Washington Watch for Nov. 17

• By GERARD SHIELDS
• Advocate Washington bureau
• Published: Nov 17, 2008 - UPDATED: 7:45 p.m.

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

Now that the fierce battle for the Louisiana 6th Congressional District seat is over, all eyes are turning north to the race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery, R-Shreveport.

McCrery has decided not to seek a 10th two-year term. Longtime Caddo Parish District Attorney Paul Carmouche, a Democrat, faces Republican Dr. John Fleming, of Minden.

The national parties already are weighing in heavily for the Dec. 6 election, which will decide the only open House seat remaining in the nation. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently spent $60,000 for an ad buy, while the National Republican Congressional Committee has reserved $300,000 in airtime in the district.

Democrats see the longtime Republican district as winnable and consider it crucial since incumbent U.S. Rep. Don Cazayoux, D-New Roads, lost his 6th District seat to Republican state Sen. William Cassidy on Nov. 4.

“There are no other races going on besides recounts so the whole committee is focused on Louisiana’s 4th District, in much the same way we were focused on Louisiana’s 6th District in the special election this spring,” said Kyra Jennings, a spokeswoman for the DCCC.

Carmouche has raised a little more than $1 million for the race, while Fleming has made $900,000 in personal loans for the effort.

With the election of a new Congress, the Senate will have a revolving door in committee assignments that could affect U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.

Landrieu would be a contender for chairwoman of the Senate Small Business Committee if U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., joins the Obama administration or replaces Vice President-elect Joe Biden as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The recent decision by U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., to step down as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee should give Landrieu, who sits on the committee, a boost. Landrieu, often referred to as “Military Mary” for her activism on military issues, is said to have her eye on heading the subcommittee on military construction.

Landrieu also is hoping the disaster recovery subcommittee she chairs will be made a permanent panel.

The Department of Labor has awarded $7.5 million in federal funding to the Louisiana Workforce Commission to assist workers affected by multiple company closures and layoffs. The money will be disbursed to 10 northwest Louisiana parishes and eight southern parishes to assist workers displaced by hurricanes Rita and Katrina.