Free Republic

WASHINGTON — Roy Moore could do more damage to the GOP brand than an Alabama Senate seat is worth. NBC News has not confirmed that (sic) allegations; the woman didn't file a police report or bring a civil suit. Moore, now 70, called the charges "completely false" in a statement released by his campaign Thursday. It's a "no-win situation through and through" for the GOP, said Doug Heye, a former Senate and House Republican aide. "He's not worth it," Heye said. The question of how to handle Moore has both political and moral components, said Republicans who spoke to NBC...

"The health care system in America is broken. Costs are rising at an unacceptable rate -- more than doubling over the last 10 years, which is nearly four times the rate of wage growth. Too many patients feel trapped by healthcare decisions dictated by HMOs. Too many doctors are torn between practicing medicine and practicing insurance. And 47 million Americans worry what will happen to them or their children if they get sick." Who do you think said that? President Obama? Actually, those words were written by Republicans. They are part of the summary of the Patients' Choice Act, introduced...

Former senators John Breaux (D-La.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.) are opening a new, all-in-the-family lobbying firm, saying the capital and its corporate suitors are "yearning" for bipartisan solutions to gridlock. Revealing what had been one of the worst-kept secrets in town, the senators said in an interview that they would officially launch the Breaux-Lott Leadership Group next week, with both their sons and Lott's former top aide joining them. Breaux and Lott, who together have more than 70 years of experience in the House and Senate, first talked about such a partnership decades ago when they lived across the street...

BATON ROUGE - State Attorney General Charles Foti's office has delayed until this morning release of its opinion on the question of whether former U.S. Sen. John Breaux is eligible to run for governor. After saying the opinion would be released on Thursday, the AG's office came back with the delay.

Three independent sources have informed us that former U.S. Senator John Breaux is telling political insiders that he is in fact running for Governor. Breaux, a darling of the courthouse crowd, is seen by Democratic Party operatives as the only hope of keeping them in the mansion and shoring up the down ballot statewide incumbent’s political futures. Breaux began his career as an understudy to then Congressman Edwin W. Edwards and followed him in that Acadiana district seat serving many years prior to his election to the Senate. Breaux’s most famous political quote came in the context of a deal...

WASHINGTON - New evidence is emerging that the top Democrat on the Senate committee currently investigating Jack Abramoff got political money arranged by the lobbyist back in 2002 shortly after the lawmaker took action favorable to Abramoff's tribal clients. A lawyer for the Louisiana Coushatta Indians told The Associated Press that Abramoff instructed the tribe to send $5,000 to Sen. Byron Dorgan (news, bio, voting record)'s political group just three weeks after the North Dakota Democrat urged fellow senators to fund a tribal school program Abramoff's clients wanted to use.The check was one of about five dozen the Coushattas listed...

Panel to Review U.S. Tax Code By Warren Vieth, Times Staff Writer WASHINGTON — A presidential commission today launched what it promised would be a top-to-bottom review of the U.S. tax code, but acknowledged that it might make more sense to modify the income tax than to try to replace it. Members of the president's advisory panel on federal tax reform said all options were on the table, including proposals to replace personal and corporate income taxes with variations on a national sales tax. "The president is committed to major tax reform, to real tax reform, to something more than...

WASHINGTON — President Bush's tax reform panel listened Wednesday to the pros and cons of taxing money earned or money spent, leading one member to say that a hybrid should be considered. "It has merit," said John Breaux, a former senator from Louisiana and the panel's Democratic vice chairman.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush on Friday appointed two former senators -- Florida Republican Connie Mack and Louisiana Democrat John Breaux -- to head a panel to come up with recommendations on reshaping the tax code. snip Bush said Mack, the chairman, and Breaux, the vice chairman, would lead an effort to come up with recommendations on how to make sure the tax code "encourages economic vitality and growth," instead of discouraging it and requiring Americans to spend billions of hours filling out tax forms. snip The tax panel is to look at a broad array of options, ranging from...

We can no longer post from "The Shreveport Times," which endorsed John F. Kerry for President on Sunday. Today the Times had the unfortunate experience of publishing results of the tracking poll which now claims that Republican Rep. David Vitter has passed the magic 50 percent plus one vote mark to win the U.S. Senate election outright on Nov. 2. Vitter, with 51 percent in the poll, is vying with three high-profile Democrats, including State Treasurer John Kennedy, State Rep. Arthur Morrell, and U.S. Rep. Chris John, D-Crowley, in a strong bid to succeed popular retiring Sen. John Breaux, also...

First lady campaigns in La. for Vitter By The Associated Press SHREVEPORT -- While President Bush prepared for Thursday night's debate against John Kerry, first lady Laura Bush urged Louisiana voters to send the president more Republican help in the U.S. Senate. During an appearance at a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. David Vitter -- a Republican who is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat John Breaux -- Bush called Vitter "a principled, skilled legislator who's not afraid to reach across the aisle." Vitter, who did not attend, was in Washington for a vote on a constitutional amendment...

http://www.thenewsstar.com/localnews/html/A4E47552-73D0-47BC-B143-79A8412877B7.shtml

SENATE RACE WON'T BE THAT CROWDED by Jim Brown PoliticsLA.com columnist posted January 7, 2004 Following the intense interest in the recent gubernatorial election, the general assumption has been that there will be a number of major candidates vying to fill the U. S. Senate seat being vacated this fall by long time incumbent John Breaux. Not so! When qualification time comes around, you can count the number of major candidates on one hand. Numerous newspaper columns have touted several unsuccessful gubernatorial candidates as sure qualifiers. The columns point to the 1996 race when Mary Landrieu bounced back from a...

<p>WASHINGTON - If one of the Senate's most effective moderates decides not to seek re-election, action on issues from Medicare to taxes could be in jeopardy.</p> <p>Seniors might never see their prescription drug bills drop. Workers might be without health insurance between jobs. Welfare moms might not get training for work.</p>

BATON ROUGE - In endorsing fellow Democrat Kathleen Blanco of Lafayette in Louisiana's gubernatorial race, U.S. Sen. John Breaux cut all ties with her opponent, Republican Bobby Jindal of Baton Rouge, who assisted Breaux in drafting Medicare reform. Jindal's ads talk about how he worked with Breaux and President George W. Bush on health care issues to show he can work with members of both parties. The front-runner in the Oct. 4 gubernatorial primary was executive director of the Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare, heading the staff and preparing policy for members of the commission co-chaired by Breaux....

Four of the 34 U.S. Senators up for election next year have announced their exiting--Zell Miller (Ga.), John Edwards (S.C.), and Ernest Hollings (S.C.), Democrats all, and Republican Peter Fitzgerald (Ill.) Now, signs are ominous that the next two senatorial shoes to drop will be those of Republican Don Nickles (Okla.) and Democrat John Breaux (La.). Word on the D.C. cocktail circuit over the weekend was that four-termer and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Nickles was anxious to make more money in the private sector, as was Breaux (who has been courted for every seven-figure lobbying job from legislative pointman of...

John For Senate... A senior Democratic source has revealed to The Louisiana Weekly that U.S. Senator John Breaux is seriously considering resigning his seat if a Democrat wins the Louisiana Governor's Mansion in November. The senior senator would do so to expedite the appointment of conservative Seventh District Democratic Congressman Christopher John to the position. According to the insider, Breaux worries that the Republicans would have an advantage in 2004 if he chooses not to run, and the only candidate capable of withstanding a GOP challenge is a Blue Dog-like John who has repeatedly supported the Bush administration. Appointing the...

Breaux's future spurs speculation By GERARD SHIELDS gshields@theadvocate.com Advocate Washington bureau WASHINGTON -- Though U.S. Sen. John Breaux has yet to determine whether he will seek re-election next year, speculation is already rising about who may compete for his seat. Both U.S. Rep. David Vitter, R-Metairie, and U.S. Rep. Chris John, D-Crowley, have stated an interest in the job should the Democrat choose not to run. "Should the opportunity present itself to run for Senate, it is something I would have to consider," Vitter said. Political analysts say other contenders could emerge, including candidates for governor who fall just short....

Sens. John Breaux of Louisiana, John Edwards of North Carolina, Bob Graham of Florida and Ernest Hollings of South Carolina can’t — or won’t — say whether they will seek reelection in 2004. That complicates the party’s efforts to hold on to its 48 Senate seats and forces other Democrats to put off running until the incumbents decide. “The indecision of these candidates is the sort of thing that can really have an impact on the party,” said pollster John Zogby, president and CEO of Zogby International. “Florida and North Carolina are particularly important because those states have huge implications...

A statewide poll released by Southern Media today shows leading Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Bobby Jindal distancing himself from other Republicans in the race by moving into 2nd place overall after gaining 5 percent from a similar poll in March. Jindal saw the most growth among all candidates in the current poll and had higher poll numbers than all other Republicans combined. “I am excited that our ‘Bold New Vision for Louisiana’ is resonating with voters and has helped us move into 2nd place overall among candidates. I am humbled by the growing and broad support from people who are excited...