More liveblogging...
If I were mean, I'd write a joke about blonds and technology right now...
From left to right, Mark, Adrastos, Michael Duplantier, and Chad Rodgers...
Governor's race:
* Time-Pic "kissing up" to Bobby Jindal
* Adrastos- Times-Pic will be utterly shameless this year (a la Buddy Roemer)... Roemer and the rubber band episode (canceling bad thoughts)...
* Mark- Times-Pic's position just a reflection of the polling... Times-Pic is mainly commenting on disastrous campaign by Louisiana Democratic Party
* Chad- Other candidates, for better or worse, nonentities... Times-Pic is in business of selling newspapers... Don't want to offend anyone, so will fall in line... '(DB:) Will there be a runnoff?' At this point, no.
* Michael- There's an election coming up? Hopes Nagin will run to make it interesting... (DB: 'He doesn't have much else to do.') Nagin says stage is set for a complete recovery. His work here is done. (DA MAYOR IN YOUR POCKET makes a comment)
City Hall:
DB- Burn it down, execute them all, and start over?
* Mark- I'd carry a torch
* Adrastos- Let them implode, the smart ones are going to find the exits
DB- Who's next? Derrek Shepard?
* Mark- Impressed with his political machine (don't like, but will give props)... Lost a dirt file the size of a phone book on Shepard in the flood... 'I chose the children instead, I sometime regret that one...'
* Adrastos- Makes sense for Sheppard to go out next... Nagin came up with the idea of knocking down City Hall... Look out for Derrek Shepard and Cedric Richmond, 2 very ambitious black politicians... 'DB:Rumors?' Bloggers have raised rumor-mongering to an artform...
*DB- Bloggers don't hesitate to step on toes, therefore, we go after people where others don't...
* Chad- The view from outside... Riley/Nagin is an outrage... Revolution is advisable... There needs to be a housecleaning (not that much different from the rest of the state)... State Legislators as bad as NOLA pols... Jindal's running on corruption, I hope he means it, I hope whoever wins is serious about dealing with systemic problems... Outmigration problem in city and state...
* Michael- Arnie Fielkow, Jim Letten, Jim Bernazzini, Paul Valas, Cerassoli (OIG) are the most important politicians in the city, now. Arnie is now in charge of the city (with AWOL Nagin and O.T.). Those are the 5 most important people in the city... That they're all white males is interesting. I don't know what to make of that, but it's interesting. Cerassoli is still under serious culture shock, but he's important.
* Adrastos- Cerassoli is from Boston, see The Departed... Will he have the money?
DB- What can we do? We can vote, but that doesn't seem to help... What can we do?
* Michael- Cerassoli has $250,000, needs 2-3 mil... He's going to HAVE to do it for that... For 10 years, OIG was a required appointment, but nobody bothered... Mayor's budget is out in 2 months... See what happens...
* Mark- Whoever takes O.T.'s place on City Council will have to have some cachet. James Carter could be very interesting... He's focusing on crime, we'll see how effective he'll be. Good issue to position yourself, but let's see what he can actually accomplish (referring to C.B. Forgotston's criticism). Mark is "bullish" on Carter's.
* Michael- Carter is supported by O.T. Will he succeed without her? What about N.O. East's Cynthia? He's term limited, ambitious, and will get redistricted soon (2010)...
Now, Q&A session... Liveblogging will now end. That's all for today. I want to enjoy the rest of the day.
Take care,
Clay
1 comment:
I couldn't make it today, but I sincerely hope that Mark was speaking as an odds maker who's bullish on carter's chances and not as a resident bullish on the thought of Carter moving up. Carter, with the suport of Oliver and the Cynthias, and the acquiescence of councilman Fielgood, amended the bill creating the IG's office to strip the office of its independence by making the IG answerable to the council. (yeah, that was a run on sentence, by I'm tired from a busy day and it's intellible).
What do we do about corruption? We have two or three people who helped weaken the IG's office by making it answerable to the council, running in a council race that's only being held because of corruption on the city council. Obvious starting place, make full funding for the office an issue before the election, don't let them put it off until it's time to vote on a new budget in November. The Cynthia's and Carter should be susceptible to pressure on the issue. If possible try to get get full independence for the IG's office discussed again before the special election. And make Fielgood realize that the people that want real change are ready to start being as stubborn and angry as the eople who don't.
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