Last week, I brought this ad on Craigslist to your attention. But there is much, much more happening in regards to 2010:
Two commentators have dropped Don Cazayoux's name as a candidate for the Senate in 2010, here and here. This may be why the Business Report reported today that Senator Landrieu is among those pushing to have Cazayoux named as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana.
According to well-placed sources, one on the Republican side of the aisle, and another on the Democratic side of the aisle, Congressman Rodney Alexander is considering running for the Senate in 2010. And these sources tell me he's not made up his mind entirely as to which party he'd make the run in! I can't see Alexander being welcomed with open arms in the Democratic primary, so my guess is he's stuck in the GOP.
It's an open secret within Democratic politics that Shaw Chairman Jim Bernhard is seriously considering running for the Senate. What folks don't know is that some of the big money donors in Louisiana Democratic politics, like Sarah Palin donor Calvin Fayard, are attempting to clear the field for Mr. Bernhard. Whether they are successful is another matter, as rumors abound that the Landrieu camp is trying to entice a Central or Northern Louisiana Democrat into the race.
Sinator Vitter is still attempting to shore up his biggest weakness - North Louisiana - by calling into Tom Pace's "Talk of the Town" radio show tomorrow on Shreveport's KRMD-AM 1340. You can listen in here.
So I have been given a copy of the new ad that Woody is going to airing all over the district at some point in the next few days, if it's not already up. The title is an apt question, as Governor PBJ only appears in a picture that is also on Woody's website. Pray tell, why wouldn't the Governor personally appear in the ad of a "strong conservative" like Woody?
Answer: The Governor knows that Woody's gonna lose, and he doesn't want to tie himself to a sinking ship.
On another note, the Louisiana GOP is getting VERY nervous about this race. The Business Report tells us:
Baton Rouge contractor Lane Grigsby, who has made third-party expenditures before, says he will launch a media campaign next week to defeat congressional candidate Don Cazayoux. Grigsby's reason is "where he gets his money from," referring to national labor unions that have given to the Democrat. The ads will be produced by consultant George Kennedy. The Cazayoux campaign released an internal poll this week showing him leading Republican Woody Jenkins, 49% to 42%.
Oh, poor Lane Grigsby, he's gittin' scared of some people-power. Donate to Don ... the NRCC may be dark, but Freedoms Watch and now, Lane Grigsby are picking up the slack. This thing is going to be a FIGHT.
WOW! Treasurer John Kennedy apparently doesn't get it ... as he's having Mr. 30% come and raise money for him in April. He states in an email that the fundraising event featuring President Bush and Governor PBJ will be:
"a major part of my fundraising effort."
Let's show Mr. Kennedy that having Mr. 30% is not a good thing by donating to Mary. With this effort to tap into Mr. Bush's wealthy supporters, Mary will need every cent she can get. Let's show the Republicans of Louisiana that having Mr. 30% come to town to raise money does not pay.
Donate to Mary here before the March 31st deadline.
UPDATE: Readers note that The Advocate has also come out in favor of approving the renewal of the 1 cent sales tax for the EBR Parish School System.
The Daily Kingfish urges the voters of East Baton Rouge Parish to vote YES on the renewal of a 1-cent sales tax for 10 years.
We do not come to this decision lightly, as we are talking about one of the more regressive taxes in the nation - the sales tax. It certainly hits the pocketbook of those with less money harder than it does those with lots of it.
Opponents of the renewal rightly point out that there has been a regression in the scores of EBR Parish students. There's a simple explanation for that ... Zachary, Baker and now Central have all left the EBR Parish School System. Those students were, when in EBR Parish, among the highest scoring students on the LEAP test. We no longer have them, and thus, our scores have gone down.
Opponents of the renewal talk about how we need to send a message to the EBR School Board by voting no, and force them to focus on raising the students' scores before they will renew any new taxes. That's the wrong message, as opponents of public education (let's be real here ... that's what Rolfe McCollister and his ilk are) have NEVER adequately answered the question of how taking money away from public schools is supposed to help them. Taking money away from a business doesn't help them compete in the marketplace, nor does taking money away from public schools help them compete with private schools.
However, it our belief that in order to make our school system a place where we can teach our children that education is the key to success in life, we must not shortchange it. It makes absolutely no sense to cut education funding when the East Baton Rouge Parish School System is poised to break free of the shackles of past racism and the austerity budgets of the 20th Century. We have only built some of the schools we need to educate our children in the 21st Century. We have more to build, as there are 3 on the way, and more on the drawing board.
(The Mighty Favog, a Baton Rougean now living in Omaha, NE; penned a response to McCollister's drivel as well. CenLamar reminds us that Rolfe McCollister was Governor PBJ's Treasurer, and dings the Friedman Theory of Economics while he takes apart McCollister's arguments.)
My wife has been telling me to get the Business Report daily email. So I did. And, boy, did Rolfe McCollister, the publisher of the Business Report, pen a baaaaaaaaad one on whether the voters of East Baton Rouge Parish should approve a 10 year, 1 cent sales tax to pay for, new school construction, technology in the classroom, and higher teacher pay.
He writes:
"You keep paying and nothing changes. We need drastic measures to re-invent our system much like New Orleans has. Don't feel guilty about voting no. You have paid taxes for years [and many paid tuition as well, choosing not to use the public schools.] The system should feel guilty for not delivering results, when they said if we gave them the money, they would. I have had enough and will send a vote of "no confidence" in the system by voting no on March 8. The children and our community deserve better."
Hmmm ... the folks keep paying and nothing changes? We need drastic measures to re-invent our system much like New Orleans has? I pray that Mr. McCollister is not advocating for a Category Five hurricane to come bearing down on Baton Rouge.
