[StBernard] Democrats regrouping post-Breaux

[Westley Annis]

Democrats regrouping post-Breaux
April 22, 2007
By John Hill
jhillbr at gannett.com

BATON ROUGE -- Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell found it easier
to raise money this past week.

With former U.S. Sen. John Breaux taking himself out of the governor's race,
Democrats have been scrambling for position against the frontrunner,
Republican Bobby Jindal, of Metairie.

 
"It has helped," said Campbell, a Bossier Parish Democrat who says he has
raised "well over" $1 million.

"A lot of people have called. A lot of folks know we can win."

The week after Breaux withdrew, Campbell spent time on the radio advertising
his plan to tax foreign oil to raise enough money to eliminate all personal
and corporate income taxes and still have $2 billion in new income to spend
on infrastructure and education.

"Before, people would say, 'What is John Breaux going to do?' But now I've
had a lot of people say, 'I'm in.'"

Former U.S. Rep. Chris John, of Crowley, officially is not commenting on the
race, but he has been in conversation with top Democrats nationally.

"My official statement is I don't have any comment right now," John said.
"We have too many things going on right now."

John, who lost the 2004 U.S. Senate race to Republican David Vitter, of
Metairie, had long said he was interested in running for governor if Gov.
Kathleen Blanco decided to leave office. After her March 20 announcement
that she would not run for re-election, John, a Washington lobbyist who,
unlike Breaux, has maintained a Crowley residence and voting registration,
confirmed he, Breaux and Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu were all looking at the
race.

The Democratic Governors Association in Washington, D.C., is talking to John
and other Louisiana Democrats, said DGA spokesman Brian Namey.

"We are having discussions and we are watching this race very closely,"
Namey said. "But the people in Louisiana are going to decide who the
candidates are going to be, and not anybody in Washington, D.C."

The DGA will be involved in the campaign, Namey said. "We are looking
forward to talking about Bobby Jindal and where he was in hurricane
recovery," he said.

Breaux became the third retired Louisiana Democrat U.S. senator to toy with
running for governor -- the late Russell B. Long in 1987 and former U.S.
Sen. J. Bennett Johnston, of Shreveport, in 1995 -- before deciding against
mounting a campaign.

During the month that Breaux was acting like he was going to run for
governor, Landrieu gave it a lot of thought. Though he was in New York when
Breaux announced his pullout, Landrieu wasted no time when he got back to
Louisiana to say he's going to run for re-election. Insiders said Landrieu
is aware a governor's race for him is very risky and could affect his
sister's re-election campaign. U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, will
be on the fall 2008 statewide ballot, during the presidential race.

Former state Senate President Randy Ewing, D-Quitman, said he's not giving
the race a bit of thought, saying his time to run was in 2003, when he ran
unsuccessfully against Jindal and Blanco.

"I've had a lot of people call. A lot of people will hold your coat while
you go fight," said Ewing, who remains active in a number of good-government
and civic causes, such as Blueprint Louisiana and the Louisiana Methodist
Children's Home.

State Treasurer John Kennedy is another Democrat who party loyalists are
talking about. "And I hope they will support my re-election," Kennedy said.
"My plans have been about the same for the past year: I am running for
re-election."

Democrats are even talking to some Republicans about switching parties.

The Louisiana Republican Party's executive committee, armed with letters of
endorsement from two-thirds of the Republican State Central Committee, voted
to endorse Jindal officially as the party's candidate. That occurred March
21, said GOP State Party Chair Roger Villere, of Metairie.

"The Republican executive committee debated it for 40 minutes before voting
for the endorsement without objection," Villere said.

The state party organization has talked to two Republican candidates, state
Sen. Walter Boasso, of Chalmette, and New Orleans businessman John Georges,
about dropping out and backing Jindal.

"We did talk to them about getting behind one candidate," Villere said,
citing the 2004 election of Vitter as the first popularly elected Republican
U.S. senator from Louisiana as proof that a one-candidate approach is best.

"It is a formula that works for us," Villere said.

Boasso and Georges are both vastly successful businessmen who can match
Jindal dollar-for-dollar out of their own pocketbooks, much as former Gov.
Mike Foster did in 1996.

So far, neither Boasso nor Georges are willing to back down.

Legislative colleagues urging him to change back to the Democratic Party
have approached Boasso.

"It was not something I was thinking about," Boasso said. "I am a
conservative. But I don't believe there is a Republican way to govern or a
Democratic way to govern. My mission is I want people to live in Louisiana,
have a job here, educate their children here and keep them home. It doesn't
matter to me who solves the problems, Republicans or Democrats. I just want
the problem solved."

Boasso said he's giving a party switch thought.

"I'm flattered that the Democrats and the Republicans are asking me to run,"
Boasso said. "I've been a Democrat for two-thirds of my life. Right now, I'm
listening. It's something that has blind-sided me."

Boasso said he is also offended by a pro-Jindal Web site,
www.jindalisgood.com, that calls him "the Tony Soprano" of the governor's
race, a reference to the mobster from the hit HBO television series.

"I guess it's a reference to my Italian name," Boasso said.

Villere and a Jindal spokesman said they have nothing to do with the Web
site.

Georges said Democrats have also approached him about changing.

"I have never even taken it under consideration," Georges said.

All the talk of switching, Georges said, "is an indication to me of two
things: one, there's not enough room on the Republican side for the three of
us. I'm the only alternative to Jindal.

"Second, Jindal will have a difficult time attracting independents and
Democrats," he said.

Georges said he believes the Republican Party leadership has acted
prematurely.

"I don't expect this race to heat up until late summer," he said. "I don't
expect to catch on until I get on TV. I have never expected to launch a
media campaign until late summer, and I am staying with my plan."