From CQ Politics:Democratic activists reacted with anger after Louisiana Treasurer John Kennedy announced Monday — eight days before the candidate filing deadline for this year’s state elections — that he is switching parties and will seek re-election as a Republican. And they may have additional reason to resent Kennedy after this fall’s elections: His party switch has ratcheted up speculation that he will run in 2008 as a GOP challenger to two-term Democratic Sen. Mary L. Landrieu.Good times!
State Democratic officials are decrying the timing of Kennedy’s announcement, comparing it with the last-minute party switch by Rep. Rodney Alexander of the 5th District in 2004. There are two major differences between the incidents, though.
Alexander, first elected to the House in 2002 as a Democrat, filed to run as a Republican in 2004 on the very last day of the filing period; Kennedy’s action this year at least gives Democrats a week to try to drum up a replacement candidate.
And while Alexander’s switch was a complete surprise, Kennedy had telegraphed his party crossover: Kennedy has had a noticeably strained relationship with Louisiana Democratic Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, who is not running for a second term this year, and has openly quarreled with other leading state Democratic officeholders on a variety of issues.
Kennedy also hasn’t hidden his apparent interest in next year’s Senate race. He met earlier this year with Karl Rove, the longtime political adviser to President Bush, reportedly to discuss a possible bid as a Republican in next year’s Senate contest.
Seriously though, I really am not a fan of these last minute conversions. But at least he didn't pull a Jeffords and wait until he got elected somewhere and then shifted the balance of power. Although that particular gambit would have a certain guilty pleasure feel to it...
At any rate, things are not looking good for Democrats in Louisiana and the sooner they get all of those corrupt Democrats out of office down there, the better for all concerned.
