If you have a spare moment in your busy schedule, I recommend you visit the webiste of the Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority, a PAC US Senator David Vitter bankrolls with Washington, DC, money. All the usual suspects are there: Paul Dickson, Wendy Vitter, Boysie Bollinger, David Vitter, TA Barfield, Joseph Canizaro, Michael Polito, Fox News and The Weekly Standard. And there they are rehashing and revising all the 1994 rhetoric, failing to recall that today is the year 2007. "Revolution," "Republican re-alignment [sic]," "Republican domination," "a Democrat [sic] Party in crisis," "trial lawyers," "smaller government," "business friendly," "an end to political corruption:" all the tropes are there for the taking, and Vitter and company are falling on top of one another as they grasp for whatever straws they can find in their twisted fantasy space. It is quite sick, really, especially when one wonders why they are so obsessed with hegemony. For the goal is to present "the next Republican Governor" with a "Republican controlled House." Dissent and debate will not be brooked in their warped vision for Louisiana.
Despite all the crowing about the impending "revolution," LCRM has already conceded the state Senate to the Democrats. Their eyes are focused on the state House, and they outline the following four step plan for their planned takeover of that chamber in their introductory video: maintain the 25 seats presently held by Republicans; hold all 15 open Republican seats; "switch" or defeat 7 Democratic incumbents in districts "friendly to Vitter and Bush;" win 20 of the open Democratic seats that "lean Republican."
Here is a table enumerating the state House seats they plan to target with open Republican seats in pink, Republican seats in red, open Democratic seats in purple and Democratic seats in blue:
HD01
James Morris
Caddo and Bossier Parishes
HD07
Beverly Bruce
Caddo and DeSoto Parishes
HD09
Billy Wayne Montgomery
Bossier Parish
HD10
Jean M. Doerge
Webster Parish
HD13
Jim Fannin
Bienville, Jackson, Ouachita and Winn Parishes
HD14
Charlie Mac McDonald
East Carroll, Morehouse, Ouachita and West Carroll Parishes
HD19
Francis T. Thompson
East Carroll, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland and West Carroll Parishes
HD20
Lelon Kenney
Caldwell, Catahoula, Franklin and Tensas Parishes
HD24
Joe Salter
DeSoto, Red River, Sabine and Vernon Parishes
HD25
Charlie DeWitt
Rapides and Vernon Parishes
HD27
Rick Farrar
Rapides Parish
HD30
John Smith
Beauregard and Vernon Parishes
HD32
Herman Ray Hill
Allen, Beauregard and Vernon Parishes
HD39
Clara Guilbeau Baudoin
Lafayette, St. Landry and St. Martin Parishes
HD41
Mickey Guillory
Acadia, Evangeline and St. Landry Parishes
HD42
Gil Pinac
Acadia and Lafayette Parishes
HD46
Sydnie Mae Durand
St. Martin Parish
HD47
Mickey Frith
Cameron and Vermilion Parishes
HD48
Romo Romero
Iberia Parish
HD49
Troy Hebert
Iberia and Vermilion Parishes
HD50
Jack Smith
Iberia, St. Martin and St. Mary Parishes
HD53
Damon Baldone
Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes
HD55
Warren Triche
Lafourche Parish
HD56
Gary Smith
St. Charles and St. John the Baptist Parishes
HD75
Harold Ritchie
St. Tammany and Washington Parishes
HD84
NJ Damico
Jefferson Parish
HD103
Kenneth Odinet
Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes
Some of this is not very surprising, but I do not understand how Republicans believe an incumbent such as Damon Baldone, who secured a large portion of the Terrebonne Parish vote during the 2004 jungle primary for LA-03 and thereby enabled Charlie Melancon to edge past state Sen. Craign Romero into the runoff, would either switch parties or lose an election in his home turf. I also wonder how they plan to smear Mickey Guillory, a former police officer, and Jean Doerge, a former educator. And do they seriously believe River Parish voters will oust Gary Smith?
Their focus on Acadiana is the result of the popularity of John Breaux and Chris John in this region. The Acadiana vote has always been one Republicans have had a difficult time securing, and they believe this is the year they can turn south Louisiana red. While the fields for the jungle primaries for these races are yet to be formed, we do have promising Democratic candidates running for some of these open Democratic seats. One worth watching and supporting is Simone Champagne, who retired from her position as Chief Administrator for Iberia Parish Government in order to run for Troy Hebert's House seat. If we can recruit organized and qualified candidates such as Champagne in every open Acadiana seat, we will derail LCRM's plan to control the state House in the name of "Republican domination."
What are your reactions to LCRM's strategy? And how do you interpret their rhetoric? Is David Vitter obsessed with Chris John? Do you see their strategy as viable? Or do you view it as so much posturing and so much bilge? Whether or not we agree with it, we at least know where the lines have been drawn, and we should prepare to fight them on each and every front.
And we should also surprise them with attacks in districts they assume are safely Republican. HD54, HD104, HD105 are three seats presently held by Republicans that are far from safe. Two other seats that comes to mind unbidden are HD94 and HD95. And according to one Louisiana political pundit, HD31 may become a very interesting race.
