Katrina's Political Aftermath

Enough blame has been put around. Enough would have/could have/should have has been discussed. Maybe with all of the images of the storm damage and rescues operation, perhaps it is best to think about the sidebars of this tragedy. It may seem silly to consider the political careers of those involved with the storm, but sometimes we just need the distraction. Who is most affected?

• Ray Nagin: The Mayor of New Orleans at one point was being floated as a candidate for Congress next year. Given his performance before, during, and after the storm, (including a bizarre rant about drug addicts trying to "take an edge off their Jones") can he ever win an election again?
• Kathleen Blanco: Some believed that the Governor of Louisiana would make good Vice-Presidential timber in 2008. No more.
• Haley Barbour: The Governor of Mississippi was at one point thought to be organizing a campaign team to seek the 2008 Republican nomination for President. Given the astonishing approval ratings he has now, perhaps his stock is now higher than any other candidate.
• Roy Moore: The controversial judge was thought to be seeking to begin a crusade to redefine the Republican Party by challenging incumbent Republican Governor Bob Riley in the 2006 primary. However, Riley has been praised for his quick, effective reaction to the storm damage on the Alabama coastline. How will this effect Moore’s long term plan?
• The President: Will the Democratic blame game hinder his agenda for the next three years? Will it affect the confirmation process for the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court?
• The Lords of the Pork: Just last month I railed about pork-barrel spending. Maybe instead of bringing home the bacon, members of Congress should have concerned themselves more with Homeland Security and Disaster preparedness. And Louisiana was one of the largest recipients of earmarked projects according to this Washington Post story. The Heritage Foundation is suggesting that members of Congress should consider releasing earmarked funds to the relief effort. Will this adversely affect their careers, or will it at the very least make voters and politicians reassess their spending priorities.
• MoveOn.org: Just to prove how tasteless these folks are, they are somehow trying to intimate that the suffering of the poor in the Katrina aftermath will be nothing compared to the future withJohn Roberts as Chief Justice in a new TV ad. We have long known that the MoveOn crowd has no shame. Perhaps this will make more people aware of their spiteful, tasteless rhetoric.