Posted on 05/21/2006 6:05:46 PM PDT by Jean S
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX SUN MAY 21, 2006 20:00:02 ET XXXXX
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE WORKED TO DEFEAT NAGIN
**Exclusive**
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) secretly placed political operatives in the city of New Orleans to work against the reelection efforts of incumbent Democrat Mayor Ray Nagin, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.
DNC Chairman Howard Dean made the decision himself to back mayoral candidate and sitting Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu (D-LA), sources reveal.
Dean came to the decision to back the white challenger, over the African-American incumbent Nagin, despite concerns amongst senior black officials in the Party that the DNC should stay neutral.
The DNC teams actively worked to defeat Nagin under the auspice of the committee's voting rights program.
The party's field efforts also coincided with a national effort by Democrat contributors to support Landrieu.
Landrieu had outraised Nagin by a wide margin - $3.3 million to $541,980.
Preliminary campaign finance reports indicate many of Landrieu’s contributions came from out of state white Democrat leaders and financiers, including a $1,000 contribution from Sen. Ben Nelson's (D-NE) PAC.
The defeat of Mitch Landrieu is the latest setback for Dean's often criticized field operation.
In his victory speech late Saturday night, Nagin praised President Bush.
"You and I have probably been the most vilified politicians in the country. But I want to thank you for moving that promise that you made in Jackson Square forward," Nagin said.
Developing...
Democrats usually are the most sane when they're being hypocritical. I wonder if Nagin will show up in the headlines again anytime soon. It seems odd that Democrats would underestimate his level support unless they were worried about something else that we're not aware of yet.
Ole' Howard just can't stand having a black guy in office. I guess that goes back to his Vermont days.
I am glad Howard Dean is chairman of the Democratic Party. Everyone has to be glad he is not practicing medicine. To think this guy could be making life and death decisions is terrifying.
Dean just thinks that Nagin would be better fit working for a hotel staff.
If Howard Dean heard that a Breaux was running for Governor, he's support his opponent in the primary.
These serial losers can't do ANYTHING right.
BINGO!
Nagin is hated because he supported Jindal in the past.
He's a very smart man. It remains to see if he's got the guts.
How delicious is this!!!!
Oh good. That means Nagin will become a Republican? <>
I would like to know who leaked this info. I wonder if President Bush got wind of this and sent word to Nagin as well as Drudge.
Or perhaps Hillary's minions in the DNC leaked it direct to Drudge.
All I know is that I think this is hilarious. I don't despise Nagin the way I do Blanco and Landrieu. Nagin was in over his head in Katrina...Blanco deliberately tried to stop help from getting in with Mitch Landrieu's help.
Well, it's nice to see a good news story for a change, isn't it?
The Nagin win rates another "Howie Scream" from both Howie and.... me. Should have from the New Orleanders, but Louisiana politics are not fathomable by mortals!
It's truly amazing, but I'll be shocked if the story penetrates the MSM.
Nagin is a lot more right than a lot of NO politicians.
New Orleans and Southern Louisiana politics are mostly controlled by old money oligarchies, of which the Landrieus are one, and the Morial machine is another (which is the black political machine in New Orleans).
Nagin was a political outsider who came in as a reformer, managed some reforms, and then had his city devastated, his hands tied by a governnor, lieutenant governor and senator who wanted him to fail, and he also made bad decisions beyond the hand tying they did to him.
And he managed to beat the machines.
The power brokers must be crying...between losing to Nagin and having Jefferson caught on film taking bribes, there will be more shakeups, and a lot less skimming the federal pie. And the entrenched will be looking carefully at their chances for reelection.
Nagin was supportive of the business community in NO
Nagin got the support of republicans.
It's nice to see the stake in the heart of the Landrieu 'machine'.
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