Republicans May Censure Their Own

In a story carried by the New Orleans Times Picayune, Roger Villere, the state GOP chairman, and the Louisiana Republican Party is considering ways to discipline more than two dozen prominent Republicans publicly backing incumbent Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu over her GOP opponent, Treasurer John Kennedy.

 

Villere was quoted as saying, "When high-profiled elected Republicans endorse Democrats, it sends the message that we are not united and confuses the Republican message."  In other words, party comes first and the country comes second, and if you are a Republican official you should not have a right to endorse the candidate of your choice or that candidate you think is best qualified to serve the people.  As extreme as that sounds, that is the exact message of Villere and the Republican Party.

 

As a Democrat, I don't get particularly concerned when Democrats disagree with their party on certain issues; I would rather have Democrats have their own independent thoughts rather than just follow the party line.  Republicans meet every day, come up with talking points, and repeat the message over and over like robots; Democrats don't have that problem.

 

The most embarrassing episode for the GOP in this intense Senate race is that four major Republican officials from St. Tammany Parish (where Kennedy lives) are supporting Senator Landrieu.  The real story here is that Senator Landrieu is doing her job representing the people she serves, and even Republicans are aware of her bipartisanship and importance as a senior senator.

Jindal wins Governorship

I am sad to announce that Republican Bobby Jindal has won the election for Louisiana Governor. I don't think there could be a worst person for the job. Bobby has agreed with everything President Bush has done----including his handling of Hurricane Katrina, and everyone knows that was a disaster.

One of the reasons for Jindal's clean, easy victory was his name recognition. Jindal represents the New Orleans metropolitan area in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was also a candidate for governor in 2003 against Kathleen Blanco. Blanco, deciding not to run for re-election, essentially left the seat for the taking of Bobby Jindal.

Big name Louisiana Democrats such as Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu(who by the way easily won re-election tonight) and former U.S. Sen. John Breaux decided not to run. These democrats could have won the election, but by not running, they left Jindal with virtually no big-name opposition. Democratic State Senator Walter Boasso was Jindal's only true competition, yet Jindal had millions more to spend and hence won the Governorship.

All I can do now is pray that, regardless of party affiliation, Jindal will do the right things for the people of Louisiana, and that means standing up to his good 'ole friend, Pres. Bush, and actually helping the state, unlike the President. Unfortunately, I don't think Jindal will do that. All you have to do is look at his Congressional record. He was ranked 432th out of 439 places on terms of leadership and effectiveness representing his people. Can Jindal get past his partisanship and actually help those in Louisiana who are desperate for change? I surely hope so, but sadly, I think not. He has proven, like many other Republicans lately, that he cares more about his own party, than the people he is elected to serve.