You got it, and this goes a long way toward explaining the hysteria on display by all the New Orleans and Louisiana officials. Corruption and graft is just a way of life in Louisiana democrat politics - these people are actually proud that ex-felons like Huey Long and Edwin Edwards were once governors of Louisiana. Too many people in LA just chuckle about the graft and look the other way and think it's kind of "cute."
It brings to mind something I read about the late John Gotti once. Apparently he had this habit of throwing big lavish Fourth of July parties for his neighborhood, complete with BBQ and a huge fireworks show. The author of the article interviewed one of Gotti's neighbors at one of these parties. This guy just sat there munching on a plate of food and telling the writer what a great guy Gotti was and how he had done so much for the neighborhood, even though he knew what Gotti really was, a cheap low-life thug who had murdered God only knows how many people and was responsible for much of the flow of drugs into NYC. That's the kind of mindset we're dealing with here in Louisiana.
A lot of people in the state are getting sick and tired of the graft and the jokes about it all over the nation, and that's why the GOP has steadily been making inroads there. But the rot runs deep, probably deeper than anywhere else in the US.
These locals know that Katrina will rip the scab off this oozing pustule once and for all and lay it out there for everyone to see, and I'm guessing that the DNC is equally terrified that they will be implicated in the mess as well (and let's face it, you just know they've been benefitting for decades). So all they can do is break down and cry and point fingers at the federal government in an attempt to deflect attention away from them and their criminal activities.
Another point - they're trying a big gamble here and trying to set up a situation where the feds will be so scared of being called "racists" and "caring only about the rich" that they'll just send a blank check down there and tell them all to fill in the amount and spend it as they please. That way the party can go on like it always has.
The media is going all out to help them, as only could be expected. It's up to us to make sure they don't get away with covering up the Dims' sins once again. It's up to us to let them know in no uncertain terms that the party is over.
The media is going all out to help them, as only could be expected. It's up to us to make sure they don't get away with covering up the Dims' sins once again. It's up to us to let them know in no uncertain terms that the party is over.
#####
In the Be Careful What You Wish For Dept, Mary Landrieu has demanded that President Bush nominate a cabinet-level person to oversee the Gulf Coast situation. I hope he does appoint someone who will stay in charge of the money and how it is spent on reconstruction, and not let the local govt have 'check-signing' or decision-making authority over anything!