Party will back Blanco; state Democratic chairman visits LC

The newly elected Louisiana Democratic Party chairman says the party will fully back Gov. Kathleen Blanco in next year's election.

Baton Rouge attorney Chris Whittington was named to the chairmanship in January after his predecessor, Jim Bernhard, resigned. Whittington was in Lake Charles on Wednesday to talk with local party members at their monthly meeting.

He told the American Press that he is working hard to make sure many of the registered Democrats displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be able to vote in this fall's elections. There are congressional seats up for consideration, as is the secretary of state post.

Legislation was approved this past session to set up eight satellite polling precincts statewide for hurricane victims.

"So, if you are in Louisiana, you can go there. Of course, there is the other group of folks that are scattered out across the United States," Whittington said.

"We know where the people are, so what we are going to do is, through a series of telephone calls and direct mail, we are going to show them how they can participate in the election by absentee ballot or by one of these satellite precincts."

Whittington said the national Democratic Party is spending several hundred thousand dollars to make this happen. "They are very interested and very helpful," he said.

The state party is working to get from the Federal Emergency Management Agency an list of addresses for evacuees who left the state. "We know where a lot of them are. We are still fighting to get that FEMA list. We are going to do it right," he said.

"I think what is going to have to happen is that the candidate that is involved in the election is going to have to file some kind of suit to get around the Privacy Act."

FEMA has said a list can be provided to candidates facing an election, Whittington said.

Asked about next year's governor's race, he said the party "absolutely" plans to back Blanco for re-election.

Whittington said he has been in discussions over comments made by Agriculture Commissioner Bob Odom that he was no longer supporting Blanco as governor and instead wanted to enlist former U.S. Sen. John Breaux to run.

"What the commissioner said is that at this second, in this day and time, he has some reservations that maybe she wouldn't be electable," Whittington said.

Whittington said he knows that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be major campaign issues.

"It's a national, federal problem. It's not a state, Louisiana problem. There is not one single state that has the ability to deal with this in and of itself," he said.

"That's why we pay taxes to create FEMA and pay our share, but we are not getting our share back."

The federal government should take a lot of the blame for the problems experienced with the hurricanes, Whittington said.

"We are trying to say the truth. The truth is that this is a federal problem, and the federal government is run by the Republicans at this particular time," he said.

"So, it is the Republicans that have failed us in terms of this emergency response, initially and in the rebuilding stages. We keep looking at the statewide-elected officials, but it's not them. It's the Republican Congress and Republican White House."

The Louisiana State DemocRAT party is extremely powerful. They RULE the State of Louisiana, but of course, most people don't put two-and-two together and conclude that the reason the state ranks 1st in negatives, and last in positives, is BECAUSE of the one party RAT rule.

2 posted on 03/10/2006 8:03:16 AM PST by lormand (...the wrong person came out of the water that fateful night in Chappaquiddick)

Everyone has to give her a chance.

LOL, I'll give her a chance, all the way to Florida, where I'm moving to. Louisiana can kiss my...well, you know.

You know what the most pathetic, sorry thing is? She'll get reelected.

3 posted on 03/10/2006 8:03:21 AM PST by CrawDaddyCA (There is no such thing as a fair fight. Thou shall win at all costs!!)

"She is coming out of World War III. Everyone has to give her a chance."

Excuse me? Her ineptness in a crisis helped CREATE "World War III." She's like a kid who murders her parents and then asks for the court's mercy because she's an orphan.

And the use of "WWIII" as an analogy is a complete slap in the face to those brave men and women who are across the globe in Iraqi deserts fighting the real thing. All this imbecile did was cry on cue for the cameras. I doubt she ever got her feet wet.

5 posted on 03/10/2006 8:38:00 AM PST by Right Cal Gal (Conservatives know the names of Tookie's VICTIMS!!)

They are seriously deluded there. Bob Odom the real leader of the state dems is openly wooing John Breaux. I predict it will get real interesting as it gets closer to the election. Term limits go into effect, I believe this year, and there's going to be a lot of career politicians in need of a job.

I think she is going to have a hugeeee problem raising money

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