In a year stressing “political change”, it will be interesting to see how all this “change” plays out in the Louisiana US Senate race and how “names” might be associated with “change”.

Yesterday, the nation was changed a bit, not just due to a jolting earthquake but because of the stinging indictment of a big name, Ted Stevens, famed US Senator of Alaska.  Stevens has been a friend to Louisiana’s recovery post-Katrina despite a question he asked a New Orleans querying why that person would rebuild in the city.

Stevens, a Republican, has been in charge of US Senate Appropriations and has put Alaska on the US map more than any other person.  He is also famous for “earmarks” and controversial appropriations such as the “bridge to nowhere”.

Louisiana treasurer, John Kennedy, now a Republican, has railed against earmarks which show he is not showing any favoritism--since Stevens is from the same party.  Polls indicate the Republicans just might lose another seat with Stevens already in big political trouble prior to the indictment.  In fact, if the elections were to occur today, it would appear that the Democrats would control the White House and both houses of Congress.

Some politicians and commentators have said that had it not been for earmarks, the already-Alaska glacier-like recovery in Louisiana, post-Katrina would still be frozen.

Bayoubuzz had asked US Senator candidate John Kennedy to distinguish earmarks from appropriations and according to the now-treasurer, the “earmarks” are appropriations attached to legislation that few people know about as legislation is approved. (see video).

Without doubt, one of the major campaign issues will be earmarks versus appropriations.  South Louisiana, in particular, would not have recovered at all without Congressional appropriations.  How much of that money sent to Louisiana were “earmarks” and not normal appropriations is a legitimate question.  How much of the building of Alaska over the past three decades is due to “earmarks” as per John Kennedy’s definition of that term is probably fair discussion in that US Senate race in Alaska, assuming there is anything else to discuss up there aside from the recent indictment.

Nationally, the entire Ted Stevens legal ordeal could hurt the Republicans just as Congressman Bill Jefferson could hurt Democrats.  More to the point, it will be interesting to see how the names of Jefferson and Stevens will hurt Senator Landrieu and John Kennedy in their more specific campaigns for Louisiana US Senate.

Speaking of names, at least one name that is cropping up in the current US Senate race is that of the junior US Senator, David Vitter.

According to a media release by Louisiana Victory 2008, there is some confusion regarding Kennedy and David Vitter.

The release said, “Yesterday on Eric Asher's radio program John Neely Kennedy was given two opportunities to deny that he would have made an issue of Senator David Vitter's involvement with a prostitution ring in his campaign against Vitter in 2004. But while saying he was proud to have Senator Vitter's support Kennedy ducked and spun his way around the questions and never gave an answer.

This question goes to the heart of John Neely Kennedy's character as an unprincipled political opportunist. That he will accept the support of Senator Vitter, proudly, but would not reject the idea that he would have used Vitter's indiscretions in his campaign against him demonstrates that Kennedy has no principles and no loyalties except to himself.

"How hard would it be for Kennedy to say that he would not have used this issue against his new friend David Vitter?" Brian Welsh, Communications Director for Louisiana Victory 08 said. "Doesn't David Vitter deserve this type of loyalty from his new friend John Kennedy?

"Could it be that everyone knows that Kennedy, in his habitual state of political opportunism, would have jumped all over it?

"After all, this is the same John Kennedy who, just four years ago, tried to fool voters into thinking he was President John Kennedy, the same John Kennedy who endorsed John Kerry for president and now tries to slough it off as a mistake, the same John Kennedy who called George Bush's tax cuts nonsense on a stick but now says they should be extended.

"We all know there is nothing John Neely Kennedy will not do or say in his quest for personal political gain. But he owes his new friend David Vitter an answer to whether he would have used Vitter's indiscretions against him in 2004. . .or whether he would use them against David Vitter in a campaign against him in 2010.

"This is a question that will tell us who the real John Kennedy is. And it's a question that both David Vitter and the people of Louisiana deserve to have answered."

Then, Vitter is not the only name being bantered around indicating praise and guilt by association.  The John Kennedy campaign sent Bayoubuzz the following statement yesterday which was part of an article written by John Hasten, “Kyle Plotkin, Kennedy campaign spokesman said the planned event contrasts with a fundraiser that incumbent U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, has scheduled next week with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"While Mary Landrieu travels to Manhattan to fill her campaign coffers with money from liberals like Mike Bloomberg who don't represent conservative values, John Kennedy is proud and honored to have the support of First Lady Laura Bush for our campaign for change in Louisiana."

Expect the “name game” to continue, as the new elections usher in some  “change” locally and nationally.

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