Breaking

Breaking from WWL...

Governor Kathleen Blanco has requested television time tonight for a gubernatorial address that will be carried live on Eyewitness News at 6 p.m. Sources tell Eyewitness News that Blanco will announce she is not seeking re-election.

This would be good news in terms of the  Dems chance to hold LA governorship. Blanco would not have been re-elected.

UPDATE: Michael says in the comments..."And that's really too bad: Blanco is not a bad governor. She had some bad luck, yes, and she got caught square in the sights of the GOP attack machine."

I don't know what others would say but I agree with Michael and my feeling upon reading this news was sadness for her. I think Blanco is a good woman and I doubt any governor has ever faced what she has in Katrina and it's aftermath.

UPDATE: She's out...

BATON ROUGE — Beset by complaints about the state's slow recovery from the 2005 hurricanes, languishing in the polls and facing pressure from her own party, Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco announced Tuesday that she will not seek reelection this year.

Blanco, the first woman to be elected governor of the state, made the announcement in a televised address from the Governor's Mansion shortly after 6 p.m. Stepping away from the podium to hug family and friends, she did not immediately take questions.

SNIP

The stunning decision opens the door for former U.S. Sen. John Breaux, who has flirted with getting into the race but told fellow Democrats he would not run in the Oct. 20 primary unless Blanco decided to step aside.

SNIP

Breaux, who has worked as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., since leaving office in 2004, did not comment on his candicacy, but offered best wishes for Blanco.

 

Comments

[Michael]

Whoa...that's definitely a story.

And that's really too bad: Blanco is not a bad governor. She had some bad luck, yes, and she got caught square in the sights of the GOP attack machine. But you're right about her chances for re-election.

Now the question is whether Breaux will make a run...

[jeffrey]

I was never much of a fan.... but maybe just because the last decade of Louisiana Gubernatorial elections have lacked the high theater we've come to expect and Blanco's milquetoastiness was a contributing factor to that. In any event she was the wrong Governor at the wrong time. She started at a disadvantage because of Bush's hostility to a "female Democrat" but I think a stronger personality could have offset that to some degree. Louisiana Dems are looking to former-Senator-turned-corporate lobbyist Senator John Breaux as a savior right now... which also says something about how far we've fallen, I guess.

[Ray]

Two words: Road Home.

[ashley Morris]

Breaux, yes....but now there's a rumor about Melancon. Of course, there's always Mitch.

[Duckman GR]

Maybe we could get Ms Landrieu to run, and find somebody with some political saavy to take her place?