Isn't it always?

In this case, the NRCC has managed to turn lemons into lemonade, spinning Cazayoux's 3 point win in LA-06 on Saturday as a disappointment for the Democrat who was up by 9 and 7 in the final 2 polls of the district. Specifically, the desperate NRCC is touting its ads tying Cazayoux to Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi as the reason for the gap's closing and putting Democrats on notice.

From CQ:

While hailing the simultaneous special election victory by Republican state Sen. Steve Scalise in the overwhelmingly Republican 1st District in and near New Orleans, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) contended that Cazayoux was actually a strong favorite to win the 6th District seat, despite its usual Republican tilt.

The NRCC continued that it had cut deeply into the supposed lead held by Cazayoux by running ads that sought to tie him to more liberal Democratic leaders such as Illinois Sen. Barack Obama , the front-running candidate for the party's presidential nomination, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.

"This should come as a warning shot to Democrats," the NRCC said in a post-election press release. "The elitist behavior of the Democratic front-runner and the liberal and extremist positions that he and his fellow Democrats in Congress have staked their claim to, do not appear to be as salient as they once hoped."

Pretty hilarious. They actually seem to believe their own BS or at the very least they're just showing their plumage for donors who've lost faith in the committee. Either way though, there's no doubt what the NRCC's 2008 plan for tough races in red districts is going to be, whether Barack Obama wins the nomination or not. I say bring it on.

There's more...

Tomorrow is the congressional special election in Louisiana's 6th district, which encompasses the area in and surrounding the capital city of Baton Rouge. The district is R+7 but polling has shown Democratic State Representative Don Cazayoux in the lead there, including the latest Survey USA poll (h/t Daily Kingfish).

Don Cazayoux (D) 50% (49%)
Woody Jenkins (R) 41% (42%)

The DCCC smells blood and so has upped its investment in the race including media buys, phonebanks and direct mail. Per Swing State Project:

The new expenditures tally up to $267,242, bringing the DCCC's total tab in this district to a whopping $1,185,396.

The benefits of having a congressional committee that is flush with cash. But the race means more than just an additional Democrat in congress and the DCCC knows it. This race is one of the few opportunities we'll have before November to see the excitement and increased participation inspired by the Democratic primary manifested in tangible electoral results. To that extent, this race is about more than just LA-06. Some will spin a Cazayoux win as proof of Obama's coatails in red districts but honestly I think it would be just a taste of what is going to happen in November with either candidate at the top of the ticket. However, if Cazayoux loses, or if the race ends up much tighter than polls suggest, expect it to be seen as evidence that Obama could actually be a drag downticket. The GOP is desperately trying to tie its Democratic challengers in red districts such as LA-06 and MS-01 to "liberal" Barack Obama. I suspect the tactic will backfire, but if it doesn't, cue Clinton talking points.

Per Capital briefing:

A different Freedom's Watch ad brings us to the other interesting angle in this Louisiana race -- the GOP's effort to tie Cazayoux, who is positioning himself as a conservative, to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Speaking of health care, the ad says, "Where does Don Cazayoux stand? With Barack Obama for a big government scheme."

Will this tactic work? Operatives in both parties are waiting to find out. If Cazayoux loses, supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) will add another plank to their argument that Obama is unelectable in November because he can't win in conservative and rural districts. If Cazayoux wins, Obama forces can say those attacks just won't work. Either way, this contest is important in a lot more places than just Louisiana.

Update [2008-5-2 13:15:58 by Todd Beeton]:Want to help Don Cazayoux in the final hours before the election, check out his website and contact the campaign HERE.

There's more...

Cross posted at Daily Kingfish and Daily Kos.

The Cazayoux campaign released this web-only video about the race:

Don's candidacy has sparked a fire amongst the unions here in LA-06. While they've worked with political candidates before, I've never seen them this excited about a candidate. If you like the idea of adding to the Democratic majority in the House with someone who will be there with us on the economic issues we all care about, then donate.

I also had the opportunity to interview Don, using questions from commenters here at Daily Kos, MyDD, and Daily Kingfish. The interview is below the jump!

There's more...

Bumped from the diaries -- Jonathan... Very exciting stuff. If you want to help out, head over to Act Blue today.

Yesterday, the Cazayoux campaign released the results of a poll it commissioned AnzaloneLiszt Research to do on the LA-06 special general election. Here are the results:

Also, Cazayoux's favorable/unfavorable ratings are 55%/13%, which improved since the March primary, with the favorables increasing by 15%, compared to Woody's 56%/34%, which has remained static over the last month.

Further, the Republican generic ballot advantage in this district is gone ... with voters saying that 43% of them will vote for the Democrat, and 41% of them will vote for the Republican. That means Woody will have to win on his own merits.

There's more...

Morning, y'all. My name is Ryan, and I am main blogger behind the Daily Kingfish. This week, I will be conducting an interview with Don Cazayoux, the Democratic nominee for the special election in Louisiana's 6th CD, which encompasses the Baton Rouge metro area.

To that end, I'm asking for a little help in regards to questions to ask him when I interview him. I'm looking for something more than the usual questions folks want to know on the red-button issues. I'm looking for questions dealing with the economy, health care, transportation issues, the mortgage crisis, the War in Iraq, etc. I will use some of those questions in the interview, and will attribute them to who asked them. So if y'all can include where you're from in your comment, I would be greatly appreciative.

There's more...