Thursday, June 07, 2007
For the Record
I think the front page of today's Picayune was a little alarmist:
However, before the election I did write:
Hate to find myself agreeing with a reporter for the Picayune's Washington Bureau, even months in advance.
Storm relief may be at stake
Some fear effects of Jefferson charges
Thursday, June 07, 2007
By Bill Walsh
WASHINGTON -- A sweeping federal indictment accusing Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, of fraud and bribery-related charges will only reinforce stereotypes, real and imagined, about Louisiana and make it harder to win financing for Gulf Coast hurricane recovery efforts, some lawmakers said Wednesday.
However, before the election I did write:
We're both part of the same hypocrisy, senator, but never think it applies to my family.
Michael Corleone may have been in a position to say that to Pat Geary in The Godfather II, but New Orleans and south Louisiana aren't in a position to say that to the rest of the country in real life.
...
Nobody wants to vote based on what outsiders think, and some people are probably thinking that re-electing Nagin didn't produce a noticeable backlash. But there's a major difference; Nagin had a reputation for integrity, however undeserved... The rest of the country might have wondered how we could re-elect an incompetent loose-cannon, but we didn't willfully and knowingly re-elect a crook. This would be much harder to explain.
...I'll admit that she probably isn't much better than Jefferson. But she's certainly no worse and she's not an extortionist. Like my favorite columnist said, "survival trumps everything." The city will survive either way, but it stands a better chance of getting needed help with Carter elected.
Hate to find myself agreeing with a reporter for the Picayune's Washington Bureau, even months in advance.
