Funny how Louisiana always manages to make national news for all the wrong reasons.If we aren’t being laughed at because of Hurricane Chris rapping in our legislature or being scoffed at because one of our justices of the peace refused to marry an interracial couple, we’re being targeted by the talking heads because our senator, Mary Landrieu (D-La.), voted for cloture for the Senate health care bill in exchange for $100 million for Louisianans on Medicaid.This time is not the first Landrieu has used her leverage in securing funding for Louisiana. And in this case, the extent of her leverage is surprisingly vast. The cloture vote totaled 60 yeas and 39 nays, toeing the expected party lines precisely and barely meeting requirements for the motion itself. This, of course, was why hard-to-get moderates like Landrieu were recognized as highly valuable swing voters for those desiring cloture.Given the narrow line the bill has walked in the Senate thus far, it’s a small wonder why Landrieu possesses one of the most coveted votes. And of course, it’s hardly unreasonable to assume her vote may be closely related to the $100 million earmark tucked in the legislation.To dispel rumors, Landrieu mentioned her cloture vote doesn’t indicate her final position on the bill. She claims she still has reservations about the bill’s content. Most notably, Landrieu does not want the public option.”If we are not careful on this public option piece, you could eliminate private insurance. And that’s not what we want to do,” Landrieu said in an interview with Politico.Despite her gripe with the public option, Landrieu’s affirmative cloture vote was explained by her recognition that there are “enough significant reforms and safeguards in this bill to move forward, [though] much more work needs to be done.”Obviously, Landrieu’s voting should reflect the needs and wants of her state. This case in particular is difficult because there appears to be conflicting interests — she is reluctant to reject $100 million for her state, but if the money is embedded in legislation 61 percent of her constituency is opposed to, according to a Rasmussen poll. Considering the pervasive effects of the health care bill and the wish of her constituents concerning it, the outcome should be obvious. Landrieu should vote according to how they feel about the bill, not according to how she thinks they might like the $100 million. The fact that her constituency has spoken on this matter should negate any dithering overearmarks, which are relatively small when compared to the ramifications of the health care bill.Granted, Landrieu tried to gauge if voter sentiment changed as a result of the earmark. Leading up to her vote, Landrieu polled her constituency by encouraging them to call in and voice their opinion about cloture. But given this poll was rushed, laissez-faire  and sparsely publicized, the purpose of this poll seems to be more of a front than a genuine attempt to gauge the feelings of Louisiana voters.Landrieu will undoubtedly remain a pivotal figure as the bill continues through the Senate, regardless of her erroneous polling practices.Assuming Landrieu is genuine in her concerns about the bill, perhaps she can use her pull as a hard-to-get moderate Democrat to edit as she sees fit, even within the confines of cloture. But to believe so would be overly optimistic, given the limited debate time paired with the sheer length of the bill.And of course, too many variables are in play to say with any certainty how she will vote in the end, regardless of legislative changes and the addition of Louisiana-specific earmarks.Linnie Leavines is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from Central City. Follow her on Twitter @TDR_lleavines.—-Contact Linnie Leavines at [email protected]