Will they have Ray Nagin to kick around?

I was going to let today just slide by at first. It's (still) a holiday week and the Yellow Blog has been on the back burner for the past few days anyway. There hasn't been as much internet time at work lately and I suppose I could post more from home but... that time is already set aside for watching Sifl and Olly.

But as I sit here waiting for Informed Sources to start, I simply must make note of the fact that the Nagin-for-Governor rumors are once again swirling. Oyster informs us that the latest Nagin poop is being pushed by conservative talk radio station 99.5 FM (broadcasting home of Nagin-booster extraordinarie Rob Couhig) and, of course, The Dead Pelican. As Oyster has documented exhaustively, Louisiana conservatives argued strenuously in favor of Nagin's reelection last year. But now, the same characters are all too eager to play kick-the-clown with their guy as the Governor's race gets underway. This is obviously too inconsistent to be accidental. In State politics this year, and for a good time to come, the name of the game will be "kick-the-crap-outta-those-NOLA-buffoons" and right now, like it or not, Ray Nagin is the most high-profile NOLA buffoon available. Louisiana Conservatives like Nagin right where he is; in power, in the news and eminently kickable.

As for Nagin's motivations, Mr. Clio has it on good information that it may boil down to a choice between Baton Rouge and Dallas. I hardly expect that even Nagin actually harbors illusions of winning the Governor's race. But I can easily see him calculating that his stature may be enhanced if he becomes a racial martyr a-la Cleo Fields. All I can say for certain is that if he does decide to run, I promise to link to this video every day until the election.