The New Orleans Saints bounced back from a heart-breaking loss last week in Green Bay to beat the Chicago Bears in the Superdome.

After the game, Saints coach Sean Payton and Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith fielded questions from the media.  Below are excerpts of the respective Q and A with the press: 

Over the past years and particularly over the past week, it has become very obvious that the Republicans rule Louisiana.  Last week, no major Democrat with popularity or money qualified for statewide office.

Why?   How is it that the Democratic Party which completely dominated statewide government is now very much on the outside of power? 

Qualifying is over, and the fall elections are officially underway.  These elections will be quite different from any other elections we have seen in Louisiana. 

The news media, whose members are usually more liberal than the electorate in general, has been frustrated over the prospect that Governor Bobby Jindal (R) might draw no significant opposition; and much to their chagrin that is exactly what happened.  The media would never have been this out of touch if it had been looking at the road that Louisiana politics has been headed down for some time and the path that Gov. Bobby Jindal has sent this state. 

Second-ranked LSU ran for five touchdowns, passed for two more, and held Northwestern State to minus-4 yards rushing en route to a 49-3 in its home opener on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.

With the official campaign season set to begin, even critics have to marvel at the political handiwork of the pre-season's most active player: Sen. David Vitter.

   One has to go back to the Long era to find a politician as actively engaged as the junior senator is these days in elections for the Legislature, statewide offices, perhaps even for Congress next year. One has to ask: what's in it for him?

Update: Governor Bobby Jindal, as of 3:21 pm Wednesday, has another opponent. This time, it is Cary Deaton of Metairie (who has run in a number of statewide races) and Tara Hollis, the Democratic school teacher from North Louisiana--who could be the only Democrat running against Jindal.   Bayoubuzz reported on Tuesday that John Georges is seriously considering another  run for Governor.  Should he run, presumably, he would run also as a Democrat.

If so, now that Hollis has qualified, will the Democratic Party support any one candidate against Republican Bobby Jindal?

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FROM TUESDAY EVENING

After one day of Louisiana election qualifying, there was officially nothing much about which to get excited if you are into political competition.

Governor Bobby Jindal picked up three opponents—all of them no well-known political names of note probably possessing not enough money to compete with the campaign-rich-incumbent-governor-seeking his second term of office.

    Republican Gov.  Bobby Jindal seems assured of a second term as Louisiana’s chief executive after the state’s Democratic Party failed to find a viable candidate to challenge him.
    A poll, paid for by a unnamed group of Louisiana businessmen and conducted by Verne Kennedy of 500 white voters only, concluded that Jindal was vulnerable if challenged by a well-known, well-financed opponent.

Term-limited Democratic state Sen. Rob Marionneaux said Friday in a released statement that he will not be a challenger to Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal's in this fall’s re-election bid.

"After much thoughtful consideration and prayer, my family and I have come to the conclusion that this is not the time for us to embark on a campaign for Governor of the Great State of Louisiana," Marionneaux said in a statement issued by his office.

U.S. Jobs Fall

How bad is the US economy?  In August, the US did not add any jobs.  That number indicates a slowing down of the economy since the month before the US added approximately 200,000 jobs.  
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