By Dick Patten, president, American Family Business Institute
April 7, 2008
The Hill

It seems that Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) is finally facing up to the consequences of her opposition to death tax repeal (article, “Landrieu’s reelection bid made difficult by Vitter,” April 2). I want to point out an important piece of this drama that your article overlooked: Landrieu was the Louisiana senator who broke her word and voted against the H.R. 8 death tax repeal in June 2006.

She had previously committed to support permanent repeal, and up to the day of the vote, we were counting on her. Apparently, the good policy of death tax repeal mattered less than giving in to the demands of the Democratic leadership that she vote against the bill. Her defection was the cause of that bill’s failure.

Her 2008 opponent, John Kennedy, seems to understand the importance of this issue for Bayou State residents, and has signed the “Death Tax Repeal” pledge. We have repeatedly offered Sen. Landrieu the opportunity to support repeal by signing the pledge, but it seems she is ever more closely tied to the expectations of her leadership. It should be no surprise that she is in hot water now with her constituents, many of whom don’t appreciate why party politics should come ahead of good policy.

Washington