Washington Mardi Gras Is Big Business
by Ana Radelat - The Daily Advertiser (excerpt)

WASHINGTON - Many Washington Mardi Gras revelers hope deals and promises made during the festivities are kept long after the last call-out dance at the ball and the pre-dawn breakfasts that follow.

For many of the more than 2,000 Louisianians who've come to Washington to participate in a swirl of parties and receptions, this Mardi Gras is all about business.

Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel said that's what Washington Mardi Gras means to him. He was excited to run into a successful businessman who had left Lafayette 23 years ago.

"It's all about developing relationships," Durel said of the Mardi Gras. "You can have nice, casual meetings with senators or congressmen instead of a scheduled, 15-minute meeting where everybody is uptight and wearing suits."

It's not known how many deals are cut over hors d'oeuvres at the hospitality suites that Louisiana cities like Lafayette and Shreveport operate in the Washington Hilton - the main site of the Mardi Gras.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Louisiana Lobbyist John Breaux: "There Ain't No Business Transactions Here" - (Shreveport Times)