More Mayoral Stuff

Last night I had one distracted eye on the debate while most of my energy was spent unloading boxen from the earlier-mentioned Penske moving truck so I can't score it very well. I do remember Nagin saying something about how businesses deciding whether or not to come back to the city are caught "somewhere between today and the future". Other than that I have to rely mostly on the T-P's reportage of the day's events... something I am obviously uncomfortable doing.

The fun article in today's paper is the political report which begins with a lot of posturing at yesterday's ceremony to announce the coming ceremony to reopen Forman's Fish Tank. Apparently there was no shortage of bitchiness on display.

Forman turned the microphone over to Landrieu, who echoed the opinion that the return of the aquarium, one of New Orleans' indisputable jewels, was another clear sign that the city is rebuilding. Landrieu noted the throngs that filled Jazzfest and the Zurich Classic golf tournament over the weekend and said, "the new fish here look pretty good to me," then stepped aside for Forman's return.

As he did so, Nagin strode into the room. The mayor walked down the line shaking hands with tourism officials, then skipped over Landrieu. Forman apparently missed the awkward vibe, and tried to spin the joint appearance as evidence the aquarium transcended politics.
Perfect timing, the mayor of New Orleans," he said. "This speaks to the beauty of our city. It's not about the mayor's race right now."

Nagin, like Landrieu, kept his remarks short and apolitical. When he began, Landrieu was right behind him, but within a few minutes Landrieu maneuvered to the far edge of the line of dignitaries.

Once again, Forman played the jolly host. He praised Nagin for taking care of his daughter's pet fish during the chaos that followed Katrina, and he thanked Landrieu for his unfailing support of the aquarium and the zoo.

"Our mayor and our lieutenant governor, let's give them some applause," Forman said. "They are standing up for our city and fighting every day."

When the ceremony ended, Landrieu bolted first, trailed by a knot of reporters and camera people. A few minutes later, Nagin strolled out the front doors and dealt with his own media beehive. And with the day's pleasant business concluded, Landrieu walked off toward Canal Street and Nagin got into his car as both men prepared for the real battle: Monday night's first televised debate.

Earlier at Overpriced Yuppie Fest, Terrence Blanchard took time out from a set to rip Nagin.

"When people these days invoke race into an issue when there's some other issues that have clouded the race issue, I find that to be disrespectful," said Blanchard, who is black. "Because Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, those guys really were about a serious struggle for people who wanted equality. When you have a person who uses that as a means to divert attention from the real issue and make me feel like he thinks that I'm not smart enough to know better, I'm not with that program."

As for the debate itself, the parts I stopped to watch were disappointingly humdrum. But the T-P reporters managed to pick out some substance. I promise to keep a closer eye on this next time.