Louisiana Senate 2008: Rove Seeks Challenger to Landrieu

[Adlai Stevenson]

Without fanfare or national media attention, White House strategist Karl Rove went to Louisiana the weekend before last to woo State Treasurer John Kennedy (D) to the GOP and into the 2008 Senate race against Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA).

Republican insiders see Landrieu as the most vulnerable Democratic senator up for reelection next year, but with none of the GOP members of the Congressional delegation stepping up to the plate, party strategists are looking elsewhere. Kennedy has good poll numbers statewide and would be a formidable challenger to the Senator.

But it is far from clear that the state Treasurer is all that close to making either jump -- to the Republican Party or into the Senate contest. And some in the state think that, given the President's current standing and the party's showing in the 2006 midterm elections, Rove may no longer be the best person to make the appeal to Kennedy.

-- Stuart Rothenberg is the editor of the Rothenberg Political Report.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2007/05/23/rove_seeks_challenger_to_landrieu.html

[Mr.Phips]

It is not the job of a white house advisor who gets a taxpayer provided annual salary to engage in partisan political activities outside of white house campaigns.  This is another violation of the Hatch Act. 

This would have been like somebody from the Clinton white house trying to beat an incumbent Democrat in a Senate race.

[Padfoot]

Any Democrat who lets the likes of Karl Rove convince them to switch parties was never a Democrat to begin with.

[Speed of Sound]

I dont see it happening. It would be like "Yeah, being part of the party that is rising in power is cool and all, but wouldnt you rather join the sinking one?"

[Keystone Phil]

It would be like "Yeah, being part of the party that is rising in power is cool and all, but wouldnt you rather join the sinking one?"

I'm sure some Republicans left the party for the Dems in 2002 and 2004.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Kennedy ran as fairly liberal (by Louisiana standards) in 2004, so him switching would be odd.

[Keystone Phil]

Kennedy ran as fairly liberal (by Louisiana standards) in 2004, so him switching would be odd.

I agree and I don't think (or want) it to happen but it is not out of the question.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I dont see it happening. It would be like "Yeah, being part of the party that is rising in power is cool and all, but wouldnt you rather join the sinking one?"

In Louisiana, in case you haven't noticed, it's the Democratic Party that's sinking, not the GOP.

[Galactic Overlord]

Kennedy ran as fairly liberal (by Louisiana standards) in 2004, so him switching would be odd.

I agree and I don't think (or want) it to happen but it is not out of the question.

Louisiana is switching to closed party primaries for federal offices, so Kennedy now has an additional hurdle to cross. Now he has to earn the GOP nomination instead of running in an open primary, and it would be too easy for another candidate to brand himself as the "real" Republican in the race and Kennedy as a carpetbagger.

Our recently minted Secretary of State Jay Dardenne is also being discussed as a candidate. Speculation is rife that he will jump in.

[Verily]

I dont see it happening. It would be like "Yeah, being part of the party that is rising in power is cool and all, but wouldnt you rather join the sinking one?"

In Louisiana, in case you haven't noticed, it's the Democratic Party that's sinking, not the GOP.

In the state, yes, but would you want to switch parties to join the minority in the Senate that has little prospect of returning to the majority until at least 2012?

[Keystone Phil]

Our recently minted Secretary of State Jay Dardenne is also being discussed as a candidate. Speculation is rife that he will jump in.

Dardenne seems fine. I think I prefer Congressman Baker though.