In the unlikely event you haven’t already seen this elsewhere, I wanted to mention that Rep. Rodney “Turncoat” Alexander’s troubles continue to get considerably worse.
First, as the DCCC reported, Alexander’s ballot status is being challenged in court.
A voter in Louisiana is filing a legal challenge to defective Congressman Rodney Alexander’s ballot qualification, and seeks an injunction preventing the Secretary of State from issuing ballots printed with his name. The petition, filed by a voter and based on both Louisiana statute and prior precedent, rightly argues that Alexander’s SECOND filing 20 minutes before the deadline is in effect a withdrawal of his candidacy under Louisiana law since candidates are prohibited from amending their ballot qualification in any way once it has been made. Others in Louisiana have been tossed for just this kind of behavior in the past.
Second, as Atrios noted, the law clearly appears to be against Alexander on this.
Notice of candidacy; financial statements; political advertising; penalties
A.(1)(a) A notice of candidacy shall be in writing and shall state the candidate’s name, the office he seeks, the address of his domicile, the parish, ward, and precinct where he is registered to vote, and the political party, if any, with which he is registered as being affiliated. No candidate shall change or add his political party designation, for purposes of printing on the election ballot as required by R.S. 18:551(D), after he has qualified for the election. (emphasis added)
But wait, there’s more.
After Alexander’s entire congressional staff resigned in disgust on Monday, the lawmaker lost his political consultants yesterday.
“I’m disappointed in Rodney’s lack of loyalty to the people that worked day and night for him to help him win and get re-elected. But, the voters are the ones that get cheated in the end,” Trey Ourso said.
“We helped Rodney craft a message that asked voters to trust him,” Allan Crow said. “Now, he has betrayed that trust and denied voters a real chance to have their votes count. That is not only dishonest, but an affront to the democratic process. Louisiana voters deserve better.”
“After just two years in Washington, Rodney already believes that what’s best for him is what’s best for the people. His craven decision betrays a profound disrespect for democracy.” said Jeff Liszt.
Another former Alexander ally, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, released a controversial letter yesterday, which appears to show Alexander explaining why he could never join the GOP.
The Louisiana Federation of Teachers released a letter Wednesday it said Alexander wrote in March, explaining why he wouldn’t join the Republicans: “It would be impossible to join a party that not only ignores the people that make this country great, but also pressures their members to vote against any and all bills that are supported by unions.”
(Alexander denies ever having written the letter.)
And, finally, the Republican who was slated to take on Alexander before the last-minute party switch refuses to get out of the way now.
In the space of two weeks, Jock Scott went from being called an “excellent” Republican candidate by his party to being pressured to drop out of the congressional race.
Scott said that is not something he will do, despite his party’s support of incumbent Rep. Rodney Alexander, who made a last-minute switch from Democrat to Republican last week.
“I have been subjected since Friday evening to a constant effort in numerous different ways to get me out of this race,” Scott said. “The Republican Party at the national level just won’t quit trying to get me out of this race.”
Carl Forti, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, denied it has pressured Scott to drop out, but repeated what they have been saying for days: Republicans are now backing Alexander, who caused an uproar by first qualifying as a Democrat, then as a Republican two days later.
Alexander will get full financial backing from his new party, with a $10,000 check already in the bank and more on the way. Scott’s campaign will get nothing.
The great irony is, if Alexander had kept his word and stayed a Dem, he’d be in strong position for re-election right now. Instead, his career is in turmoil. It couldn’t have happened to a more appropriate guy.