It’s been threatened for weeks, and now it’s come to pass.
John Alario now calls himself a Republican.
The state GOP can’t really stop him from saying “I’m a Republican,” one supposes, but if they welcome Alario into the fold that’s going to be an indication that the coming Republican control of Louisiana’s government won’t be any different ethically, economically, aesthetically or in terms of competence than the decades of Democrat control were.
At LEAST run somebody against him next year. Please.
UPDATE: Alario tells AP he’s going to run for Senate President, which the rumor has it will put him up against Mike Michot (R-Lafayette). And Alario might be the favorite there, since Michot is considered invaluable on the Senate Finance Committee and the rule is you can’t be both the Senate President and a committee chair.
Gotta give the guy credit. As sleazy as Alario is he sure knows an opportunity when he sees one.
Another interesting tidbit – Alario isn’t the only party-switcher in the state Senate this week. John R. Smith of Leesville, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, is also a Republican now. That means the GOP now has 18 seats in the Senate to the Democrats’ 20.
Rumor has it there is a big wave of party-switchers still to come, and several more Democrat leges will make announcements between now and the end of the year.
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