The toppling party is back on

Start the clock.

A federal judge in New Orleans on Tuesday cleared what may be the final barrier in Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s controversial push to take down four public monuments related to the Confederacy.

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier denied a request for a temporary injunction from the plaintiffs in a lawsuit aimed at keeping the monuments in place. His ruling said the plaintiffs failed to show that removing them while the lawsuit played out would cause irreparable harm, or that taking them down would ultimately break the law or violated the Constitution.

As the article goes on to point out, this isn't surprising to anyone who may have followed the hearing. Barbier was not especially receptive to plaintiffs' arguments among which was the suggestion that the monuments should not be removed because they are, in fact, very heavy.

Very quickly now the question shifts from whether the monuments will be removed to when they will be. And that's a touchy subject now what with all the death threats and suspicious firebombings and whatnot. I just hope that doesn't put too much of a damper on things. 

I'm worried now that the city may choose to sneak them away in the night some time like one would the Baltimore Colts. The monument removal is too momentous an occasion for that. We should do it in the daytime, there should be a party, and everyone should be invited to celebrate.  Maybe just before or after this weekends parades would be a good time.