Katrina Demanded The Best In Louisiana, Instead We Got Blanco

.bayoubuzz ^ | 11/15/2005 | Jeff Crouere

[ncountylee]

In the face of the nation’s worst natural disaster, Louisiana voters needed an extraordinary leader to emerge and provide comfort, vision and answers. Instead in response to Katrina, Louisiana voters got Kathleen Blanco and they are none too happy right now. Recall efforts have now been started and Blanco’s approval rating sits at only 38%. National media outlets have now recognized the problem. This week, Time Magazine ranked Blanco as one of the three worst governors in the nation. This embarrassing designation places Blanco along side the indicted Governor of Ohio, Robert Taft and the Governor of South Carolina Mark Sanford. In response to questions about the ranking, Blanco told reporters "Watch my results."

So, far the results have been less than inspiring. When the state needed a decisive leader, Blanco delivered indecision. When we needed leadership, she delivered caution coupled with confusion. According to Time, "Blanco, a Democrat, was always cautious and deliberative. But those qualities have turned into liabilities."

The voters of Louisiana knew Blanco very well. She had served in the legislature, the Public Service Commission and as Lt. Governor. She was never particularly impressive, yet not crook either. In contrast, her opponent in 2003, Congressman Bobby Jindal was known as an extremely bright and capable individual. During debates, Jindal was impressive, while Blanco’s answers often lacked substance.

It should have been clear to all voters which candidate had the most capabilities to bring to the top position in the state. Yet, Blanco won a close election partly due to prejudice among some voters and partly due to a weak Jindal campaign response to attacks on his healthcare record. Therefore, two years later, when the hurricane hit, we should have known that Kathleen "Committee" Blanco would handle the crisis like she has other situations in her career

[CajunConservative]

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[jmaroneps37]

The big surprise for the dying Whig party will be when Ray Empty Noggin loses to a white Republican in next February's election for mayor of NOLA. The rats are probably thinking that voter fraud will pull them through in a city that on Election Day will be majority white Republican and moderate middle class Black. Neither group is likely to vote for ole ray-ray. I predict that in order to try to get out of blame for Katrina, Empty Noggin will tell the truth about why Blanco-mind dragged her feet in helping him. That would be because in her run for governor Empty endorsed Bobby Jindal a Republican!

[Theodore R.]

Blanco was an original Lafayette Parish supporter of J. Bennett Johnston, Jr., in his December 1971 Democratic primary runoff with Edwin Washington Edwards. Her ties, like those of Rep. Charles Melancon, go back to Johnston, not Edwards.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Thanks for the correction. I was living in Louisiana at the time of Edwards and again during the Blanco election. My post, which is 7 months old, said of the Edwin Edwards era rather than of the EE administration so I have some wiggle room. :-)

One of my favorite EE memories, other than the 'Vote for the Crook" bumper sticker, was when he was on trial for taking a million bucks to issue a state certificate to open a hospital and another mil for a nursing home. He said, "You have the wrong person on trial. It is against the law for them to give me the money but it is not against the law for me to take it." He was a charming rogue.

However, it is of that kind of politics to which I was connecting Blanco, her husband and his cronies.

[Theodore R.]

I assume that Blanco and her husband switched over to EWE after Johnston went to the Senate. I wonder what people see in her.