Cazayoux airs ad for 6th District campaign

• By SARAH CHACKO
• Advocate Capitol news bureau
• Published: Aug 13, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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The first of the candidate-sponsored campaign advertisements in the 6th U.S. Congressional District race aired Tuesday.

Until now, most of the campaign commercials have been paid for by groups unaffiliated with a candidate and strongly targeting one of the party players: Democrat Don Cazayoux or Republican Bill Cassidy.

U.S. Rep. Cazayoux, D-New Roads, kept with the theme of commercials started during his spring election to Congress, allowing his family to tell viewers what he’s been doing during his three months in office — sponsoring a bill to help veterans, fighting his party’s leadership in trying to allow for offshore drilling and voting to cut taxes on the middle class.

Cazayoux faces two challengers in his re-election bid this fall. State Sen. Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, and state Rep. Michael Jackson, No Party-Baton Rouge, will also be on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

Cassidy said he is not convinced about Cazayoux’s stance on domestic drilling, accusing the incumbent of blocking legislation to bring the issue to a vote.

Cazayoux said he has always supported the expansion of offshore drilling and cast votes to that end. Earlier this month, Cazayoux said he sent a letter to U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., asking the House leadership to bring the issue to a vote.

Monday night on the nationally televised “Larry King Live” show, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., seemed to back off of her fixed anti-drilling stance, saying she would allow the vote to come to the House floor so long as it is part of a larger energy package.

Cazayoux said Pelosi and other House leaders likely heard from their constituents regarding domestic drilling during their month-long congressional break and are becoming convinced that drilling is the right thing to do.

“We do it here in Louisiana very safely, and we think it could be done and should be done all across the shores of the country,” Cazayoux said.

Cassidy said he suspects the softening of Pelosi’s stance will not lead to as dramatic a change in energy policy as the Republicans are calling for.

“Which party is likely to explore these options more fully and which party is more likely to limit, limit, limit?” he asked.

Cassidy was the target of a radio advertisement released late last week by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that accused the doctor of being in the pocket of drug companies. The DCCC is a political organization dedicated to getting Democrats elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Cassidy responded by saying that any involvement he had in the last two years with pharmaceutical companies was through the LSU Medical School; for research purposes and to give residents access to medication they otherwise would not have.