Posted on 12/07/2007 9:40:16 PM PST by Galactic Overlord-In-Chief
I can't link to Ap.org, so I'll break the news: Rep. Jim McCrery told associates Friday he intends to retire rather than seek re-election in 2008, giving us another open seat to worry about.
We’re still waiting for those Democrat names, Larry. Where are they ?
I suspect we will wait forever and ever and ever....
“You’re right in that what Vitter did was wrong, but his wife forgave him (and as long as it doesn’t interfere with his voting record and he promises not to dip his wick in alien areas, I can give him a pass).”
You talking about Vitter or Craig?
Vitter was forgiven. And he is safe in Louisiana. Its a state when private corruption is a sign of character and public corruption is a sign that you care enough to steal on behalf of your constituents.
Larry Craig doesn’t have to be forgiven. He is toast no matter what else happens. No public bathroom cruising man is going to win an election in the GOP. You’ll note that in the democrat party there is no ethical floor beneath which you can go which renders you politically unviable. None.
Child molester, adulterer, perjurer, bisexual, cross-dresser or just straight up alcoholic driving into the Capital Bldg at 3am (Patrick Kennedy). Nothing you can do ethically bars you from being supported in their party. The only crime you can commit is becoming too unpopular to win your next election (McGreevey, Torricelli, Gray Davis, Mark Dayton, etc).
The Baker district could be a problem holding it because a Democrat won the sheriff’s race against an apparently excellent Republican candidate on November 17.
The Democrats have no ethical floor, as you explained, because to them “compassionate” “intentions” (except for the unborn) and supporting expanded government trump everything else. The problem we have is that most Republicans are too inept and timid to challenge the Democrats.
You are perceptive. that is what I was thianking to. closeted Gay Republican’s can now feel quite vulnerable due to these issues. Here is another link to McCrery’s retirement. Too bad he was, from what I understand a good Congressman.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/1207/Jim_McCrery_to_announce_retirement.html
I’ve never been a fan of McCrery, and we should hold the seat absent a huge intra-GOP brawl, so I think it’s good news. This also opens the door for more anti-spending and anti-tax Republicans such as Wally Herger (whose Club for Growth rating is like 25 points higher than McCrery’s) to take over as Chairman of Ways and Means when we retake the House.
And, as some have noted on this thread, it has been rumored for years that McCrery is a “Friend of Dorothy.” I don’t know whether or not it’s true, but recently the GOP hasn’t have a very good track record of disproving such allegations, and quite frankly I’d rather that we not have to deal with such allegations. There are plenty of conservative Republicans in NW LA without rumors circling around them that can hold this seat.
Unlike the district being vacated by Bobby Jindal (suburban NOLA), this could be a problem. Bill Clinton carried Shreveport easily in 1996. And there are plenty of Democrat elected officials in the area.
The district covers not only Shreveport (which has a large black population) but also its very Republican suburbs and mostly conservative surrounding parishes. Clinton got 53% in the district in 1996, but President Bush got 54% in 2000. 2001 redistricting improved President Bush’s 2000 performance to 55%, and I assume that Clinton would have only goten 52% in 1996 under the current lines. President Bush got 59% in 2004, and I don’t think the district will go back to the Democrats any time soon-—especially in a presidential year in which the Democrats will not nominate a purported “centrist” from just north of the border.
The likely Republican nominee at this point is Jerry Jones, a lawyer and former McCrery aide who ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Shreveport.
Among Democrats, possibilities include PSC Foster Campbell, Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator, retired Shreveport Mayor Keith Hightower, state Senator Lydia Jackson, and state Representative Mike Powell.
Heh heh, I wonder if Buddy Leach will run. He ran for a state senate seat this year and was beaten. He seems to have been bitten by the “prenienal candidate” bug. This was even his old congressional district. He was defeated for re-election for Congress back in 1980!
In his campaign for Mayor, Jerry Jones led the non-partisan primary with 39% to 32% for state Representative Cedric Glover. But in the runoff, Glover overtook Jones to win by a 54% to 46% margin.
I think the problem with Shreveport is what has happened with a lot of cities, they elect Republicans just as there is a critical mass of Blacks moving towards the majority, and as soon as they near it, the Republican loses (usually to a transitional White Democrat, who is then succeeded by a Black Dem) and then the demographics make it nearly impossible for them to ever win again. NOLA, Baton Rouge & Shreveport all have liberal Black Dem Mayors now. The latter two had GOP Mayors in recent years. The fact that Jones managed to get 46% is fairly astonishing.
lots of republicans out.
If Bush did get 59% of the vote here, I don’t think we should panic. I wonder why he waited so “late” to announce retirement.
Royal Alexander might fit the bill. We need up and coming stars, not re-treads.
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