Posted on 12/03/2002 6:22:02 AM PST by nypokerface
WASHINGTON - Not content with merely savoring his party's new Senate majority, President Bush stumps in Louisiana today, hoping to deal Democrats another demoralizing electoral blow.
Bush has thrown the full weight of his presidency into knocking off Sen. Mary Landrieu, who's in a Dec. 7 runoff with state Elections Commissioner Suzanne Haik Terrell.
His day trip to the Bayou State, including a Shreveport rally and a fund-raising lunch in New Orleans, caps a GOP blitz that has featured visits by Vice President Cheney, former President George Bush, incoming Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Sen.-elect Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.).
Democrats are equally determined to halt their electoral slide and take a bit of the edge off losing the Senate in the Nov. 5 midterm elections by holding onto Landrieu's seat. A top Democratic strategist reached last week was the only operative in his office. "Everybody else is in Louisiana," he said.
The political stakes go well beyond bragging rights. Congressional sources say that if the Republicans win, giving them a 52-to-48 Senate majority, Democrats could lose two seats on every committee instead of the one-seat reduction now envisioned.
"It may just look like one seat," one Bush adviser said, "but in terms of power shifts, it's a far bigger deal."
GOP 'wind is blowing'
Bush is enormously popular in Louisiana and carried the state handily in 2000. But Terrell is a relatively obscure and uncharismatic candidate who has been feuding with Republican Gov. Mike Foster.
Landrieu won 46% of the vote last month, while Terrell beat several other GOP candidates with 27%. But because Landrieu didn't get a majority, state law required this week's runoff.
Even though she came within four percentage points of winning her second term outright, one prominent national Democratic strategist is pessimistic about her chances.
"It's a lot harder for Mary to get those four points than for Terrell to get 23," he said. "A Republican wind is blowing."
A Southern Media and Opinion Research poll done last week showed Landrieu with a 16-point lead. Strategists for both sides, however, said Bush's visit will move the numbers significantly for Terrell and rate the race a tossup.
Turnout is a major wild card for both candidates, and Democrats are fighting a wave of apathy after losing the Senate.
"People are still so depressed from the election that they're going to let this slide," a senior Democratic National Committee official said, pointing to waning interest from women's organizations and even trade unions. Party operatives are especially worried about African-American voters, who aren't big Landrieu fans.
Yes, but A Republican wind is blowing.I like it!
What's the story on Foster?
Never underestimate the Republican ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. But, barring a disaster at this point it looks pretty good for Terrell. A strong GOTV effort and plenty of poll watchers should put this one in the win column.
Foster switched parties from Democrat to Republican just before his first gubernatorial race in 1995. That switch clearly was the difference in his win against an extremist liberal Democrat, Cleo Fields.
Foster, however, has alway seen himself as a political powerbroker, although the only power that was broken was his. He has backed several candidates, all of which have lost in other races. Foster is certainly more conservative than most Democrats, but he is far from being a true conservative or Republican.
At best, Foster is a political opportunist.
Political capital is a use it or lose it type deal.
Of this I was not aware. Now I really, really, really want Terrell to win....
I am a native of Lousyana and lived most of my life there. I am not at all optimistic that Terrel will win. In fact, I will go on record saying that the Dim-0-RATS will keep this seat.
Lousyana desparately needs draconian political reform. I used to blame it on the 4 terms of Edwin Edwards D-Federal Prison. However, politicians will only get away with things that the voters tolerate. The voters of Lousyana have historically tolerated and endorsed corrupt flaming scumbags to state and local elected offices. They will continue the trend and re-elect Landrieu.
So, don't be surprised Sunday morning. I hope that I am wrong though. Can it get any worse (hardly possible), or will things start to get better in the bayou state?
That is the game Jeffords was playing after the election. Jeffords was saying give me my chairmanship and I will vote with the Republicans. That would have given the Republicans the 2 seat advantage. I found it interesting that Lott told Jeffords to shove it. Turning Jeffords down led me to believe that Bush and Lott felt they could win with Terrell. It is a significant advantage having a 2 vote advantage.
There has been a lot of horse trading and will be more. As you know the cloture vote (the key vote) on Home Land Security was 65 to 29. 16 Democrats voted with the Republicans and Daschle could not stop them from doing it. In the new senate Bush and Lott will need 8 or 9 Democrat votes to kill filibusters. Actually Democrats won't try a filibuster if Lott has enough Democrat votes to kill it. But Lott had best have the 8 or 9 Democrats required. Usually they will try of 11 or 12. That way Daschle has to unbuy 4 of his guys to win. Sometimes he can turn one or two. But if he has to turn 4 of his troops aruond, he just trashes Rush Limbaugh.
The Democrats and the Media put out the story that with the majority Bush has full control of both houses of Congress. They knew full well it takes 60 votes to do anything in the senate. The maximum the Republicans have is 52. I think Bush has bought 10 or 12 Democrats. He approved a 10 million dollar memorial to Wellstone this week. That had to be payment for some of those 16 Democrats that voted to shut Tom Daschle and Senator Byrd down on HomeLand Security.
The people that constantly trash Lott on this site are clueless. Republicans are 8 and could be 9 votes shy of being able to do anything in the Senate. It will take a combination of carrots and sticks to get those 8 or 9 Democrat votes while holding the Rinos. That is Lott's job. Don't be surprised when the Democrats get some pork in return. When Democrat votes are bought, payments have to be made. The choice is simple buy 8 or 9 Democrats on every issue or get defeated on every issue.
The last time a President had a filibuster proof senate was LBJ in 1965 and 1966. That was a Democratic president. If we buy some democrats and intimidate some others, there is a good shot this president could have that 60 vote margin after 2004.
As LBJ proved when you have a filibuster proof Senate and control of the house, there is little a president can't do. But if you don't you have to find Senators from the other party who are for sale. There are always some. The payment is in government office, military bases and Charlie C. Senator Memorial Government road, base, or building.
Many people criticize Lott for being friendly with Democrats. Lotts primary job will be to get Democrats to sell Daschle out. Lott has the silly notion that is is easier to buy a Democrat if you don't try to bust his nose first. Some people see the Senate as if it were a game of checkers. It is not. It is a game of chess and a very complex game of chess at that.
Dim-0-RATS really thought they had Lousyana in their column. They will make sure that the dead and lame will vote for their beloved candidate this time. I really hope I am wrong, but things can actually get worse in Lousyana. The bayou state still has a few negative categories where they are not ranked 50th out of 50. The Dim-0-RATS are working hard to make it so, and they will be pulling out all the stops on Saturday.
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