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State Treasurer John Kennedy (R) Says He's Closing In On Sen Mary Landrieu (D). Quoted below is from an email his campaign sent out this afternoon: Folks, By now you've probably heard rumors about a campaign polling memo that shows this race is too close to call. We're happy to report that the rumors are true - John Kennedy has closed the gap on Mary Landrieu to just five points! You can read the full memo below. And we've got more breaking news for you - The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) confirmed today that they are staying in this...

There was a strange mixture of stalwart support and utter abandonment at U.S. Rep. William Jefferson's election party Saturday night as the indicted congressman claimed a primary victory in his 10th election campaign for the 2nd District seat. The party was at Flavorz by Mattie, a little-known restaurant in an eastern New Orleans neighborhood ravaged by the post-Katrina jack-o'-lantern effect. The room was half empty, with only about 35 supporters and family cheering on Jefferson and eating a late dinner of jambalaya and croissant sandwiches. There were no big political names in the crowd. Supporters appeared to be outnumbered by...

NEW ORLEANS – A 28-year political career was on the line Saturday for indicted U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, who is fighting bribery charges as he tries to fend off six Democrats in the primary for his New Orleans-based congressional seat. No one was expecting Jefferson or any of the other six candidates to garner the majority needed to win the nomination outright. Jefferson, seeking his 10th term, hoped to survive by taking either first or second place and moving on to a Nov. 4 runoff. A victory then would put him in a Dec. 6 general election in the heavily...

While Barack Obama has gained ground against John McCain in many places over the past few weeks, Louisiana is not among them. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the Bayou State finds the Republican on top 55% to 40%, and those results are virtually unchanged from a month ago. Full demographic crosstabs are available for Premium Members. Nationally, Obama has opened a modest lead in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll. In Louisiana, McCain is viewed favorably by 63% of voters, the Democrat by 46%. For both men, those figures reflect a three-point improvement over the past month....

In her new campaign commercial, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu highlights the endorsement of St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain. In the commercial, Strain touts Landrieu’s leadership and what she has delivered to the parish post-Katrina. The fact that a prominent Republican in the only Republican majority parish in the state is not endorsing the Republican candidate is quite telling. Strain is not alone either, for other Republican elected officials on the Northshore are also endorsing Landrieu. For example, St. Tammany Parish Assessor Patricia Schwartz Core and St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis are both supporting Landrieu. What makes matters even...

Even in absentia, Gov. Bobby Jindal has emerged as a star of the Republican National Convention. His in-command handling of Hurricane Gustav has become a point of pride for a party that feared another Hurricane Katrina could wreck their week in Minnesota. "Thank God for Bobby Jindal," said U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson of New Mexico, issuing what has become something like a salutation at the convention this week. Jindal, a first-term governor, was prominently mentioned as a potential running mate for Arizona Sen. John McCain, and before Hurricane Gustav, Jindal was slated for a prime speaking role Wednesday night. But...

As a 37-year-old governor and a rising star of the Republican Party, you are scheduled to speak at the convention on Wednesday night. Is there anything you care to tell us in advance? I’ve actually not been on the floor of a convention. It will be my first time. You oppose abortion and stem-cell research, and just this month, you declined to renew a bill prohibiting discrimination in the workplace. Do you see yourself as an archconservative? I am conservative. No doubt about it. But when you go back to what it means to be a conservative, I also think,...

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate John McCain's trip to Louisiana won't include a visit with GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal, whose mention as a potential McCain running mate has fallen off in recent weeks. McCain is scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on Monday night and plans to visit an oil rig off Louisiana's coast on Tuesday.

Landrieu said she does not know what Pelosi is going to do, but it is a problem for her (Pelosi) Corker, Hannity, Landrieu say drill here drill now.

A Zogby poll shows Republican John Kennedy has taken the lead in the U.S. Senate race against Democrat Mary Landrieu. According to the Zogby International website, "Republican John Kennedy is among the GOP's best hopes to oust a Democratic incumbent. He leads Democrat Sen. Mary Landrieu, 47%-41%." The poll's margin of error is less than 5%. "I wouldn't be surprised if the lead changes a bunch of times," says University of Louisiana Political Scientist Pearson Cross. Pollster John Zogby says, "In Louisiana, Sen. Mary Landrieu faces a strong conservative challenger in John Kennedy. The state was profoundly shaken by Hurricane...

Western oil shale becomes issue in La. Senate race By MELINDA DESLATTE A supply of oil sealed in rock out West is becoming a flash-point in Louisiana's U.S. Senate race, in a bid to gain the attention of drivers feeling the pinch of gasoline prices. Republican candidate John Kennedy said unlocking the energy source from oil shale - as much as 800 billion barrels of oil locked in underground rock in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah - could shrink the nation's dependence on foreign oil and could help ease prices at the pump. Kennedy, the state treasurer, said his Democratic opponent,...

WASHINGTON -- Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain is expected to be in New Orleans on Wednesday night amid reports that he'll sit down with Gov. Bobby Jindal, who is often mentioned as a possible running mate for the Arizona senator. Jindal said he has no meeting with McCain on his schedule, but McCain staffers told WashingtonPost.com that McCain will be talking to the governor. The New Orleans stopover raised eyebrows in political circles because it broke with McCain's schedule of appearances in battleground states -- he is well ahead in Louisiana -- and provided no details about his agenda...

U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu now attracts 49% of the vote in her bid for re-election while Republican challenger John Kennedy earns 44%. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows that, when “leaners” are included, it’s Landrieu 51% Kennedy 45%.

Officials in the Louisiana Secretary of State's office say a recall petition has been filed for Governor Bobby Jindal, making him the fifth elected official to face a recall attempt since the state legislature voted itself a payraise earlier this month. For a recall election to be called, the signatures of one-third of all registered voters in the state must be collected. That would be a total of 960,285 voters. Ryan Fournier of Jefferson submitted the recall petition. Other lawmakers facing recall attempts include House Speaker Jim Tucker (R-Terrytown), Rep. Steve Pugh (R-Ponchatoula), Rep. Joseph Lopinto (R-Metairie) and Rep. Franklin...

Another alleged Democrat Party felon is trying to hold on to any power he has left in Washington. New Orleans congressman William Jefferson(D-New Orleans) who is facing trial on federal corruption charges will seek re-election to a 10th term. In a news release on Tuesday, Democrat William Jefferson touted his experience and portrayed himself as a person who still has power in Congress despite his indictment in the corruption case.

Louisiana: Indicted Lawmaker to Run for Re-electionBy THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: June 18, 2008 Representative William J. Jefferson, a Democrat facing trial on corruption charges, has announced that he will seek re-election to a 10th term. Mr. Jefferson made his announcement in a news release that emphasized his experience and portrayed him as someone who still wielded power in Congress despite the case against him. The last time he ran for re-election was in 2006. The corruption accusations were a persistent problem for him then, but he overcame the odds and won in a landslide. He has since been indicted,...

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is “far and away the best candidate” for John McCain’s running mate on the Republican ticket. Appearing on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Gingrich said former congressman Jindal has been a “spectacular” governor and predicted he would be a presidential candidate in the future. Asked if Jindal, 37, would be ready to take over the presidency if he had to replace McCain, Gingrich said Jindal’s “experience in the executive branch and in the legislative branch is greater than” that of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Gingrich opined: “It strikes...

story can't be excerpted due to copyright issues, here's the URL: http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080613/NEWS01/806130316/1001/NEWS This is LA-05, which is basically the eastern half of north Louisiana. Rodney Alexander was a Democrat who switched parties, and the Democrats have never forgiven him, but this is the first time they've been able to recruit a serious candidate to challenge him. This is probably a safe sear (although in this climate who knows) but the GOP will have to play defense in a district that they ordinarily wouldn't have to worry about.

WASHINGTON -- On a day that Sen. Barack Obama moved closer to clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, embattled Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, Tuesday became the first of Louisiana's four Democratic congressional members to back his candidacy. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., is expected to join 14 other uncommitted Democratic senators today in announcing support for Obama. -snip-

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Before Sen. John McCain could begin speaking at a town-hall meeting here Wednesday, he first had to quiet a crowd gone wild for Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal -- a politician who not long ago would have been inconceivable in Louisiana. ***** The similarities between the 36-year-old Gov. Jindal and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama are tantalizing to many in the Grand Old Party. After only 143 days as the nation's youngest sitting governor, Gov. Jindal's name is being bandied about as a potential running mate for likely Republican presidential nominee Sen. McCain. ***** Gov. Jindal has done...