Bush Sets the Bar Low, Still Nobody Gets Over It

In this week's State of the Union address, President Bush remedied an omission in last year's address: He actually deigned to mention New Orleans. There are those, among them Senator Mary Landrieu, who saluted the fact of a mention, much like those who salute the fact that Sen. John Edwards used the Lower Ninth Ward as a backdrop for the photo-op announcement of his candidacy.

For the record, here's the entirety of what Bush said on the subject of New Orleans:

Tonight the armies of compassion continue the march to a new day in the Gulf Coast. America honors the strength and resilience of the people of this region. We reaffirm our pledge to help them build stronger and better than before. And tonight I'm pleased to announce that in April we will host this year's North American Summit of Canada, Mexico, and the United States in the great city of New Orleans. (Applause.)

Too bad the armies of compassion are being outnumbered by the navies of not-caring and the marines of malfeasance. Still, that's one paragraph about New Orleans more than has been uttered by any of the Presidential candidates, R or D, in any of the debates thus far. Yes, John Edwards uttered the city's name, only to say it shouldn't be "picked on" for the state of the Lower 9th (which was, for the record, filled with African-American homeowners before the flood washed them away). And, in fairness, the summit the President has announced will benefit the New Orleans economy, by attracting hundreds, if not thousands, of anti-NAFTA protestors.

But the bar has been set pretty low with this address. Which candidate will have the hops to get over it?

UPDATE: Wednesday afternoon: John Edwards left the race the way he began it, with NO as a photo op backdrop. (For your information, Sen. Edwards, since you were there, you might want to know that Musicians' Village is in the Upper, not the Lower' Ninth Ward) He also used it as rhetorical kindling for his campaign against poverty. Nothing wrong with a campaign against poverty, but what drowned New Orleans was not poverty: it was 18-foot-high floodwaters unleashed by the breaches in poorly designed and built federal levees.

NOTE: Edited to correct the Edwards reference. I mis-typed "should be" when it should be "shouldn't be", and I changed "blamed" for the literal quote "picked on".

Comments

[deminmo]

So, in April we have the beginning of the
North American Union? Wow, he really is going
to do it...Bush is making us into a mega
country. Guess this fixes the deficit. Oh,
no need for border security either.

[PauCK]

"we will host this year's North American Summit"
And this is supposed to help how?

[wrabbitt]

Our political system is different in the media than reality. No longer can one think about running for office unless they are connected at the hip with lobbyists. How did this happen? Laws need to be put back in place to end lobbyists money. Make it so ex congressmen have to wait ten years before getting a job as a lobbyists. with the average age in congress being as old as it is we might end lobbying once and for all. It is still illegal, no matter how you say it,to buy votes. And, selling votes is illegal also, so what the hell is this all about? Can't someone step forward and enforce the law?

[websmith]

It is pretty interesting that the candidates didn't spend much time campaigning in Louisiana. They might be a little wary of those questions about why we continue to send money to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan while a major port in the U.S. lies in ruins.

Of course, the way they run their caucus down there might be an indication of how much they care.

[larry278]

If NOLA's port isn't rebuilt-which other Gulf coast port has the rail connections & the big river which transports large barges of bulky cargo cheaply? Houston? Mobile? There is also the matter of providing affordable, secure housing for the workers needed to operate the port. It may be that a rebuilt port of NOLA won't need as many workers as pre-Katrina did but in post-Katrina, where is the housing for any workers. In the Garden Dist?
Nature put NOLA in a swamp that's below sea level. I understand that ports in Holland face a similar situation. The have an expensive technology which works. We could use many solutions Holland found & uses to rebuild the port of NOLA. The problem is money.

[janmB]

Hillary Clinton has spoken of New Orleans and just about ANY subject you can name.

If you didn't hear it---then you haven't been paying close enough attention or didn't want to hear it. WHATEVER !!
HARRY RESPONDS: I've checked her website for her policy position on New Orleans, and your final word pretty much sums it up.

[hollywood]

Not to detract from your larger point, but you made me laugh with this classic:
"Too bad the armies of compassion are being outnumbered by the navies of not-caring and the marines of malfeasance."
And I need laughs. Thanks.

[ndifference]

I have been to New Orleans twice since Katrina, both times for vacations. I will go back in June. It's a small contribution, but I think I'm pretty far ahead of most politicians in the "helping out" department. Sadly.

[maryyooch]

didn't you hear what Haley barbour did with the money that was supposed to go to the peole that lost their homes, lands, etc.. he reallocated that money to build casinos, big buisness adn everything else for big buisness. HUD money. Hoe can this bast**d get away with this? obviously the poor have no rights left after all. what can be done? Unfortunately nothing. because the republicans get what they want all the time. so much for the american dream

[ResidentChimp]

I'm surprise that all the so called environmentalists want to re-build New Orleans. It makes no sense at all.

[Lemeritus]

"...I'm pleased to announce that in April we will host this year's North American Summit of Canada, Mexico, and the United States in the great city of New Orleans."

Is that why Senator Landrieu has been "playing ball" on FISA? New Orleans deserves more and the nation deserves better.

[Jude2004]

When Katrina happened, I was supporting three people on $10,000 a year. I wanted to fly down and pluck people off that bridge; I wanted to rescue them and fix all the problems and make things better. I know a teacher who left Colorado last year to move to New Orleans because, as she put it, not everyone can just pull up and leave, but I can. I've made loans through Kiva.org to third world countries (starting with my tax refund last year--if you're poor with kids, you get paid for being poor). I'm lost. We have this stupidly ineffectual government, which might be succeeded by an equally ineffectual government. Oprah builds 50 houses in Houston; Brad Pitt is planning to build 150 in the 9th Ward. I don't know how to help.

[dijo]

I know I have heard Obama mention Katrina a number of times and I am sure also I have heard both Edwards and Clinton mention it also.
But then again...I have been paying very close attention to the primary campaign.
HARRY RESPONDS: Me, too. Those "mentions"--check their websites--are trivial in the extreme, like a shout-out, not a cogent policy.

[aberdeen1]

Hello, Mr. Shearer,

Thank you for keeping us informed about what is (and isn't) going on down in the Crescent City. Since the government isn't going to help, perhaps we can send all, or part, of our upcoming "rebates" to help those who are in more need of it than we are. Is there a legitimate organization in NO which is actually using donations to help, and is not skimming off the top 90% to pay "executives"? If so, please supply a name and address. Bless you for what you are doing.

HARRY RESPONDS: Covenant House New Orleans, House of Ruth New Orleans, Common Ground, ACORN--those are some that I know about....

[milo9]

To see those Dems, to a man, let Bush get away with the most scandalous assertions made me sick.