Republican shipbuilder is star of latest Mary Landrieu campaign ad

Major republican donor and party leader endorses Landrieu. Hopefully she'll pull this out.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/04/republican_donald_boysie_bolli.html

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Mary Landrieu's latest campaign ad features a Louisiana shipbuilder and Republican who says the three-term Democrat, as new chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has "the most powerful position a person can have for Louisiana.

"Even though I'm a Republican and I don't always agree with her, Louisiana can't afford to lose Mary Landrieu," says Donald "Boysie" Bollinger, chairman of the board and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards in the 30-second ad that begins airing this week.

The new ad is part of Landrieu's strategy to try and convince voters that her seniority on Capitol Hill is critical to Louisiana, a state that is heavily dependent on the federal government.

Landrieu has been good for Bollinger Shipyards and its 3,000 workers -- helping to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to build Coast Guard cutters at the Lockport shipyard.