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CATEGORY 5 COMMUNICATIONS HOSTS LA INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC POLICY & POLITICS

Over the past year the Institute has hosted 3 seminar series 1) A Political Campaign Academy, A Public Policy Summit and Advocacy & Issue Management training.The faculty of the Institute includes many of the most knowledgable and powerful players in Louisiana politics and government:

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MIKE FOSTER- Former Governor & Senator
BUDDY ROEMER- Former Governor & Congressman
KYLE RUCKERT- Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator David Vitter
TIMMY TEEPELL, Former Chief of Staff for Governor Bobby Jindal
SCOTT ANGELLE, Former Lt. Governor & Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources
PHILLIP JOFFRION- Chief of Staff U.S. Congressman Jeff Landry
CHUCK KLECKLEY- Speaker of the House
SHARON WESTON BROOME- Senate Pro Tempore
DAN CLAITOR- State Senator District 16
SUZIE TERRELL- Former Commissioner of Elections
HILLAR MOORE- EBR District Attorney
CHAS ROEMER- BESE Meember District 6
STEVE CARTER- State Representative District 68
JIM BROWN- Former Secretary of State & Insurance Commissioner
PAUL RAINWATER- La. Commissioner of Administration
BRUCE GREENSTEIN, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
JON RINGO. Special Assistant to the Governor- Intergovernmental Affairs
J.T. LANE, Chief of Staff of the Department of Health
CHRIS J. MEYER, Advisor to the Superintendent, Department of Education
DR. JIM RICHARDSON, Public Administration Institute LSU
JIM HARRIS- Harris, Deville and Associates
TOM SPRADLEY- Spradley and Spradley
RANDY HAYDEN- Creative Communications
JOHNNY KOCH- Roedel/Parsons
JIM NICKEL- Courson/Nickel
PETE ADAMS- LA District Attorneys Association
MIKE RANATZA- LA Sheriffs Association
DAN BORNE- LA Chemical Association
JOHN MATESSINO- LA Hospital Association
GINGER SAWYER- LA Association of Business & Industry
JOHN WILLIAMS- Beer Industry League of LA
JENNIFER HALE- Fox News & Sports
RHETT DAVIS- LA GOP
ROY FLETCHER- Roy Fletcher & Associates
GEORGE KENNEDY- George Kennedy Media
BERNIE PINSONAT- Southern Media and Opinion Research
BRENT BARKSDALE- Jamestown Associates
SALLY NUNGESSOR- Nungesser Consulting, LLC
MIKE SMITH- ConnectCall USA
CHARLIE DAVIS- Liquid Ventures
JOHN DIEZ- Magellan Strategies
ROLAND DARTEZ- Police Jury Association of LA
RONNIE DUNCAN- LA Catholic Health Association
CAROLINE ROEMER SHIRLEY- LA Association of Public Charter Schools
RUDY GOMEZ- Blueprint Louisiana
JASON DORE- LA GOP
BRIAN LANDRY- LA Association of Business and Industry
RYAN HAYNIE- Haynie and Associates
CINDY BISHOP- Checkmate Strategies
JENNIFER MARUSAK, LA State Medical Society
ERIC LEWIS- Black Alliance for Educational Options
CAMILLE CONAWAY- SSA Consultants
BRIGETTE T. NIELAND- LA Association of Business & Industry
JIMMY BURLAND- Burland & Associates
RUSTY JABOUR- PR consultant
CHAD ROGERS- thedeadpelican.com
PAT BERGERON- Category 5 Communications
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If you are interested in the hearing more about upcoming events at the Institute contact Pat Bergeron at 225-405-6296 or cpbmsb@msn.com

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Category 5 Communications

In a recent lecture at the Louisiana Campaign Institute’s training seminar (Sponsored by: Louisiana Center for Women and Government) Pat Bergeron of Category 5 Communications discussed the role of the 'new media' in political campaigns. He shared several strategies and tactics that he said make the internet "an indispensable and deadly weapon in modern politics."

Below he was recently quoted in an article in the national political internet publication SALON.COM

Will Charlie Melancon's oil spill tears beat David Vitter?

(Pat Bergeron of Baton Rouge, a conservative strategist who has helped elect three Louisiana governors, says that Vitter has stayed ahead of the curve so far by running against Obama and that’s not likely to change. "As long as Melancon has Obama around his neck, he’s beat," Bergeron says. "This state isn’t going to change from anti-Obama overnight.")

"Top Notch, State-of-the-Art, Cutting Edge, Effective, Impact Undeniable, Missions Accomplished, Cat 5 Gets It Done!"

"Pat Bergeron has worked for me on many projects including and since my first campaign for Governor... top notch political mind"

Former Governor Mike Foster


"The internet strategies and tactics deployed by 'Category 5' were a critical element in John McCain's huge margin of victory in Louisiana... strictly cutting edge"

Former Governor Buddy Roemer (John McCain Presidential Campaign Chairman for Louisiana)

"The main Category 5 Communications website LaNewsLink.com is required daily reading by the Louisiana Congressional staffs on Capitol Hill"
Congressman Rodney Alexander (LA-5th District)

"Bergeron is riding the wave of the future using the tools of the new media... 'Category 5' is a good name for it... he can spin-up a huge political storm in about 5 seconds"

Bernie Pinsonat, Pollster and veteran political analyst


"Cat 5 is a must for any candidate that wants a fast and effective internet element to their campaign"

Hillar Moore, District Attorney (East Baton Rouge Parish)


“Category 5 has been professional, timely, and a state-of-the-art consulting business for assistance with legislative projects and grass-roots efforts”

Randy K. Haynie, Longtime Louisiana Lobbyist (Haynie & Associates)


"When I have used Bergeron on projects, what can I say? We won... Missions accomplished"

Lane Grigsby, Successful Louisiana Businessman and Civic Leader

"I am in the unique position of having had "Category 5" both for me and against me. When Cat 5 was with me, the margin of victory mirrored that of my margin of defeat when the storm was against me. The impact on the opinion leaders at the community level is both tangible and undeniable"

Dan Claitor, State Senator- District 16 (and loser in East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney's Race)

"Web communication has become a critical component in all campaigns. CAT 5 gets it done- IT IS web communications"

Roy Fletcher, Political Media Consultant and Campaign Strategist

"TOP NOTCH, STATE-OF-THE-ART, CUTTING EDGE, EFFECTIVE, MISSIONS ACCOMPLISHED, IMPACT UNDENIABLE, CAT 5 GETS IT DONE!"

TO CONTACT CATEGORY 5 COMMUNICATIONS:
Category 5 Communications
10155 Perkins Rowe, Suite 314
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810

225-405-6296

cpbmsb@msn.com

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RAW POLITICS @ LIGHTNING SPEED! Experts Say Internet Drives, Shapes Political Arena

This past weekend internet political media consultant Pat Bergeron addressed the campaign school sponsored by Bayou Buzz at the Lindy Boggs Center on the campus of UNO.

When asked how the 'New Media' has changed the political landscape his message was clear, "if your candidate has serious flaws they will come out and they will come out at lightning speed." He said the strategies are changing. "No more waiting until the final days to whack your opponent. If your guy has serious baggage you can only hope the other candidate is a bigger scumbag than yours."He also addressed the impact of the 'New Media' saying, "Internet communications are personal and very powerful. They can be passed on to friends or associates in a matter of seconds and that third party validation, call it an endorsement from the sender, can devastate or completely decimate a campaign in very short period of time."

Bergeron said he had been developing internet strategies for several businesses, issue groups and political campaigns recently, utilizing websites, blogs, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter components. "The internet applications and implications for shaping public opinion are unlimited. The viral nature of email and the social networks makes it where an issue or candidate can be ignited or squelched literally overnight."

A FEW EXCERPTS FROM RECENT ARTICLES:

EXPERTS SAY INTERNET DRIVES, SHAPES POLITICAL ARENA
by Scott Rogers - The Ouachita Citizen

More and more people today are getting their political news over the Internet. One person who can attest to the Internet's popularity in this manner is Pat Bergeron, who owns and operates the web site www.lanewslink.com. Bergeron also owns the consulting firm, Category 5 Communications.

Bergeron, a Baton Rouge-based political consultant for more than 30 years, started his web site about four years ago to "take full advantage of the power of the online community in matters of public policy and politics." Bergeron has worked in more than 100 political campaigns. He said the popularity of the Internet has changed how campaigns are run and public policy is influenced. Today, candidates must hire someone to manage their Internet presence just as they would hire a consultant for other forms of media. "It also opens up a whole different avenue for creative talent," Bergeron said. "Everything is different now because of the Internet. It has such a vital role in campaigns."

Bergeron began his web site with a list of 8,000 people who are currently involved in the political arena around the Baton Rouge area. Now, that "opinion leader database" has grown to over 28,000 people all over the state. "The online community in its many diverse forms is quickly evolving into the primary place where public opinion is tested and shaped," he said. "This (medium) helps get your word out to the people who are most interested." "Over the past few years, working with the best public relations people in the state, this firm has counted among its clients dozens of successful political candidates from governor to police juror," he said.

BLOGS TAKE FOCUS ON STATE POLITICS
by Stephen Largen - Monroe News Star

"Legislators pay attention to them. I know this because I hear peoples' blogs repeated all the time on the floor of the Legislature." -John Sutherlin, professor of political science at the University of Louisiana at MonroePat Bergeron, who started one of the first and most prominent news-aggregation blogs in the state, lanewslink.com, four years ago, said the Web sites are growing increasingly important to the Pelican State's political landscape. "In terms of issues and elections, the power of blogs is growing exponentially," he said. "The Internet will totally dominate politics."

Bergeron started the blogs as an evolution of his work as a political consultant, when he sent out a newsletter to a few thousand opinion leaders in the state. Now, he e-mails a summary of his blog to around 28,000 people, including members of the press, legislators and other prominent opinion shapers. "The reason that the blogs have taken on importance is because there are only X number of people who pay attention, and most of them are on the Internet," Bergeron said.

NOTE: Over the years Bergeron has served in many diverse professional capacities at all three levels of government. He has been an East Baton Rouge Metro-Councilman, a Congressional District Political Director, and the Chief of Staff of the Louisiana Department of Elections. For several years he was a lobbyist and spokesman for local officials at the capitol and has served as a commission appointee or chairman under three Governors. Politically, he has been a media consultant, a campaign manager or communications director for dozens of candidates and has played a role in many dramatic upset victories over the past 30 years. He has also been a Presidential candidate delegate or alternate to three national party conventions.If you are in need of innovative solutions and strong positive results by starting up or enhancing your internet media presence Bergeron may be contacted by email at: cpbmsb@msn.com

Phone: 225-405-6296

Mail: Category 5 Communications
10155 Perkins Rowe, Suite 314
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810
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TO VISIT LANEWSLINK.COM CLICK ON LOGO ABOVE.