Friday, August 18, 2006

They're going to give us our money. Ray Nagin New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin still making excuses for his performance.  Before a convention of Black journalists, he says it's because he, and 60% of New Orleans, is Black.  "And I, to this day, believe that if that would have happened in Orange County, California, if that would have happened in South Beach, Miami, it would have been a different response," Nagin said. I agree with that assessment.  The difference is the leaders there would have used their buses, and the people would have handled it better.  The un-preparedness of the good mayor has nothing to do with his skin color, it's his attitude, compounded by incompetence. "We're not going to let that happen. They're going to give us our money, and we're going to rebuild this city." Nagin blames delays on racism, red tape (AP). AP - New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on Friday blamed racism and government bureaucracy for hamstringing his city's ability to weather Hurricane Katrina and recover from the disaster that struck the Gulf Coast nearly a year ago. But oh how quickly we forget what the Mayor said at his re-election speech May 20, 2006, just three months ago. "President Bush. I want to thank you, Mr. President.  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.  We now have $3 billion for levees.  We have $8 billion for incentives.  We have $10 billion for housing.  You are delivering on your promise, and I want to thank you for all the citizens of the City of New Orleans." [Yahoo! News: Politics News] 11:40:55 PM    comment [] trackback []

DNC Hung Up On Sex More from the 'open tent' party.  After shunning Sen. Joe Lieberman because of his position on the war on terror, the heavyweights at the DNC are threatening more who don't tow the line.  But first on the agenda is to change their primary rules "with the aim of expanding the presence of minorities, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, trans-gender people and people with disabilities in the party."  This is the first indication I've noticed where the DNC is looking to expand minorities in real political positions.  Are they feeling a need to catch up to the GOP, where minorities stand on their ability?   A noble mission for any political party, but in the case of the DNC today, I think that retaining minorities might be more accurate.  Could they be noticing that the party has moved left of the base of their constituents?  The more success they have in nominating gays, lesbians, bisexuals, trans-gender or some other type of sexual mutant, the faster they're going to leave their base behind, for Joe Lieberman.   They continue to make the smallest percentage of our population the most important, ignoring the other 90 percent.  True, they are champions of and for the homeless.  Everyone should have a shopping cart and a refrigerator box, because they care. The message to potential democrat candidates is this, if you don't go along with the rule change, then you won't get any delegates.  Says rules committee member from South Carolina, Carol Khare Fowler, "If you campaign in a state that is outside the rules, then you're not entitled to delegates from that state." Democrats may punish candidates (AP).  [Yahoo! News: Politics News] Catering to constituency groups rouses friction among Democrats. 5:05:41 PM    comment [] trackback []

© Copyright 2006 Ross Calloway. Last update: 9/1/2006; 4:59:03 PM.