A tiny ray of light in New Orleans

The Washington Times ^ | 11-29-05 | Wes Pruden

[JZelle]

Open it, and they will come. Maybe not just the politicians, either, but the children and their mamas, papas, sisters, brothers, cousins and aunts. New Orleans threw open the doors of Benjamin Franklin Elementary School yesterday in the neighborhood called Uptown, the first public school to open in the city since Hurricane Katrina and the flood shut down everything Aug. 29. In Washington, Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, announced that he would take 400 Democratic pols to New Orleans in April, for the first convention since the storm. He got permission from the AFL-CIO to meet at the New Orleans Sheraton, which, like most of the hotels in town, has no unions. "They gave us a full pass on that one," he said. "We are deeply committed to the resurgence of New Orleans. And we've been looking for ways to help in tangible ways." New Orleans, in fact, is one of 33 cities invited to bid for the Democratic National Convention in 2008. Like the city, the Democrats in Louisiana need all the help they can get. New Orleans has always been the source of Democratic strength in Louisiana. One Democratic pol describes New Orleans as "the ATM machine for Democrats." Sen. Mary Landrieu in particular has used the automated teller machine to overcome Republican margins in the conservative, Protestant upstate counties. New Orleans, ever plastic, has always delivered. But thousands of Democrats, particularly blacks who comprised 70 percent of the population of 490,000 before the storm, are gone with the wind to 41 states, and it's not at all clear that Miss Landrieu and the party can find the missing wheels and absent cogs to put the ATM together again.

[JZelle]

This oughta be a real spectacle watching the dems try to reclaim their turf.

[Red Badger]

Dem National Convention right at the height of HURRICANE SEASON!.............

[BostonianRightist]

But thousands of Democrats, particularly blacks who comprised 70 percent of the population of 490,000 before the storm, are gone with the wind to 41 states, and it's not at all clear that Miss Landrieu and the party can find the missing wheels and absent cogs to put the ATM together again.

There's still plenty of dead people and vacant lots to vote for the Democrats.

Don't worry, they won't have to win an actual election in LA for quite some time.

[rightwinggoth]

Sen. Mary Landrieu in particular has used the automated teller machine to overcome Republican margins in the conservative, Protestant upstate counties.

Parishes. Not counties.