Gambit Weekly calls LCRM "The Puppet Masters"

Gambit Weekly has a profile of Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority in its current issue.

A good bit of the money story has been covered here, but Gambit's Jeremy Alford extracts some nuggets in his conversation with John Diez, LCRM's executive director. Among them:

Diez says the group stayed out of certain races where there was more than one Republican, but that will change in the runoffs. There are also big checks going out this week that won't be recorded until later finance reports. That means it's all about Election Day for LCRM. The group is trying to succeed in an area where Democrats have traditionally dominated: Get Out the Vote. Parties, free give-aways, buses, Mardi Gras floats and paid block captains have all been used by Dems in the past to turn out their base. Republicans are looking to create a similar system.

Then there's this bit about LCRM's use of CCR and Associates:

Presently, LCRM is spending about $20,000 per month with the New Orleans-based GCR and Associates for 'computer database services." Earlier this year, it also dropped an additional $90,000 for software development. It's worth noting the GCR holds several contracts with the state and is at least a minor player on the recovery circuit. But the database system the company is developing may change the way Republicans win elections for some time. Diez admits that's where all the money has been going, and its impact on the race shouldn't be underestimated.

Then there's this closing paragraph which indicates that LCRM is thinking long-term:

'We're building a sophisticated modeling process," Diez says. 'This is all being geared toward Election Day. I think you're going to find that our reports from the final week will be more detailed than anything else you've seen from us. That's when you'll see a lot of action."

LCRM-financed direct mail pieces hit in Lafayette today, backing incumbent Don Trahan against Nancy Landry who is running without party affiliation in House District 31. If the LCRM is supporting Trahan, I would not be surprised if they do a drop in support of Patrick LeBlanc in that family fued among Republicans in that district.