The election for the Louisiana US Senate is becoming somewhat of an “electronic chess match.
John Kennedy, a candidate for US Senator in a race against Mary Landrieu appears to be taking an electronic page from the successful campaign from now Louisiana Governor, Bobby Jindal.In a weekly newsletter, Kennedy reminded supporters that “As we fight for ethics and spending reform here in Louisiana, we are reminded of the changes needed in Washington. Government spending on wasteful earmarks is out of control and is hurting our economy. As State Treasurer, John has fought against the careless practice of pork-barrel spending and he will do the same in Washington. Congress is on a spending spree and we need a fiscal watchdog like John Kennedy.”
In the newsletter, he also took a shot at Mary Landrieu’s finances associating her to Jack Abramoff, indirectly questioned her loyalty to Barack Obama, cited an article that blacks are considering abandoning the Democratic Party and then asked for money for his campaign.
Kennedy is calling himself a “conservative reformer”, however, on the newsletter, there is no mention that he is running as a Republican.
The Republican Party, last week, also sent out an email newsletter attacking Landrieu for alleged Abramoff ties.It is uncertain how much coordination there is between the Louisiana GOP and Kennedy’s campaign, but, if it compares to that of the Jindal-LaGOP operation of 2007, it will be substantial.However, for some reason, Kennedy, who last year converted to be a Republican has not donned the Republican banner on his newsletter which to this writer indicates that he wants to be perceived as an independent who happens to be a Republican and who is supported by the Republican Party yet wants to peel off African American voters who traditionally support Democrats.By contrast, last year, there was no or little doubt that Jindal was running as a Republican and was able to win a good portion of the black vote and who has been able to capture the hearts and minds of some key blacks statewide.
US Senator Mary Landrieu is also using electronic mail to push her message.Last week, she noted via email that “As Louisiana State Senate President Joel T. Chaisson II said at an event supporting Senator Landrieu this weekend, "No one has been more effective in fighting for Louisiana than Senator Mary Landrieu. It is absolutely critical that we send her back to the United States Senate to serve the people of our State.".Chaisson has been Jindal’s Louisiana Senate floor leader.Landrieu has been touting support by Republicans throughout the state and by New Orleans City Councilman, Arnie Fielkow.
From a political perspective, Landrieu claims that her “first-quarter Federal Election Commission report showed her with a nearly $3 million lead in cash on hand over [potential Republican nominee John] Kennedy." That number might change somewhat given the 500,000 he collected from a Bush fundraiser on Kennedy’s behalf.Landrieu also cited Roll Call and said that the paper also pointed out the difficulties Sen. Landrieu's opponent will have in the coming months: "Kennedy has also reportedly drawn a primary opponent, conservative businessman Paul Hollis...depending on how much Hollis is willing and able to spend on the race, he could bleed Kennedy of crucial campaign funding leading up to the September primary."
While the race is still very early, not yet even summer, the role of Barack Obama will be critical.Assuming he is the Democrat party nominee and based upon voting history, he has galvanized the national black support which would likely benefit Senator Landrieu.However, the question still remains whether he is able to capture the votes of the Democrat Clinton supporters who he will need to win Louisiana which appears not ready to support an African American for President, although it did back a conservative Indian American, for Governor.Obviously, should Obama prevail as the party candidate for President, conventional wisdom suggests that Landrieu would support him, and the Kennedy campaign might attempt to associate Obama with Landrieu (a strategy used in the Sixth Congressional District by national Republicans in the Woody Jenkins campaign against Don Cazayoux) while, as mentioned in this week’s newsletter, he made it known that Landrieu has not yet supported the “presumptive nominee”.Perhaps, as the race continues, Kennedy, knowing that blacks will likely turn out in record numbers for Obama—which will presumably benefit Landrieu-- might be more willing to cloak himself with the Republican flag, which to date, has been missing from his newsletters.
Only time will tell and the Presidential and Vice President races (which could include a Louisiana Governor at that slot) could tell us much more.For now, we’re just seeing who makes the next move on the political board for an election that means a tremendous amount for the state and for the national parties.
Sorry, but I can't justify voting for a career politician (who only cares about us when trying to get re-elected) just because she is in the majority party. The democrats are in power right now, but that could change during the next election cycle. Although Bush is blamed for everything including skinned knee's and acne, what has the democratic controlled congress done? Their approval rating is abysmal and not getting any better. So why not give "Change" a chance? Get rid of Mary and get someone new in there who does have a track record of protecting the people's interest, not just some special interest that donates large sums of $$ to the campaign? Written by Sid
on 5/13/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Ahhhhh, the RDS outlook on how things work........... Not quite in step with reality, but, wutever............. To quote a famous person though..... [[[[[Every gun that is fired, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. The world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. - Dwight D. Eisenhower]]]]]]. Had we not invested in, and continue to invest in “Offensive/Defensive Military Superiority” the odds would have it that we would merely be an ineffective and largely ignorant rabble mass such as the citizenship of Iraq, or Mexico (as they face unbelievable odds against drug cartels) or Myanmar as a result of our collective inabilities to overcome external forces or foreign customs that are determined to undermine the American way of life, and our instilled (although seemingly at this point distilled) sense of values……….. Now if we can get our local governmental leaders and agencies back in the fold so that they will do as they are told the future of Louisiana and the United States can actually become quite bold…. RDS,,,,,,, defense spending, and other tax based abstracts that are for the common good and perpetuation of a decent society as a whole are called effective balance and prudent progress when facing the challenges of the future. Sadly the paradigm of effective and prudent appears to be something that the Red Stick Yuppie Piyush is seriously lacking or devoid of….. But then again, what can the common man expect from someone who has never experienced demanding manual labor that is not only taxed so that Piyush and his Krewe can buy their daily bread, but also taxes the very sinews of the laborers being while they sweat and toil for their daily debt……………………… And all so that legislatures can ‘Vote’ their selves “A decent living wage”, while spitting on the constituents they were elected to serve……. Written by .........For whom the Bells toll
on 5/13/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
But Sid, Party affiliation DOES matter, whether we like it or not. Whoever controls Congress has a great deal of power in terms of committee chairmanships, etc. The fact that Kennedy is now in the GOP, and the fact that the GOP is losing power nationwide means that it would NOT be in Louisiana's best interests to unseat Mary Landrieu to put him in (not that I'm a Mary Landrieu fan - she constantly disappoints me). Kennedy would have been a shoo-in as a Democrat running against David (I mean "John") Vitter - had he been a bit more patient, he'd almost certainly be a US Senator in 2010. As it stands now, he's probably going to lose. Pas très sma't, comme ça dit en le français 'Cadien. And RDS, you are once again spot-on. TW Written by Tee Dub
on 5/13/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Kennedy was a true blue dog democrat, a conservative democrat. His party threw him under the bus during the last senate race. Since then he has switched parties. I can't blame him because the democratic party that my parents belonged to is no longer around. The democratic party of today is a liberal party of the special interests. Ms. Pelosi and others are more interested in fighting President Bush and playing party politics than they are in fixing the real problems that we all face. Granted neither party is without fault, but it was pretty much a given that kennedy would switch parties. Maybe we should focus less on parties and more on the individual. Kennedy's record shows that he has the people's best interest at heart, regardless of their party affliation. Written by Sid
on 5/13/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Back in the Barry Goldwater and Nelson Rockefeller days, it was perhaps possible for Republicans to categorize themselves as 'fiscally conservative'. However, since Ronald Reagan began upping the ante for the armed forces, bringing them to their present position of demanding half the national budget, exceeding the military budgets of all other countries combined, and dispersing military-related economic activities to every congressional district, the military is the budget buster for the United States. Instead of social welfare for poor families, we have military welfare for the wealthy corporations. Of the two, the latter is vastly more expensive and benefits only those who have no need for benefits. . . . Mr. Kennedy may try to play the role of thrifty Republican against a tax-and-spend Democrat, but I hope there aren't enough fools in Louisiana to believe him. His convenient party-switching hardly recommends his leadership to me, since he apparently intends to follow the wind wherever it blows. It's an ill wind that has no direction. Written by Robert Desmarais Sullivan
on 5/12/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
The election for the Louisiana US Senate is becoming somewhat of an “electronic chess match.
