What sucks about all this, regardless of the impending legal challenges, is that there will almost certainly be a Republican congressman from LA-5 in the next Congress. Whether it is Alexander or Scott, DEMs will need yet another seat to retake the majority.
However, I think this story may be a little more involved than a conservative DEM losing faith in his party...
I don't like conspiracy theories much, but I have to agree with some that this whole situation smells really fishy. I mean, I think we have to assume that the GOP convinced Alexander to take this course of action a while back...in exchange for something, perhaps the promise of a juicy committee assignment. Quid pro quo. Why the heck else would Alexander switch??? His polling numbers as a Democrat were outstanding and dare I say he was on his way to reelection as it was. Why would he have blathered all this stuff about being a proud Democrat when he first filed for reelection, just days before switching parties, unless it was part of some bigger web of deception?
Regardless of whether or not this was all part of a plan devised ahead of time by state/national GOP leaders, I just can't honestly believe that nobody knew such a last second re-filing (in order to change party) was illegal. It is clearly precluded in state election law. Wouldn't people want to check out the pertinent elections laws with the Republican Louisiana Secretary of State (W. Fox McKeithen) before advising Alexander to do this??? It doesn't make sense that they wouldn't do that very simple thing first and foremost. The fact that nobody seems to have known about or checked state election law beforehand is perhaps the most conspicuous thing about all this... It seems more likely to me that the GOP knew this was illegal and kept that fact from Alexander.
If the GOP was playing Alexander as a fool, they could have advised Scott to say he was being pressured to drop out of the race in favor of Alexander, while he was really being encouraged to run. That way, on the surface, it looks like the GOP's overtures to Alexander were genuine and the legal problems were somehow just an honest goof-up. In actuality, though, the GOP may have cleared the field (namely, of crazy Cooksey) for loyal Republican Scott and then took-out undependable Alexander (who had been looking really good for reelection) by convincing him to unknowingly break election law. They also managed to keep any other viable DEM out of the race by having Alexander initially file for reelection as a DEM. Alexander played along because he wanted to win easily, without fighting undoubtedly strong and enraged DEM opposition, and be rewarded by the GOP for switching. The GOP wanted this to ensure, no matter what, that there was a GOP congressman from LA-5 after the election.
With a close battle for control of the House, every seat counts more than ever. With that being the case and the tide running against the Republicans (having lost 2 seats in special elections and down in national polls), I certainly wouldn't put it past the GOP to engineer such a masterful and successful deceit...
</conspiracy> ;-)