The race for U.S. Senate is a year and a half away, but that is nothing in yellow dog years. Candidates will continue launching their campaigns to win the seat from Senator Mary Landrieu, and right-wing Colonel Rob Maness came out of left field with his announcement, ensuring a Republic primary election.

There were two first names at the top of the results over the weekend, as Ron Paul secured a victory in the Louisiana caucus. No one was paying too much attention to the caucus beforehand, but the result has managed to turn a few Republican heads. What's that? You thought Santorum already won here?

With his struggle to get into debates and difficulty finding a running mate, Buddy Roemer finds himself looking for Roementum (Yes, he actually is) heading into this week's New Hampshire primary. And, sure enough, as the eve of voting dawned, the Louisiana boy who moved to the Granite State to run for president managed to find a bright spot. In results released by tracking pollsters Public Policy Polling,  Roemer (3%) is running ahead of one-time frontrunner and Texas gov Rick Perry (1%). Of course, this UNH poll shows him at 1 percent - but don't pay look at that!

We all have ways of going around Republicans in power. Obama has a joint session of Congress, and Roemer has Comedy Central. Buddy Roemer may be having a problem getting into the Republican presidential debates, but he's having no problem getting air time on shows that make fun of the debates. Fresh off his Colbert Report appearance, which gave us the campaign's best slogan to date - "Just Tap it, Grandpa," the former Louisiana governor is set for a turn on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight. Look for the debate's "bullshit rules" to figure heavily in the conversation.

The Republican primary debate stage may be as crowded as the jam session at an Andrews family reunion, but, so far, there has been one convenient oversight. Buddy Roemer thought he was doing everything he needed to suck up to the Republican Party. He announced early. He left his home state for New Hampshire. He let Stephen Colbert call him grandpa. But, for all the sacrifice, he still hasn't gotten a chance to go on TV, and take potshots at Mitt Romney.

by Ben de la Cour

Former Louisiana governor, video poker enthusiast and Democrat-turned- Republican, Buddy Roemer, formally announced his presidential bid today. The speech was not choreographed as a down payment on the Kingfish's dream, as it was held not in Nachitoches, but New Hampshire's Dartmouth College.