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QUEEN BEE'S EXIT LEAVES HIVE BUZZING
No, I'm not referring to Jeff Crouere and the drones over at Bayoubuzz.com. I'm harking back to the days when Governor Meemaw was dubbed the Queen Bee because of early successes with the legislature. Those days, of course, were washed away when the levees broke and sent her 65% approval rating down the terlet. Btw, the nickname has nothing to do with the camp classic/Joan Crawford vehicle, Queen Bee but when have I ever been able to resist a movie analogy?
Thursday's Picayune had a blow by blow account of how and why Blanco decided to leave the race. It confirmed my hunch that the Bush Administration's double dealing with the Road Home program was the final nail in Meemaw's political coffin. It smelled like a way to help Jindalize the electorate but every time Blanco has complained about the partisanship of the White House, it looked like Naginesque buck passing. Catch-22 was in effect, y'all. The Bushies were playing down and dirty politics but people don't want their Governor to whine even if they have something to whine about. Catch-22. Checkmate. For more insight into Meemaw's departure, check out John Maginnis and Stephanie Grace's columns.
Piyush (Bobby) Jindal was almost as unhappy to see Meemaw depart the race as her husband Raymond (Coach) Blanco. Jindal remains, however, the frontrunner because the public will only take John Breaux seriously if and when he enters the race. Breaux has teased the electorate several times in past cycles so this could be another Blaze Starr routine. My instinct tells me that it's for real but how strong a candidate will he be? I think he'll start off behind Jindal but then the Cajun Charmer versus Eddie Haskell effect will kick in and help elect Breaux. I, of course, could be wrong about that as the state *does* appear to be trending Republican right now. Also, the Senator better get ready for some strong incoming fire; the Repubs are out for blood and will treat him as a usurper out to deny Jindal his "rightful" prize. The Picayune has a decent analysis about the future of the race by Bill (Wheel) Barrow. LINK.
My pal Dangerblond poses a relevant question about the former Senator: "John Breaux is probably a very nice guy. He has conducted himself with a great deal of class in Washington and has not brought overt embarrassment to Louisiana. I can’t escape the feeling, however, that John Breaux means more of the same thing that got us into this position in the first place."
Actually, we've had "reform" Governors for 16 of the last 20 years. At least Roemer, Foster and Blanco *claimed* to be reformers and none of them put the state treasury into a dee-duct box and ran off with it to Rio de Janeiro. I'm not a big fan of Looziana style goo-goo reformers since they tend to be reactionary and either do way too much (Roemer) or not a helluva lot (Foster.) Nobody has ever called John Breaux incompetent or clueless and I think his sort of craftiness and guile is what this crisis calls for. Additionally, the man has Washington DC wired from K Street to the Hill to the White House. Do I think he's some kind of paragon? Absolutely not but he knows how to get things done, which is a talent that the Gret Stet desperately needs post-K.
The other problem for Democrats in Louisiana is that our bench is thin. Charlie Melancon does NOT want to be Governor and Mitch Landrieu remains bloodied by losing to Nagin last year. I really like Mitch and will support him if he runs but he may be too gentlemanly to beat Jindal. Louisiana Republicans have been using Gingrichian tactics in the legislature for the last few years and will definitely go after Breaux, Mitch or any other Democrat hammer and tongs. Jindal was too gentlemanly in 2003 and failed to respond to attacks from the Blanco camp at the end of the campaign but they won't make that mistake again. It's gonna be scorched earth time in Looziana, y'all.
As someone with a similar distaste for "goo-goo refomers" I can't help but
agree with this analysis. In the face of the federal flood and the
conniving Bushies, Louisiana desperately needs someone with the "craftiness
and guile" pulling the levers from the Kingfish's chair. Is Breaux ready
to do that? Even if he is a corporate crook, I expect he's a safer bet in
the coming knife fight than Mitchster Nice Guy.
Uh-oh. "Vote For The Corporate Crook. It's Important!"
Yes! I want that bumper sticker!
"Well people like that reform. Maybe we should get us some."
I always felt that Foster's main claim to fame was that he was more honest
than Edwards (easily done!). And Roehmer, well, he started off with a
conservative "revolution" -- certainly a contradiction in terms, since the
whole point of true conservatism is to avoid revolutions -- but his
blunders (eg: changing parties, just before Bill moved into the White
House) kind of negated anything good he tried to do...
"Nobody has ever called John Breaux incompetent or clueless and I think his
sort of craftiness and guile is what this crisis calls for. "
A louk warm reformer is better that an honest crook.
I agree that John Breaux is crafty and knows how to play the game. He's
known how for a very long time. What has he done for the people of
Louisiana (as opposed to the oil and gas industry and other corporate
interests) with his craftiness and guile? Please name one thing. As I am
not in the oil business nor of the ruling class, I have no reason to vote
for John Breaux. He's had 35 very power-filled years to make his roux,
where's the gumbo?
Reformers? My point is that their "reformism" is strictly rhetorical.
Jindal is talk, talk, talk.