Louisiana’s GOP delegation is rallying around Republican John Fleming in an effort to keep the seat of retiring Rep. Jim McCrery (R) from falling into Democratic hands in the 4th district’s high-profile Dec. 6 general election.

Seventh district Rep. Charles Boustany (R) and 6th district Rep.-elect Bill Cassidy (R) are expected to appear with Fleming at a rally and fundraiser in Shreveport on Tuesday. Boustany and Cassidy, who are both doctors, will be on hand to discuss health care issues alongside Fleming, who served as a medical officer in the United States Navy before becoming a private physician.

Boustany and Cassidy are the latest high-profile Republicans to get involved in the final competitive House race of the 2008 cycle. This week the Fleming campaign unveiled a robocall featuring former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R).

As a result of an overly active hurricane season, the 4th district race is one of two late-finishing races in Louisiana this cycle. Both general election contests will take place Dec. 6., and while Democrats appear likely to hold the overwhelmingly Democratic 2nd district, the 4th district contest appears to be a tossup, especially because turnout will be hard to predict in the December contest.

National Democrats have been strongly backing Caddo Parish District Attorney Paul Carmouche since before the Democratic primary, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has so far spent about $480,000 in the contest. On Thursday, the DCCC was up with a new ad painting Fleming as an out-of-touch millionaire whose sales tax and Social Security proposals only benefit the very rich.

“What’s good for millionaire John Fleming is bad for Louisiana,” the new ad states.

But national Republicans are also spending heavily in the race. As of this week, the National Republican Congressional Committee had dropped $435,000 on the contest.