Posted on 08/12/2004 7:12:29 AM PDT by Theodore R.
GOP backs state's newest Republican His rival gets left out in the cold Wednesday, August 11, 2004 By Ed Anderson Capital bureau
BATON ROUGE -- The state and national GOP are backing U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander of Quitman, a newly minted Republican, rather than throwing their support behind longtime party member John "Jock" Scott, a former state House member who is running for Alexander's 5th District seat, party brass said Tuesday.
"We are behind Congressman Alexander," said Jon Bargas, executive director of the state Republican Party. Bargas said state party officials are discussing ways to approach Scott about bowing out of the race and deferring to Alexander, a Republican of five days.
"We most definitely are supporting Rep. Alexander and will do everything we can to assure his re-election to the House" as a Republican, said Carl Forti, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Alexander, a conservative who qualified for re-election last Wednesday as a Democrat then re-qualified as a Republican in the waning minutes of the sign-up period Friday, has already received a $10,000 check from GOP party brass, and more is on the way, Forti said.
Standing firm
Scott, an Alexandria lawyer and history professor at Louisiana State University at Alexandria, said he is not bowing out
Bargas said Alexander would win with Scott in the race or not. "We don't see that as a big factor either way," he said.
Scott said national GOP officials "told me two weeks ago they would support me." But in the few days since Alexander jumped parties, they "have tried to cut off my campaign donations. . . .This is the Republican Party doing this to a Republican. My answer to them is, what part of 'no' don't you understand?" Scott said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
The GOP needs to make a deal w/ Scott to withdraw, not just cut him off.
Scott's late father was a U.S. district judge, appointed by Nixon in the early 1970s. Scott was a Democrat and former state legislator until the middle 1980s. In 1976, Scott joined now Alexandria Mayor "Ned" Randolph in running the Rapides Parish Carter-Mondale campaign.
I don't think it's a big deal. It'd be counterproductive to put undue pressure on Jock (pun intended).
I admire Scott for having the nads to challenge Alexander but party-switching must be rewarded.
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