This guy's a class act:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...
Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) refused to denounce a blog post at a conservative website that featured a picture of Sen. Mary Landrieu's (D-LA) head superimposed on Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's body.
The blog post with the image was tweeted out by the campaign manager for Cassidy's Senate campaign against Landrieu.
"You know, someone told me about that, but what is important about that is the article in which Senator Landrieu voted to give ... dictatorial powers to the Democratic party in the U.S. Senate, and in that now, after 200 and something years of our republic, Democrats in the Senate have the ability to appoint judges among other races to D.C circuit without having any sort of buy-in from Republicans," Cassidy told Louisiana's KPLCtv.com "The importance of that is (the) D.C. Circuit court is what approves these EPA [regulations] that threaten to hurt oil and gas and the jobs that are connected with oil and gas." - TPM, 11/26/13
Again, Cassidy has to stand by this shit because Tea Party voters just aren't convinced he's the real deal:
http://www.noladefender.com/...
Opposition to the 2008 “Wall Street Bail Out” crossed party lines in Louisiana, with Senator Mary Landrieu and Senator David Vitter both coming out in favor of big business’ right to fail. However, Senate hopeful Bill Cassidy voiced his support of the bailout five years ago, only to change his tune come election season. Now, Dems and Col. Rob Maness (R) are coming out against Cassidy's flip flop.
When the Congressman was running for his Sixth District seat in 2008, he responded to a question on the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), more commonly known as the bailout, during a debate. Cassidy responded, “I would have voted for that bill. And it was for jobs. It was for small businesses, and it was for retirees.”
In 2010, Cassidy told the Louisiana Family Forum that he opposed big business bailouts. The Congressman's platforms were listed in the LFF's Official Voter Guide.
However, Cassidy’s spokesperson recently told the Washington Examiner that the congressman’s previous statements did not indicate direct support of TARP. “His verbal support was different than a vote,” according to a statement released on November 11, 2013.
Col. Rob Maness, Senator Landrieu’s other Republican opponent, told NoDef that he did not buy Cassidy’s statements qualifying verbal support over a vote.
“I did not support the bailouts or TARP. I have strong principles based on free markets and my thoughts are that both actions are hurting our economy as evidenced by the lingering unemployment indicators. I disagree that anyone's verbal statements are not indicators of their principles or how they would vote in the Senate,” said Manness. - NOLA Defender, 11/25/13
And Cassidy is really trying pull of a real balancing act with conservative Republican voters:
http://www.theadvertiser.com/...
Cassidy also has a Republican rival to contend with — Air Force veteran Rob Maness. Last week, the Senate Conservatives Fund endorsed Maness. The PAC had receipts of $16 million in the 2011-12 cycle, according to Roll Call.
After the town hall meeting, Cassidy explained the fund’s antagonism.
“The fund doesn’t like me, and here’s why,” Cassidy said, ticking off the reasons on his fingers. “I’m in favor of coastal restoration; they are not. I’m in favor of flood insurance reform; they just want Louisianans to suffer through sticker shock. I’m in favor of improving highways; they don’t want to spend a cent on that. I want to reform the Army Corps of Engineers; they do not. I’m a conservative Republican.”
Applause rippled through the crowd when Cassidy said it was possible to be pro-environment and pro-business. He opposed the Environmental Protection Agency for regulations he insisted hobbled the oil and gas industry from creating jobs.
But the crowd responded enthusiastically to his call to restore the coast to its former pristine beauty.
Cassidy is a physician who proposes making catastrophic health insurance available to all Americans, Cassidy told the Advertiser. He opposes the Affordable Care Act and told the crowd he voted 40 times to repeal it, although he seemed to favor one element.
“The idea that children can stay on their parents’ health insurance after age 21 is actually a Republican idea,” Cassidy said. - The Advertiser, 11/25/13
This is what we're dealing with people. If you would like to get involved or donate to Landrieu's re-election campaign, you can do so here:
http://www.marylandrieu.com