Wrap up of events for 11/14/02 in Louisiana Senate Runoff.(My Title)

Thursday was Day 9 of the long-running Gov. Foster senatorial endorsement soap opera. Foster did not endorse Republican Suzanne Haik Terrell on his weekly "Live Mike" radio call-in show, but he didn't rule it out either. After catching some flak from Republican backers of Terrell, the state's elections commissioner, Foster the titular head of the state GOP, said: "I am going to do whatever I can for the president because he needs a Congress he can work with. I am obligated to do what I can to help the president." Foster said one reason he hasn't made an endorsement is that, "I had gotten sort of irritated with the administration over the last few weeks." He said he had felt that "they weren't worried about Louisiana." But since then, he said, "We've had some good conversations." Foster has been critical of the White House for not approving the state's educational accountability program that pre-dated the federal plan and in his view is stronger. Foster said he has sent aides to Washington to meet with Bush advisers about meshing the two plans. "I feel better about it now," he said.

People need to understand that politics in Louisiana has less to do with party affiliation and more to do with back room power brokers.

The back room good ol' boys are a pretty crafty bunch. The same guys that back Foster, backed Cooksey, and backed Landrieu. They own the vast majorty of the political grass roots get out the vote machine.

The reason Foster has not endorsed Terrill is because she is independent of these groups or at least is being backed by different factions than the ones backing Foster.

These political power brokers are the remenant of the old Huey Long machine and are the same powers that supported Edwin Edwards.

Remember, Foster's family is from a long line of Louisiana politicians. Foster's Grand Father was Gov. of LA in 1900.

Of course, you can discount this as horse sh!t. After all, everyone knows politics in Louisiana is as clean as the wind driven snow.

Another thread has posted that Mikey is trying to get excluded from the new National Education Standards. He may be holding the party for ransom.

Actually, all three Republican candidates for Senate were in favor of Louisiana's getting some some kind of waiver from the details of the No Child Left Behind requirements. Louisiana's state program has very similar requirements but they are different enough that we will have some problems with the federal government if we don't make changes or receive a waiver. In the first debate, all three Republican candidates, including Mrs. Terrell, were very strong in insisting that the Louisiana program should have precedence and should not have to change. Mary Landrieu insisted first that there were no conflicts and then made a half-hearted assurance that we can probably receive waivers. The Louisiana program is showing good results, and Mrs. Terrell's support it over the national plan is a strong point in her favor. By the way, the reporter who asked the question about this situation is a black woman.

If the price of Governor Foster's endorsement is a waiver from the details of a program for which we already have an excellent substitute, then he's doing the state a favor. Furthermore, he's doing something that Mrs. Terrell supports entirely.

WFTR
Bill

It is time for the aministration to play hardball with Foster. He should be told not just to endorse but to appear on the campaign trail actively supporting his fellow Republican or Louisiana will be treated like a French colony when it is time to receive federal funds for his favorite projects.

Are you aware that Governor Foster's term expires in January of 2004? Are you aware that with just over a year to go in his term he may not care in the least about whether the federal government spends on his pet programs? Are you aware that President Bush only won the presidency by 1 electoral vote and that Al Gore would be president without Louisiana's support for then-Govenor Bush? Are you aware that much can happen in two years and that 2004 may not be the GOP landslide that we are expecting right now? The president might just need these electoral votes in two years, and a state that has 2/3rds registered Democrats could go the other way very easily. Are you aware that a state that is 30% black and 2/3rds Democrat might find more in common with a governor that doesn't roll over and play dead every time a Republican president shouts? I think you need to give these comments some more thought. The national party threatening the state could mobilize the Democrats to re-elect Mrs. Landrieu by a huge margin.

WFTR
Bill

Are you aware...

Now that you have explained all this I am convinced the threatening should be done _in private_ outside the state of Louisiana with the Guv swept for listening devices. ;-)

The Senate race is importanat--and it is long past time the WH played hardball in a state rife with Rat voter fraud.

The Senate race is very important, but threats will accomplish nothing. To the extent that they are made, they will do harm and not good. The best way to win this race is to stop focusing on Governor Foster or anyone else. The whole point of supporting Mrs. Terrell's candidacy was that her demographics - female, Roman Catholic, long Louisiana family history, support base in New Orleans - would make swing voters think that she wasn't just another part of the same white male conservative Republican group. By focusing on those who aren't in the race anymore, we only make the swing voters think that our candidate really wasn't that strong in comparison to those who lost.

I guess you have it in your head that you want to threaten someone. It's unfortunate that someone claiming to be a conservative or a Republican thinks that way, but I guess sometimes the differences between the parties aren't as big as I hoped.

WFTR
Bill

Has Breaux endorsed Landrieu yet? He's about as conservative as a Dem can get. How does the Louisiana GOP and the voters in general view him?

Actually Breaux did a commercial for Landrieu in September..whiched tipped the fact that Mary was in trouble..

Breaux has had no problem with re-election in his last two attempts..he could have had the governor's mansion next year if he wanted..(Foster is term limited)..but Breaux passed on it..It is also a badly kept secret that Breaux wants out of the Senate and won't run in 04..Bush could name him ambassarder of France..a job he has hinted he would take..

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