GOP may censure Landrieu supporters

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Oct 12, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:00 a.m.

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Louisiana Republican Party chief Roger Villere said Saturday the party leaders are looking into ways to “meaningfully” censure GOP elected officials like those who have endorsed Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu.

It is “a disappointment” that some high-profile parish officials are supporting Landrieu over Republican state Treasurer John Kennedy in the Nov. 4 election, Villere said.

“It sends a message we are not united,” said Villere. “It confuses the Republican message.”

Parishwide elected officials in Republican strongholds of St. Tammany and Jefferson parishes are among those two-term senator Landrieu counts among her supporters. St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain plays a featured role in a frequently aired TV commercial.

Some party faithful wanted to bring up a censure resolution at Saturday’s meeting of the Republican State Central Committee, Villere said. But, he said, there is no meaningful sanction that can be imposed under current party rules. So adopting a censure resolution “didn’t make sense,” he said.

Villere said it will be up to the state Republican Party’s executive committee to decide how to proceed.

In the meantime, Villere said,  he is talking to the GOP defectors “one-on-one to express my concern and disappointment.”

“Right now, we are moving on. We are trying to build the party, not look to punish people,” said Villere. “But we don’t want this to develop into a trend.”

Landrieu counts more than two dozen Republican elected officials among her public supporters, including eight who are elected parishwide. The sheriff, parish president, assessor and district attorney of St. Tammany Parish — a GOP hotbed  — are included on the Landrieu list.

The most recent Landrieu endorsement came at week’s end from Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand.

Villere talked about the situation in an interview after a State Central Committee meeting at the State Capitol which barely attracted enough members to conduct  business.

The Nov. 4 elections drew the most attention.

Kennedy and Republican congressional candidates, including 6th District contender state Sen. Bill Cassidy, of Baton Rouge, appeared to seek help of party leadership from around the state in their campaigns.