Democrats Urge Sen. Breaux to Run Again

[Khephra]

December 15, 2003, 10:45 AM EST


BATON ROUGE, La. -- Democrats hope Sen. John Breaux, who has served in Washington for more than three decades, will run for re-election and not follow the example of other Southern Democrats who have chosen to give up their seats.

The three-term moderate Democrat, a Washington dealmaker, was set to announce at a news conference Monday afternoon whether he will seek to keep his seat.

"I just encouraged him to stay," said Rep. William Jefferson, a Democrat from New Orleans. "It makes it a lot simpler for us down here" if Breaux decides to seek re-election.

If he decides to step down, he'll be the fifth Democrat senator from the South to announce he's not seeking re-election, after Bob Graham of Florida, Zell Miller of Georgia, John Edwards of North Carolina and Fritz Hollings of South Carolina.

more..........

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-breaux,0,4571675.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. He should run again. He is FAR from perfect but he is NO....

Zell (Love Child of Lester Maddox) Miller. He will support our caucus without assaulting the party as Miller does and that is what counts.

[KittyWampus]

2. Thank You For Saying That!

There's something about Breaux that seems really upstanding.

I wonder if he is more Progressive at heart than his constituency allows.

[jus_the_facts]

5. Sure can't see that at all....he's stabbed his constituency in the BACK...

...for years and years...I AM one of that constituency and have tried over and over to think he has a heart....but don't see it at all in the least!!!! :puke: :puke: :puke:

[0007]

7. C' ya John baby - I think ya could have done better,

but I consider ya just another butt boy that junior is gonna reward.

The medicare thingy was the bending end for me.

[jus_the_facts]

4. after the support of a PUKE for our gov's seat.....N.O. is full of it too!

....all the support that was put behind Jindal in the gov's race....hopin' to gain minority support for him...is beyond sickening....I won't ever forget that fact regardless of the outcome...as Blanco isn't much different from BREAX...just wait and see! :evilfrown:

[amazona]

6. whoa that wasn't jefferson who supported jindal

That was mayor Ray Nagin. The whole town should not be blamed for his flabbergasting actions.

Jefferson is a good Democrat, and he is right to encourage Breaux to stay. Don't know if it will do much good though. It sounds like there has been an outpouring of people asking him to stay. I even sent a little letter myself some time ago. I think lots of people did.

Breaux will not be easily replaced. People don't realize how gruesome it can get...Vitter is Livingston without all the obnoxious mailers and the dominatrix.

[jus_the_facts]

8. never did I say he was the one who supported him......

.....it's been beyond gruesome to watch Breax support repukes time and time again...so whats the difference...NOT ENOUGH to want him to stay in office...this is why everything is so impossible...I've lost my ablility to just be satisfied with these people who claim to be for democrats then continue to vote with pukes....I have NO desire anymore to keep on having BLIND FAITH that one day they'll start actin' like a Democrat..it's just NOT happening....and gets WORSE and WORSE...so excuuuuuuse me for not agreeing but the fact remains that he might as well have had a R behind his name for a loooong time and I SEE THRU ALL THE BS and don't give a damn that he's leaving...x(

[jus_the_facts]

3. All I can say is BUH BYE.....I used to say around here that I supported...

.....his liar ass just because he had a D behind his name....but I'm SICK AND F'N TIRED of defendin' the indefensable.....his votin' with * across the board for the last 3 years has soured me to the point of not givin' a flyin' f*k through a flamin' hoola hoop in regards to his DINO ass....and I KNOW all the useless BS about him and his 30 years in office and BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH....soooooo don't bother with the flames about anything to do with him.....BUH BYE BREAX...YOU SHIT WEASLE! :puke:

[Voltaire99]

9. Breaux is a creature of the oil industry

Scarcely distinguishable from your average Cheney, this Republicrat should have been driven from the party long ago with its Millers and Liebermen.

Yet here he is. And here are calls for his reelection.

Sad, sad, sad, sad.

[amazona]

10. oil and sugar are important industries here

You have to expect a Senator from Louisiana to support those industries. Any Senator who gets elected will have to do the same. It's just that a senior Senator like Breaux can do more to bring the money back to the state. Chimpy is throwing the pork around, and if he can't be stopped, at least some of the money should be brought back to Louisiana. There is supposed to be $100 million for Louisiana charity hospital system in the Medicare bill. Yeah, the bill sucks, but if Big Pharma was going to get a hand-out anyway, why shouldn't Louisiana get some of this pork?

This won't happen with a less senior Senator who will have to stand in line and pay dues. A Suzanne Terrellis a worst case scenario -- near moron with a right-wing extremist agenda who will never get any power in Washington. Richard Ieyoub would be good, but it isn't going to be as easy to replace Breaux as some people think.

You don't have to like Breaux to recognize that this is a serious loss. Even some Republicans in Louisiana have apparently asked him to stay.

The average Louisiana voter outside the city of New Orleans is conservative and, often, anti-abortion. A discouraging minority -- I'd guess 20 percent -- are outright racists who would vote against their own interests every time if it put one more black kid out of a decent school and in a jail. Any successful candidate is going to have to appeal both to progessives in the city who want a strong safety net, better pay for teachers, and all that -- while still appealing to the less aware voter.

I just wish I knew Breaux's reasons for this. I understand your feelings, believe me, but I don't personally feel that now is a good time to let go of any strong Democratic Senators.

[AntiCoup2K4]

11. Isn't there a REAL Democrat in Lousiana that can take his seat?

Last couple of elections went pretty well down there if I recall.

[David Zephyr]

12. John Breaux, The Best Democrat that Oil Ever Purchased.

Glad to see him leave.