Dems Win Second Seat In Solidly GOP District

House Democrats continued to expand their majority Saturday night after Louisiana state Rep. Don Cazayoux emerged victorious in a special election for retired Rep. Richard Baker's (R) district.

The win comes two months after Democrats picked up their first seat of the year. In March, Democrat Bill Foster won the Illinois seat of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R). That seat, like the Louisiana contest, was in solidly Republican areas. President Bush carried the Illinois district with 55 percent and the Louisiana district with 59 percent in 2004.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[mamacat]

The last two special elections have seen Democrats win seats in GOP districts. Maybe the people really do put common sense above party loyalty.

[DrDemon]

I find it amusing that when the Repugnicans lose they, and their supporters, their intelligence kicks in and then they seem to know all the causes of the failure.

It was because of this, not to mention the fact that...., in addition to this... and if it were not for the fact that.... and because of this, and on and on and on...

If they are so intelligent, then why not analyze the variables before the fact, then act accordingly?

They get what they deserve, and much more to come!

[Woggles]

See what happens Democrats, when you nominate pro-gun candidates in conservative districts?

[Oldbuck]

There is a change in the air but the Republican are to dumb to realize the old Bull will not work. They keep trying to pin labels on Democratic instead of telling people what they will do to make things better think they will ever learn that the Carl Rove Bull Shit only works one time.

[freshnotbitter]

With the recent issues about Obama's pastor one wonders how the Republicans manage to keep losing.

After all:

they gave us the perfect war in Iraq.

The move of US corporations to Mexico is proceeding perfectly while the immigration of cheap labor without health care or social security contributions is proceeding perfectly.

The tax cuts for the wealthy have worked perfectly with deficits exploding out of control. The Federal Reserve giveaways to Wall Street have worked perfectly to bail Wall Street out of the consequences of their individual decisions and has kept the New York real estate market perfectly exhorbitant while the rest of the country descends into an abyss.

How can these perfect republicans lose?

[BlackWidowPilot]

You're forgetting that the GOP is the "party of family values!" After all, with an actual performance record like this:

http://www.armchairsubversive.org

How can America *not* want to vote for the "Repedophile" candidate of their choice? I mean, they really do want to "protect" America's children, right?

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[TrueThis]

Congratulation Mr. Cazayoux! The political right wing tried to swift boat your campaign by you being affliliate with Obama and Pelsoi but it was obvious the Louisianan were smart enough tor realize it was time to change the page to real issues concerning this country.

[speakingtruth2power]

Despite what you see in polls showing McBomb competing closely

with either Democratic candidate, there is a huge change going on

and the GOP has been mortally hurt by the neocons & Xo-fascists,

who have made a mockery of their traditional conservative values.

No objective political observer is expecting a close race in Nov. 08.

Only a proactive, corporatist press AND voter fraud can turn back

this sea change in America. Polls show what the folk who pay for

them, want the outcome to be. It depends on what & who you ask!

[ProfessorDuh]

I agree. I used to vote for Republicans, I will never vote for any Republican again as long as I live, and I am not alone. The Fascist Party can thank Bush and Cheney for that. They're revealed what all Republicans really are.

[LITU]

A Democrat from Louisiana is a Republican from anywhere else. Just look at the voting record of the seated representatives/senators.

[JerryTheAngel]

Try explaining Dennis Hastert losing his longtime Republican seat in IL to a Democrat?

[soylentgreenleftovers]

Geaux Caza-you!!! where's dat boy from? Baton Rouge?

[Billar]

This is really great news. I hope the Mississippi race goes Dem too!

[artsandminds]

This is huge, because the Clinton/McCain machine wanted to see the Dem loose so they could show how Obama's support for Cazayoux was a negative and would be a negative in the fall, saying Obama had no coat tails. Of course now that that scenario did not play out, we will never hear about it again, but if it had, it would have been broadcast on CNN 24/7.

[TXfemmom]

Now this is news. The Dems need to pound at the Republicans and tie them to the failed policies which have us in this situation. Another twenty five to thirty House seats and they can get something done.

Now, they need to pick up at least six to eight, if not more, Senate seats, and they can kick Lieberman to the side of the road.

[maxfusion]

This is nothing news, the real news in the conservative wave of victories in Europe. You socialists, and quislings are through.

[sfpolarbear]

Are you kidding? This is a joke right? The real news is about Europe!? Dope.

[artsandminds]

You"re a joke, American style conservatism is nothing at all like European style conservatism, and there is nothing to be gleaned from ones victories vs. the others. This is huge, because the Clinton/McCain machine wanted to see the Dem loose so they could show how Obama's support for Cazayoux was a negative and would be a negative in the fall, saying Obama had no coat tails. Of course now that that scenario did not play out, we will never hear about it again, but if it had, it would have been broadcast on CNN 24/7.

[soylentgreenleftovers]

Yeah, intersting how Berlesconi is reinstating fascism in Italy, old-school Il-Duce style. Including the old Mussolini arm-straight -out salute. Yeah, the conservatives should be very proud of that.

[situationcritical]

Having actually lived in Europe I can say that conservatism there would be felt as ULTRA-LIBERAL here. That's no exaggeration. Conservatives in Germany support Gay Marriage, Gun bans, and Female Presidents.

[Eoin45]

maxfusion - change your moniker to maxconfusion. Conservatives in Europe would be middle of the road liberals here. You don't know what the hell you're talking about.

[watererbob]

Gee - if Obama wins the nomination, Bush will FINALLY find that a#s ho** UBL in time for the Election! Or at least produce his decaying body!

[ann1]

YAHOOOOOOO! YES YES YES. This is indeed a victory....i'ts not about the dems winning it's about that stupid low down dirty ad the repukes ran trying to tie this guy to Sen O/Rev Wright in hopes that it would sway the outcome! I was hoping that the AA community would turn out in droves to give this guy a win. The Repukes were hoping that a win for them would cause the Super-D's to think Sen O may be bad news for other dems who are running for office...BAM IN YO FACE

[artsandminds]

Exactly, very well said, and had Cazayoux lost, the media (Fox, CNN, MSNBC) would have played up that implied connection between his loss and Obama, but now that it did not, we will not hear about it again (That"s the "pro-Obama" media for you, NOT).

[RSU]

I hate to steal the thunder from a story that is obviously meant to herald 'The Second Coming' of Democrats to Washington, but there's much more to this story than meets the eye.

This particular congressional district took the brunt of Katrina victims that inexorably changed the political makeup of this former, mostly Republican district. For example, Baton Rouge swelled to more than double its population after Katrina wiped out the Ninth Ward. And while many have moved on or returned to New Orleans, the city's population is still a full 1/4 percent larger than it was pre-Katrina with an est additional 100,000 new residents. The same thing also happened in the cities of Zachary, Baker, Merrydale, and Shenendoa as well as all of the outlying areas within this district that have created a massive jobs and housing crunch.

With well funded get out the vote drives that specifically targeted these new residents, many of whom are traditional Democrats from New Orleans, it gets easier to see how this election shifted Democrat the way it did.

Celebrate as you will with this 'any win is a win' result, but don't kid yourself that this is a sudden sea change sign that America is magically turning Liberal. That isn't going to happen . . . even if we do get a few more Democrats in Congress and the White House.

[Pupster]

It's true that the demographics have changed with the influx of Katrina refugees, but there is also real discontent, actually anger, towards the Republicans and their inaction during and after Katrina. Even without those refugees, there is a good chance that that district would have gone Dem this year.

[RSU]

I doubt it. If that were true, how do you explain Bobby Jindal?

[globality]

wanna bet

[BadgerBoy]

Laughable at best, how much did republicans spend to keep this seat? How many special interest groups, ie Freedom Watch, were running ads trying to link Cazayoux to Obama and Pelosi?
The victory here is those tactics in a very traditionally red district failed miserably and republicans spent a great deal of money on this one seat. Money, which they could ill afford to spend when there are plenty of other seats being challenged in much less republican districts. Justify your loss anyway you wish, you still lost and there are going to be many more!!

[RSU]

You don't know what you're talking about.

From the story you couldn't even be bothered to read:

"Cazayoux benefited from a strong fundraising advantage over Woody Jenkins " $810,000 to $490,000 " with much of the help coming from national Democrats. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) spent $920,000 on the contest.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) only spent $440,000 on the race and Jenkins received less than $40,000 from GOP members."

So much for your little funding BS! Republicans didn't spend as much because they knew the district was a wash with the huge influx from New Orleans.

[Eoin45]

RSU, can you spell Dennis Hastert?

[DrDemon]

"...don't kid yourself that this is a sudden sea change sign that America is magically turning Liberal. That isn't going to happen . . ."

It's happening in real-time, right before your eyes. Do you now suffer from deafblindness?

[jnratliff]

People are begging to see just what a mess the republicans have made out of things. From the economy to the war to torture to unethical behavior or just plain criminal behavior the republican party has the worst of the worst in America!