BATON ROUGE, LA. Mary Landrieus reelection could help Democrats hang onto the Senate, but liberals have abandoned her anyway.
Large national environmental groups, womens organizations and unions are barely lifting a finger for the embattled Louisiana Democrat, who has close ties to the oil industry and supports the states same-sex marriage ban.
And while unions and greens have never been big players here and a centrist like Landrieu might not even want the public nod of progressives in a red state, their money, advertising and get-out-the-vote ground game could help her. Landrieus in a close race that could send her into a prolonged and expensive runoff against Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy, if a third party candidate prevents either of them from picking up more than half the vote on Election Day.
(Full 2014 election results)
The groups decision to stay on the sidelines in a key race is also a reminder that its not just the Republican Party that deals with internal fights over ideological purity. The Democratic Party, too, has a movement wing willing to abandon members of their own party they believe are insufficiently liberal.
When it comes to Mary Landrieu, sticking with Big Oil is kind of the polar opposite of economic populism, said Adam Green, the Progressive Change Campaign Committees co-founder.
The group, which says it represents the Elizabeth Warren wing of American Progress and focuses on a message of economic populism, isnt supporting Landrieu this cycle, even though it is backing other endangered Democrats like Mark Udall of Colorado, Bruce Braley of Iowa and Mark Begich of Alaska. The group has raised more than $1.4 million for candidates and campaigns this cycle.
(POLITICO's 2014 race ratings)
Most major environmental organizations also havent given Landrieu a cent and pro-green billionaire Tom Steyers super PAC even toyed earlier this year with targeting her for supporting the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.
We have not been involved in that race because Landrieu had not been an ally on many issues, particularly energy ones, League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski said.
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Liberals abandon Landrieu