Whose clout?

Their clout.

As much as the industry wants to see Republicans wrest control of the Senate, it has a bigger fish to fry in the Louisiana race. Oil and gas interests want Landrieu to retain leadership of the energy panel and prevent another Democrat, Maria Cantwell, who backs an environmentalist agenda, from taking over the committee.

Landrieu is a key ally the industry will support even if it costs Republicans the Senate, industry leaders said.

"I'm a strong Republican and there is no one I would rather have in that Senate seat than Senator Landrieu, regardless of party affiliation," said James Noe, an executive at Hercules Offshore, a provider of contract drilling and liftboat services.

"You won't see a Republican that is as energetic and forceful and persuasive defending our industry," he added.

They'll either get the Republican they would like, or they'll get to keep they're even-better-than-a-Republican Energy Chairperson.  They win pretty big either way. But if Mary wins they also get to keep their "clout" that comes with having an oil person holding all that seniority.

If she loses and the Democrats somehow hang onto their majority, then that could signal a policy shift that benefits the people of Louisiana rather than just the industry that owns them. But the papers all tell us that would bad. So nevermind.