a shame, I like Campbell better

but oh well, he'll be better than Jindall, and if stays a Democrat he'll set the Republican party back significantly. This is their perfect year for a take over. Thjeir is going to be a runoff, Georges is going to run five million dollars of ads late in the election. That's probably going to be close to jindall's total, and you don't spend that kind of money and not get 10 percent of the vote, at least, and he's got some very experienced campaign managers and media guys working for him.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

---

by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Tue Jul 17, 2007 at 22:39:48 PM UTC

Good news from LA at last!

Hey, if Diaper Dave Vitter can take down Jindal along with himself, that's a two-fer to take fur sure!

I also liked Campbell better than the two-timing party-switcher, but I have to say that I LOVE Boasso's TV ads. And once I fell in love, I started to find ways to rationalize . . .

In a perverse way, the fact that Boasso was a Democrat, switched to Repub Party, and now has switched back to run as a Dem may turn out to be a big plus: Boasso is doing what he is asking the voters Louisiana to do now, after flirting with the Repubs, to go back home to the Democratic Party!

BTW Tonight I tuned in to catch a bit of the filibuster on C-SPAN. Senator Mary Landrieu got an early time slot for her remarks, and my roommate agrees that she looked good and made good sense. Very nice show for Mary.

---

by: WoodyNYC @ Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 03:29:51 AM UTC

his ad

was really bad? Everyone I've talked seems to agree. Whjat did you like about it?

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

---

by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 18:56:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

people in my parish

actually find his ads very humorous.

---

by: pointecoupeedemocrat @ Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 00:10:23 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Just watched the 2 ads

And I must say, the first one (Big Challenges) was quite good. I also think that having Jindal as a cardboard poster is actually a really good strategy, both right now and in the future. Painting Jindal as an unaccomplished, establishment puppet by the party bosses is probably the best strategy for Boasso at this point, and for Campbell (and Georges) as well, it would be a good idea to expand on this notion (if any of them thinks they have a chance to make it to the runoff).

---

by: KainIIIC @ Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 04:32:12 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

the ad about raising

teacehr pay came out right after the legislature did jsut that. The kid did all the talking, and Boasso just stood their with a kind of clueless look on his face and a really wierd smile. The ad focused on vague 'bread and butter' issues that every politician drones on about when they talk about education. Why not got out their and say, "we need to stop funding our schools based on standardized tests, how trying to revamp and bring a wave of change to replace our old standards of education which are obviously failing our modern expectations. Sorry but his ad rung of what I've heard every politician I've ever met say. I've talked to many family members and political followers up here in North Louisiana and no liked the ads.

On a side note, political ads aren't really supposed to be funny, but to say the least I didn't find this one funny.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

---

by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Fri Jul 20, 2007 at 02:14:37 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

whadda you think about this

Email I got from Foster campbell:

Before voters pay much attention to what a candidate says he will do if elected, it makes good sense to know what he's actually done in the past.

  Foster Campbell's record as a leader who has worked by the principles of the Democratic Party is clear.  Throughout his career in the Louisiana Senate and now on the Public Service Commission, Foster has carved out a record of serving the average people of Louisiana, and not the special interests.

  He's led the fight to hold down utility bills, to prevent payday lenders from gouging consumers, to fund public schools adequately and to curtail the influence of big special interests.

  Most recently he has received awards for passing a rule prohibiting utilities from charging deposits to women who move out of their homes to escape domestic violence.

  Now he leads the fight to make foreign countries and multinational oil companies pay for the privilege of using Louisiana's land, marshes and offshore waters to process their oil.  He'll use the proceeds to eliminate your state income tax, both personal and corporate, invest in education, highways, coastal restoration and hurricane recovery.  With $3.1 billion in the pockets of Louisiana's people each year instead of in the state treasury, Foster will spark the biggest economic boom in modern Louisiana history.

  And what about the other candidates?  What do we know about where they stand?

  One, the registered Republican, votes down the line with George Bush, even when it hurts Louisiana and its people.  To support Bush's war plans, Bobby Jindal voted against billions in hurricane recovery funds targeted to New Orleans and other hard-hit South Louisiana areas.

  Jindal has never met a big corporate special interest he dislikes.

  The other candidate, a recent convert to the Democratic Party, switched from the Republican Party of Bush and Jindal to find a more convenient home to run for Governor.

  But his record shows he fought against raising the minimum wage and voted to limit the rights of consumers when they're wronged by big corporations.

  He recorded a 90% favorable voting record with LABI, the big-company group that fights every year to help enrich themselves, at the expense of hardworking Louisianans.

  Foster Campbell has been a lifelong Democrat.  Even when other elected officials in his conservative North Louisiana area switched to the GOP as a convenience, Foster has remained and will remain a Democrat.  He'll continue to represent the regular people of Louisiana and work with small businesses to grow and prosper.

  If you're tired of Republicans and Democrats who vote like Republicans, Foster Campbell is your leader."

thoughts?


Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

---

by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Sat Jul 21, 2007 at 00:16:47 AM UTC

As predicted

Most people knew that Jindal's main short-suit was his record. It's kinda hard to defend something that isn't there for the most part. Obviously I'm a supporter of his, but I'm fair enough to admit that any day of the week, and twice on Sunday!

However, none of the cadidates has exactly a stellar record to run on. Campbell was never a powerhouse of the Senate. Boasso has a good business record, but as Nagin proved, a good business record is not a perfect weathervane for how one will perform in public office, when you cannot make all the rules.

The problem with Campbell is that his ideas are not good. He's sticking a lot on his idea to tax oil companies. This could very well lead oil companies to have their oil processed elsewhere. Texas has a long standing and very robust oil processing industry. They would not move immediately, but they would look elsewhere for the future.

I realize that his argument of "it will do away with corporate and personal income tax, which will spur new business growth" may be true. But, it MAY be true. We already have a good oil and gas industry. We are risking alienating that industry for an as-yet-unidentified boom of another business type. That's a big gamble. It's akin to taking your entire house and betting that the Red Sox will win the World Series. Right now, the odds are in your favor - but are you willing to bet it all?

BTW, as a general FYI about congressional votes on bills in Washington, be wary of putting much stock in a statement such as, "this person voted against whatever." The reason I say this is because bills often have a zillion different things attached to them. In Louisiana, you cannot attach something to a bill unless it has to do with the same subject. For instance, if there is a bill dealing with teacher pay raises, you can attach something that gives firemen raises. You can also attach something that mandates certain academic levels in schools too qualify for the raises. However, you can't attach something about Medicaid.

In Washington, you can put whatever on whatever. There was a recent bill that was well publicized. It had to do with funding the war in Iraq. that was what the media latched onto. However, there were also provisions in there for allocating money for hospitals and doctors. So, if you voted for the bill, your opponenet could say you "voted in lockstep with the President on Iraq." If you voted against it, your opponents could say, "You voted to decrease the pay of doctors and hospitals in America." This happens every day up there.

---

by: LA Professor @ Mon Jul 23, 2007 at 16:47:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

so you believe in pandering

to the state oil and gas industry. I'm sorry but the Oil industry should be pandering to the State Government, not the otehr way around, the State Gvoernment should be much more powerful. So basically, to avoid paying a small industry tax set in an ancient outdated tax that doesn't tax foreign oil, these companies are going to move. My question for them; Are you going to move the Mississippi river, are you going to movie the thousands of miles of pipeline that you have littered our state with, and you going to shut down your oil refineries and move two-four hundred miles to the west to avoid paying a tax.

About Jindall's voting record in congress, the nonpartsan Congress.org ranked him the weakest member of the 2004 freshman class, he was 432nd in the power structure, out of 435. He voted with the Republican agenda more than 97% of the time, and that includes votes agaisnt stem cell research, extending tax cuts at a time when we have a record budget, hurting Louisiana farmers by votign for CAFTA, and by voting to slash farm subsidies. Check out his scores with the ACU and Heritage Foundation, those are their indicator on how conservative he was, and they're in the ninties. How can you support someone like that over other viable alternatives. You do know that if Jindall takes the Governorship he will bring a sweeping Republican wave with him, turning Louisiana into Georgia, which is in itself a frightening thought.

Jindall has been continuously put in appointed positions inappropriately, when their were better candidates. No 27 year old who ahsn't even worked for a College should have been made President of the University of Louisiana college system.

And, to bring back something, yes, the GOP hold on the Catholic vote is still fragile. It began, really, with the 2004 PResidential race when they used abortion and gay marriage to turn the tables, most notably in Melancon's district. It gave Bush 57% of the vote, while Clinton had won it by a double digit margin twice, and it supported Landrieu in 2002, and Blanco in 2003 by even larger margins. If Democrats can turn the issues around I feel confident they retake much territory among the influential catholic population. And, North Louisiana is trending Democratic, I think that your using the performances of the two Republican Congressmen in 2006 is completely off the point. Two entrenched incumbents facing invisible and weak challengers, and then  winnning overwhelmingly is quite normal, especially in McCrey's case, though Alexanders total utterly mystified me.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

---

by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Mon Jul 23, 2007 at 18:14:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Don't put words in my mouth

I never said "pander." But, the state should "work with" it's largest industries to make the economy stronger. Does California shut out the entertainment business? Does Iowa increase tariffs on corn? Does Florida make tourists pay for beach access? No.

You ask about them moving the Mississippi - they don't need to, Houston is on the Gulf (a bonus - no more outrageous river pilot fees!). Are they going to move pipelines? Texas has more pipelines than it knows what to do with already. Are they going to shut down refineries? Actually, that's a good question. I don't think they'd shut anything down - they're too expensive. But, a new refinery has not been built in LA in decades. They are old. So, I think they won't build any new ones. It's just dollars and sense (I know, I meant to spell it that way). If you're having to build a new refinery anyway, why not build it where it's cheaper to do business?

I'll be very happy with a Conservative governor. We need someone in our state to shrink the state government, to reign in spending, and to shift our philosphy from "rely on the government" to "rely on yourselves." Jindal will do that.

As for him not being qualified for the positions he's held, take a look at 90% of the positions held by appointed people - very few of them ever held positions in that field. Our Superintendant of Education is an attorney, our Secretary of Health and Hospitals was a physician (in other words, no political or business experience), and our Secretary of Transportation and Development worked in oil and gas exploration. Not to mention our Governor - the stay-at-home grandmother.

---

by: LA Professor @ Tue Jul 24, 2007 at 14:29:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]