The teeth-grinding among GOPers isn’t over:
LaFaxNet – Stop the Presses! By Lou Gehrig Burnett
Will Seabaugh seek Senate seat?
The Louisiana Republican Party seems to be having a lot of indecision over who should be the candidate to take on incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, who is seeking a fourth six-year term in 2014.
It was thought that U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy of Baton Rouge, who represents the 6th Congressional District, was the anointed one to carry the GOP banner.
But then a retired Air Force colonel by the name of Rob Maness of Madisonville jumped into the race and began picking up endorsements from several tea party and conservative groups.
That gave the impression that many conservative Republicans do not believe Cassidy is conservative enough to defeat Landrieu. The latest independent poll gave Landrieu a 10-point lead over Cassidy.
Now comes a new wrinkle to the race. State Rep. Alan Seabaugh, a Republican from Shreveport, is giving consideration to entering the U.S. Senate race. He would be another burr under the saddle for Cassidy.
That’s because Seabaugh is from a part of the state that is very conservative, and, therefore, would take more votes away from Cassidy. It is also thought that Maness will have some support in northwest Louisiana.
How the leaders of the state Republican Party handle this chaos will be interesting to watch.
Yikes. Another slap in the face to Cassidy, who has suffered an anemic start to his campaign.The LAGOP is on its way to blowing this chance to put up a strong challenge to Mary Landrieu.
UPDATE: Statement on the Seabaugh stir from Andrew Zucker, Comm Director for the Campaign for Louisiana (LaDems Indy Exp):
“Republicans can’t be excited about contrasting Bill Cassidy’s record of shutting down the government in order to block implementing the same health care reforms he tried to pass at the state level in ’07 with Mary Landrieu’s record of fighting for Louisiana and getting real results, so it comes as no surprise that they’re already looking for alternatives.”
- Andrew Zucker, Communications Director, Campaign for Louisiana(Photo above: Alan Seabaugh)