Posted on 05/19/2003 8:58:24 AM PDT by Theodore R.
The Battle on the Right Jeff Crouere May 16, 2003
Of the seven Republican candidates, five can be characterized as more traditional/establishment Republican candidates. This traditional group includes former Governor David C. Treen, three legislative candidates, Ken Hollis, Hunt Downer, and John Hainkel, and Bobby Jindal, supported by Governor Murphy J. "Mike" Foster.
The two candidates who are "renegade" Republicans and the most conservative clearly are former Louisiana Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle and Public Service Commissioner Jay Blossman.
Jay Blossman. ...Blossman has turned up the heat on the political establishment. He is running commercials against the establishment calling for aggressive tax and budget cuts and the repeal of the Stelly Plan. ...He recently received the endorsement of a group of conservative leaders who used to run the Republican Party. These endorsements can help Blossman establish himself as "The Conservative Candidate." He also is helped by an experienced campaign team and a handsome bank account to generate significant name recognition statewide.
La. Social Conservatives Split Jeff Crouere May 14, 2003 Today, a deep split is visible in the Louisiana social conservative movement. In the U.S. Senate race, social conservatives were united behind the candidacy of Tony Perkins. In the Governor's race, State Representative Tony Perkins announced his support for Republican Bobby Jindal. It was assumed by many that his social conservative movement would follow. However, many of the former supporters of Perkins are now endorsing another candidate for Governor, Jay Blossman.
Some believe that Perkins "sold out" by joining Governor Mike Foster in supporting Bobby Jindal. Others just believe that Blossman is the more conservative of the two candidates or the more electable.
Regardless, it is interesting to see many of the leading conservatives in the state, including the former campaign manager for Tony Perkins, Jon Bargas, throwing their support to Blossman. Bargas, campaign Communications Director, and another conservative who endorsed Blossman, Sandy McDade, campaign phone bank coordinator, are being paid for their services.
However, their support for Blossman is no less significant because it shows that Representative Perkins is no longer the unquestioned leader of the social conservatives in Louisiana.
Blossman vows to repeal Stelly plan Chuck Cannon/ The News Star Posted on May 16, 2003
Republican gubernatorial candidate Jay Blossman made a quick stop Thursday afternoon in West Monroe during a statewide "Repeal Stelly" tour.
The candidate said he chose May 15 - tax day in Louisiana - to hold his anti-Stelly bill rally.
"This time next year, families all across Louisiana will be shocked to see such an increase in their state income taxes," Blossman said. "If I am elected governor, I will repeal the Stelly Plan."
West Monroe resident Jim Spillers brought his family out to show their support for Blossman's stand.
"We're all opposed to the Stelly tax," Spillers said. "We're mad, and we're doing something about it."
Vote is over; debate may have just begun Stephanie Grace/ Times Picayune May 15, 2003
Last fall, Gov. Foster asked voters to approve the Stelly Plan, a fiscal reform proposal to raise income taxes for many middle and upper income residents in exchange for eliminating regressive state sales taxes on some food and utilities. The voters answered with an unexpected -- albeit narrow -- "yes."
Yet as a crowd of politicians scrambles to succeed Foster, the debate is raging on, with one candidate making opposition to the measure a signature plank. That means the others will have to at least weigh in.
Republican Jay Blossman, one of the first hopefuls out of the gate, is all over the issue. His early ads have referred to the "Stelly tax increases," and have accused the political establishment of lying about the plan's impact. Blossman plans a series of "Repeal Stelly" rallies across the state today, the due date for paying last year's state income taxes.
I'm a little sick of Blossman's "I'M CONSERVATIVE NO ONE ELSE IS I'M THE ONLY ONE YOU HAVE TO VOTE FOR ME" line of bull. Blossman may be the most conservative candidate in the field, or he may be running the textbook Louisiana campaign (run to the right (left for Ds) in the primary), and he may be well versed in accepting special perks as PSC, or he may not be, but he sure isn't working at uniting the GOP behind him, which could hurt him in the runoff -- if he could make it that far -- after he's spent months dissing other GOP candidates with at least regional support.
Blossman doesn't have much of a record either. I do like his campaign platform, though, and he seems sincere about it. I just wish he would try to avoid pissing people off whose support he'll need to be elected in December if he makes the runoff.
By the way Blossman did not say he was the only conservative. He recognized Kyle was a conservative.
That was Jeff Crouere making that assessment. I believe Blossman claims he is THE conservative in the race, while Kyle has called Hollis, Hainkel, Downer, and Treen tax-and-spenders and suggested they drop out.
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