Breaux opts not to enter governor's race

http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/wwl041307tpbreauxnorun.7844705.html

Former U.S. Sen. John Breaux on Friday bowed out of the Louisiana governor's race, saying questions about his eligibility would hamper his ability to run an issue-based campaign.

"While I appreciate the hard work of the attorney general and his office, the failure of a clear declaration of my status as a (Louisiana) citizen greatly inhibits my ability to conduct a campaign based on the issues instead of the law," Breaux said in a statement issued Friday evening through the Louisiana Democratic Party.

 

It is hard to imagine on what basis the Supreme Court would have ruled him eligible to run. He is not eligible to vote in Louisiana which seems to me to be the deciding factor in determining citizenship. Residency would not be the issue because many people have dual residencies. Nor would the fact that he pays Louisiana State income tax. If I own timber land in Mississippi and have an income from the sale of that timber, I will have to pay Mississippi income tax. But that would not make me a citizen of Mississippi.

 

The Attorney General did not make any formal opinon at all on whether or not he could run. That was why Breaux decided not to run. Frankly, I was surprised at his decision.

 

The attorney general is a democrat....he wanted nothing more than to say that breaux could run....but he couldn't. He knows that breaux shouldn't be allowed to run, but he wasn't going to say that. Hell, if you have to buy a three day, non-resident, hunting license just to shoot a deer in our state, I'd say you weren't a resident.

Go on back to D.C. breauxboy. See if you can get some more money from the chinese.

 

I think John Breaux is doing the honorable thing here. He realizes that it will most likely be a legal battle by entering the race and knows that that is NOT something that this state needs right now. For once, a politician is putting the best interests of the state above his own aspirations.

 

I think you're giving him too much credit. He realizes that he doesnt have any legal ground to stand on, and that pursuing this issue is a huge waste of money. I doubt seriously if the "best interest of the state" came into play.

 

I've never known Breaux to be your typical run-of-the-mill politician, so I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Breaux has indicated that if he decided to run, his eligibility issue would dominate the campaign, and he felt it was more important for the issues facing the state to dominate campaign. Based on his past service and his reputation, I have no reason to doubt him and will give him the benefit of a doubt. I feel he is entitled to that.