Louisiana Republicans prepare for presidential caucuses this weekend
by Jonathan Tilove - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Washington -- It's all over but the shouting in the Republican presidential contest, but whatever shouting is left to be done will likely occur at the Louisiana Republican Party presidential caucuses this weekend. Even as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign is moving from the competition to coronation stage, Louisiana Republicans will go to congressional district caucuses Saturday to elect delegates to a state convention in Shreveport on June 2 that will in turn select delegates to the Republican National Convention at the end of August in Tampa, Fla. Voters in each district will be able to vote for 25 delegates, or simply vote for one of nine slates of delegates (10 in the 1st Congressional District). None of the delegates or slates will be identified on the ballot as supporting a particular candidate and none will be pledged to vote for any particular candidate. However, each slate has a political identity, and there is considerable overlap. Slates 2 and 3, for example, are virtually identical, even though Slate 2 originated as a Newt Gingrich slate, and Slate 3 as an uncommitted conservative slate that would have lined up for former Pennsylvania Rick Santorum had he remained in the race.