Republican Governor David C. Treen
David C. Treen
David Conner "Dave" Treen, Sr. , was an American attorney and politician from Mandeville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana – the first Republican Governor of the U.S. state of Louisiana since Reconstruction. He was the first Republican in modern times to have served in the U.S...
for Treen's support of Senator Landrieu and Treen's unsuccessful attempt to obtain a pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
or commutation of sentence
Commutation of sentence
Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a commutation does not nullify the conviction and is often conditional. Clemency is a similar term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime...
for Treen's old Democratic rival, former Governor Edwin Washington Edwards. On several days in late November 2008, Griffon humorously suggested that listeners mail change-of-voter registration cards to Treen and urge Treen to join the Democratic Party.
In October 2010, former State Senator Mike Smith
Mike Smith (Louisiana politician)
Kenneth Michael Smith, Sr., known as Mike Smith , is a businessman in Winnfield, Louisiana, who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1996 to 2008....
, a Democrat from Winnfield
Winnfield, Louisiana
Winnfield is a city in and the parish seat of Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census. It has long been associated with the Long faction of the Louisiana Democratic Party and was home to three governors of Louisiana.-Geography:Winnfield is located at ...
, using his first name, "Kenneth," called the program to allege that Griffon is controlled by two unnamed wealthy Republicans. Griffon denies the allegation and claims that he alone owns his company and urged Smith to call again for further sparring. Smith is a cousin of Republican State Senator Gerald Long
Gerald Long
Gerald Long , is a rare Republican member of the traditionally Democratic Long political dynasty in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Specifically, he is a third cousin of the late Governors Huey Pierce Long, Jr., and Earl Kemp Long...
.
Personal
Griffon was born and reared in PlaqueminePlaquemine, Louisiana
Plaquemine is a city in and the parish seat of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,064 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, the seat of Iberville Parish south of Baton Rouge. One of his grandfathers was a sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Iberville Parish for sixteen years until he was unseated by Jessel Ourso. Griffon's father served an unexpired term as an Iberville Parish police juror. Griffon has two brothers and two sisters. He graduated from high school in 1979 and was recruited by coach and later athletic director Benny Hollis (1939–2011) to the University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of Louisiana at Monroe
The University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
to play basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. Griffon subsequently graduated in 1983 from ULM, then known as Northeast Louisiana University. On his radio program on May 13, 2009, Griffon revealed that he had kept a pistol for protection in his ULM dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
room during his college years. Griffon and his wife, the former Tonia Digirolamo (born 1963), a nurse at a specialty hospital, have four children. The oldest was born in 1986; the youngest is a special needs daughter, Mattie (born 1996), whom Griffon frequently mentions on the program. He is an avid fisherman
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
. Griffon was a caterer before he began his radio career.
Griffon also addresses dinners and private gatherings as an entertainer and a motivational speaker.