Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco acknowledges applause from worshipers after she was introduced during a mass at Saint Joseph's Cathedral in Baton Rouge, La., Sept. 4.
Posted on 09/11/2005 8:09:18 PM PDT by Libloather
Louisiana governor's political future in doubt
Associated Press
Sept. 11, 2005, 5:33PM
Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco acknowledges applause from worshipers after she was introduced during a mass at Saint Joseph's Cathedral in Baton Rouge, La., Sept. 4.
SLIDELL, La. — "I've probably been to hell and back," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said as she traipsed back to a military helicopter that would lift her from this hurricane-ravaged city back to Baton Rouge.
Her eyes were bleary but she looked fitter than she had in the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina's Aug. 29 strike. Waylaid by one reporter after another, she granted interviews until it was too dark Saturday night to make an aerial sweep of the north shore city where City Hall, the police station and three fire stations were inundated.
Blanco was doing her best to bolster hope, even as the stories out of New Orleans remained bleak: yes, water was going down, but that only meant the grim task of recovering bodies was picking up.
Physically and emotionally, she appeared to be holding up well.
"I'm doing fine as each day produces a little more positive results. You know, I see life coming back in the regions that are drying off. I get strength from that. I get stronger.
"And, you know, we're not living these bizarre hours. I can at least go to bed about midnight and get up early in the morning somewhat refreshed now, whereas in those early days we were doing some all-nighters and all-mornings — kind of a wild schedule."
Politically? That is the question, as post mortems on the immediate response to Katrina continue along with a recovery effort that will likely still be unfolding when re-election time arrives in two years.
Republican lawmakers, such as U.S. Sen. David Vitter, were quick to criticize the immediate federal response but also took pains in television interviews to say there were problems at the local and state level as well. Conservative bloggers have been more insistent, calling for her impeachment.
Silas Lee, a New Orleans political analyst working these days at his satellite office near Washington, said it is too early to write Blanco's political obituary.
"There's enough blame to go around," Lee said in a telephone interview today.
Aside from voter satisfaction or dissatisfaction with her performance after Katrina, there is also the question of who is left in the state to vote for her. New Orleans is predominantly black and low-income, an important part of the Democratic governor's base, and most of the black and low-income population of the city was hit hard by Katrina. Many have relocated out of state and the question now is whether they will return.
"After the city returns to some semblance of normalcy, we'll have to see what the demographics look like," Lee said.
Another Louisiana political analyst and pollster, Elliott Stonecipher, agreed that a big question is who returns to the city and who doesn't. Still, without that knowledge, and in the current absence of any statewide polling data, Stonecipher said he believes it will be tough for Blanco to win re-election. He believes news accounts of her handling of state military and her dealings with the federal government do not make her look good and will be exploited by an opponent.
In her series of Saturday interviews, Blanco did her best to appear above all the political rhetoric. Despite what appears to be a strained relationship with President Bush — she was told by reporters, not the White House, that he was headed to the state last week — Blanco even made made a brief defense of the president: "The president should not be victimized," she said.
Like all the rest of the incompetent liberals, she makes me puke.
Couldn't pull those all-nighters? Go sell Avon, you idiot!
What a putz.
Well of course she can make disingenuous defenses of the President, now that her party has Mary "Ronald Reagan flooded New Orleans" Landrieu around to engage in the mudslinging.
boo hoohoo, poor poor me, nobody like me.
Ping - a -ling...
applause????????????
Impeaching her is out of the question. Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu would then become Governor. That's all the state needs now, a corrupt family dynasty controlling the federal and state levels of government.
She can save herself by doing a lesbo strap on video with Paris Hilton. Sex videos work like a charm every time.
This horrible political hack should be tarred and feathered, along with the moron mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, and that total incompetent female, Senator Mary Landrieu. I have no doubt that the people of Louisiana will send these idiot Democrats packing, the first chance they get. And...I might add GW Bush does not shine here either. He should have known this Democrat scum could not govern a pig sty, and he should have moved quickly to shove these failures out of the way. But, no he hung back, because Ms. Blanco is a female and Mayor Nagin is Black. Sorry GW, I love ya, but these are incompetent people, no matter what gender and race they are. End of story!!!
Is there anything in the State Constitution to vote to remove her?
"Physically and emotionally, she appeared to be holding up well."
Well, that's the important thing. /sarcasm
"Kathleen Blanco acknowledges applause from worshipers"
LOL, that's about all she's got left, her own little amen corner.
Awwww...let's all break out the violins for poor Kathy. Didn't anyone tell her disaster management goes with the territory of being elected governor.
Can you imagine what would have happened if President Bush has said such a whiny, self-pitying thing after 9/11/01 or now in the aftermath of Katrina?
And interviews are more important than surveying the damage done in the state? I guess it's easier answering/sidestepping reporters questions than those of the people who's lives depended on her blatant incompetence. What a total POS! She ought to be brought up on murder charges!
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