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Louisiana Lowdown

December 02, 2008 9:22 PM

The Georgia Senate run-off is over, with the predictably poor showing for the Democrats. Whether President-elect Obama was trying to avoid seeming too partisan or didn't want to attach himself to what seemed certain to be a losing candidacy, Obama didn't visibly campaign for GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss's opponent, preferring to send money and staff, with a radio ad. No TV ad, no personal appearance.

Likewise, Obama is now on the air in a Shreveport, Louisiana House race to replace retiring Rep. Jim McCrery, R-La., vouching on frequencies AM and FM for Democratic Caddo Parish District Attorney Paul Carmouche against the GOP's John Fleming. The run-off is Saturday.

You can listen to the radio ad HERE.

As first reported by The Fix's Chris Cillizza, the script reads:

"This is Barack Obama. Together we made history, but there is still one more important election in Louisiana on Saturday, December 6th. Democrat Paul Carmouche is running for Congress. To change America and to get Louisiana's economy back on track -- I need leaders like Paul Carmouche working with me in Washington. Let me tell you about Paul Carmouche. Paul is an effective and fair district attorney who stood up for the victims of violent crime ... Paul supports tax relief for the middle class and will work with me to create jobs and get Louisiana's economy moving. Paul Carmouche is the kind of leader we need in Washington to make a difference for the people of Northwest Louisiana. On Saturday, December 6th please support Democrat Paul Carmouche."

Obama's campaign team has also sent out Obama-voiced robo-calls and emails seeking volunteers to help Carmouche and to solicit campaign cash.

The National Republican Campaign Committee is running TV ads painting Carmouche as soft on crime.

-- jpt

December 2, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (17)

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Brooklyn Democrat,

You mean the same USA Today/Gallup poll/ Wash Post/ ABC news polls that overestimated Obama's support during the election and ranked as the one of the most unreliable polls.

I think you can believe a used car salesman before you can trust those polls.

Posted by: Greg h | Dec 3, 2008 9:42:03 PM

Congratulations Saxby on your win. I voted for you and I am glad you won. Now go vote down with the other Republicans some of the ridiculous spending plans, unreligious plans such as abortion with no limits. Also, please vote down any bills that ban guns. If we ban Guns we will have nothing to protect ourselves from criminals who own them illegally.

Small town and Religion all the way
"Right" OBAMA you hate that don't you.

Posted by: Corey B | Dec 3, 2008 1:12:23 PM

By grown ups, I mean competent, responsible public servants rather than the incompetent political hacks, cronies and ideologues.
----------------------
LOL...LOL...LOL

Posted by: Mike_C | Dec 3, 2008 1:08:08 PM

Roxie -

By grown ups, I mean competent, responsible public servants rather than the incompetent political hacks, cronies and ideologues.

Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | Dec 3, 2008 12:35:43 PM

Louisiana is one sad state when they will vote for any republican regardless of qualifications. It will surprise me if he wins, but Carmouche has two votes from my family. The RNC is the one spending so much money just to keep a republican house seat.

Vicki,

Now it’s disgusting to spend money to win an election?????

So how disgusted were you with all the money Obama spent ?

Posted by: Mike_C | Dec 3, 2008 10:25:54 AM

Greg H
re: ".. will most likely to be a lousy president, Republicans already are confident about the 2010 elections.'"

yer boy 'W', along with Gov. Caribou have already redefined the meaning of 'lousy'.. be proud!

Republicans? ... which ones ..?
the non-ideological ones that live in the year 2008 or the ' creation science advocating, anti-women, fundamentalist neo-cons who like seeing people suffer and starting wars?

Posted by: Blue | Dec 3, 2008 10:19:32 AM

"The 'grown ups' are in charge again." That would seem to be a euphemistic way of saying we are quickly becoming the Nanny/Socialistic state that our forefathers feared.

Posted by: Roxie | Dec 3, 2008 9:26:46 AM

Greg h -

USA/Gallup has 78% of the public approving Obama's transition and cabinet selections. The grown ups are in charge again.

Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | Dec 3, 2008 6:36:14 AM

Not too surprising that a right wing reactionary state would want to elect a candidate that meets that same description. Like most Democrats, I am pretty content with things the way they are now.

I just hope Max cleland gets at good job at the Department of Veteran's Affairs. Now there is a true patriot, one the people of the great state of Georgia were too blind to see.

Posted by: Phoenix Lady | Dec 3, 2008 2:18:31 AM

" Republicans already are confident about the 2010 elections." Keep the faith! You've got a ton of seats to defend!

BTW, "liberal losers" doesn't work... maybe you forgot that the "evil" liberals won the big prize on November 4th...

Posted by: Mike | Dec 3, 2008 2:03:47 AM

"Thanks to Bill Clinton America may never recover from giving loans to those that could never afford them to begin with."

Actually, that was Jimmy Carter... see, that program that you claim suddenly failed a couple of years ago... that was started 20 years ago without problems. However, the continuous banking deregulation that accelerated under Bush... that coincides a lot better with the financial meltdown...

Get your smears right, people!

Posted by: Mike | Dec 3, 2008 2:02:19 AM

I will vote on Saturday for Paul Carmouche. Louisiana is one sad state when they will vote for any republican regardless of qualifications. It will surprise me if he wins, but Carmouche has two votes from my family. The RNC is the one spending so much money just to keep a republican house seat. They disgust me with their lying ads.

Posted by: Vicki | Dec 2, 2008 11:47:36 PM

The feudal lords of the Senate, (aka the Democratic committee chairs and majority leadership) are a far worse threat to the success of the Obama presidency than the minority party. Checks and balances, people. Maybe Obama is smart enough to realize that.

Posted by: Bridget | Dec 2, 2008 11:45:32 PM

It was always an uphill race for Martin and a real longshot at best, even against a scumbag like Chambliss. Who can forget his vicious campaign against Cleland? I echo the sentiment that Obama was best at being President. In fact, in my mind and the heart of much of the country, Obama IS President. For the longest time no one, here or abroad, has paid attention to Bush. Still, it's hard getting used to fact that we (will) have an intelligent, articulate, inspiring, unifying, inclusive, focused, on-point Commander-in-Chief. What an incredibly refreshing change - not to mention an awesome statement to the world. Our 8-year nightmare is over.

Posted by: Lee | Dec 2, 2008 10:02:53 PM

A liberal loser like Martin never had a chance never had a chance there. Even Obamba spending millions there , voter fraud and with a super record black turnout lost to McCain in Georgia. Liberal losers should try their luck elsewhere.


I think Obama has been a disappointment in many of his cabinet appointments( relying on clinton cronies) and will most likely to be a lousy president, Republicans already are confident about the 2010 elections.

Posted by: Greg h | Dec 2, 2008 9:49:16 PM

Obama only looks out for himself,plus he knew it was a lost cause if he would have organized the bussing of democrats to the polls like he did on Nov 4th, it would have been a tighter race. Without being paid and organized they don't show up to vote. Now we have some checks and balances to over see the idiot democrats who caused the subprime disaster. Thanks to Bill Clinton America may never recover from giving loans to those that could never afford them to begin with.

Posted by: HH | Dec 2, 2008 9:48:21 PM

As regrettable as it is that lowlife Chambliss won back his seat, Obama did the right thing in choosing to be President first and partisan second.

That's a change for the better.

With a President whose priorities are in the right place, America will easily survive the likes of Saxby Chambliss.

Posted by: R Mutt | Dec 2, 2008 9:36:52 PM

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