Kerry Not Best Choice for Louisiana, Part II

Jason Waguespack

The fact that Senator Kerry has received so many endorsements from Louisiana Democrats should not be surprising. Not even Senator Breaux’s endorsement should surprise me. He has never been anything other than a loyal Democrat. However, for someone who built his reputation on someone who is in the middle, who can reach out and build bridges and rejects political extremism and ideology, he could not have a stranger bedfellow than Senator Kerry.

Just last year, Senator Breaux was bemoaning the primary process for focusing on partisan extremes at the expense of the middle. On September 07, 2003, Senator Breaux is quoted as saying, "The real candidate we are looking for is not just the one who can carry the base." If that is the senator’s criteria, then the Democrats have failed dismally. Recently, Kerry was rated by National Journal as the most liberal senator currently serving in the Senate, surpassing liberals such as Senators Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton. Senator Kerry is basically no different from Howard Dean except he is not likely to break out in an impersonation of a pro wrestler on the stump. The last Massachusetts Democrat to run, Michael Dukakis, was beaten in Louisiana by ten points. The last Massachusetts Democrat to win Louisiana was John F. Kennedy, who ran to Richard Nixon’s right on foreign policy. Senator Breaux may say Kerry is the man for Louisiana, but I can’t claim to understand his reasoning.

Finally, I have to wonder if Senator Breaux has taken into account foreign policy when he decided to endorse Kerry. Does he believe that the senator will be as strong on the war on terror as Bush is? In endorsing Kerry, Senator Breaux said, "Sen. John Kerry has the right combination of vision, leadership and experience that will serve America well as president. I am proud to support Sen. Kerry and look forward to working with him to achieve victory in November." In a February 3rd debate in California, when asked if the president had exaggerated the threat of terrorism, he responded, "I think there has been an exaggeration." In that same debate, Senator John Edwards pointed out how reckless Kerry’s comments were, saying, "It's just hard for me to see how you can say there's an exaggeration when thousands of people lost their lives on September 11." This should raise a red flag as to Senator Kerry’s intentions concerning foreign policy. We cannot afford to trivialize foreign policy. The recent bombing in Spain is a chilling reminder of the dark threat that still hovers over our heads. The heavy fighting in Iraq is a reminder of our commitment overseas to rid that country of terrorists and install a democratic regime. Does Senator Breaux believe Kerry is a better choice to lead our nation in a time of war?

For Louisiana’s Democrats, (with a few exceptions) it seems when it comes to the political center and the political left, there’s not a dime’s worth of difference. Breaux, Blanco and company believe one of the most liberal senators in Washington is a better choice to lead our nation than George W. Bush. Fine with me. However, if Louisianans want leaders that will fight for lower taxes, traditional values and a strong national defense, the Democratic Party is no place to look for them.

Jason Waguespack currently writes The Bayou Brawl, an opinion column that espouses conservative views on national and local politics. His columns are archived at http://www.bayoubrawl.blogspot.com. His email is thebayoubrawl@yahoo.com