Okay guys, some GOOD NEWS From New Orleans...

[Hippo_Tron]

And this is some news that we can pretty much all agree on, no matter who we supported for mayor.

Shelly Midura, Democrat, unseated Bush loving Repuke Jay Batt in the race for City Council District A, a seat that has been under GOP control for quite some time. Batt campaigned trying to attack Midrua as "too liberal".

Batt's district is largely white middle-upper class and generally GOP/Bush territory. Although this isn't being made a big deal nationally because it's city council, I think that this is a big victory for New Orleans and a big victory for Democrats. I think that this could also be a possible indicator of how Bush's base is drifting from him.

It may only be city council, but lets remember that Howard Dean said that before we can win the presidency, we have to win the city council, the school board, and the state legislature. This race was definately a step in that direction.

[GrumpyGreg]

1. "All politics is local"---Tip O'Neill

[EST]

2. Good job!

Dean will be proven correct, I suspect. (The DLC is gonna hate it.)

[BlueManDude]

3. awesome congrats n/t

[Janice325]

4. Holy Crap!!

I stopped watching that race because I thought she had lost. Wasn't she losing initially? Was I just hallucinating??
Thanks for some good news.
I'm still interested in New Orleans politics, even though I haven't lived in NO for more than 10 years.

[Hieronymus]

5. Yes, a good sign.

[KamaAina]

6. Jackie Clarkson lost, too!!!!

:bounce:

she first won election to the District C seat in 1990, over a FAR superior, openly Gay opponent, with the slogan, "Traditional Values Make the Difference". :puke: (or, in other words, "Don't vote for the other guy because he's gay" :grr: )

This year, she miscalculated and abandoned the safe seat in C for an at-large seat she figured to sleaze into behind Oliver Thomas. Too bad for her, former Saints exec Arnie Fielkow, who Benson fired for working too hard to keep the team in town!, ran for council instead of mayor... now Jackie's career is "Six Feet Under" (unaccountably, Patricia Clarkson is her daughter; she either takes after Daddy or was found in a basket on the doorstep one dark moonless night...)

Disclaimer: Hell yes, I knocked on doors for Larry Bagneris Jr., the fellow mentioned above, and one of the most inspiring political speakers I have EVER heard. I've been waiting for revenge for sixteen years now! :bounce:

[Janice325]

7. Hey, KamaAina!

:hi: I lived in New Orleans when Jackie won the first time. I didn't get to vote against her, (didn't live in her district) but I do remember the nastiness. :puke: ) I remember Larry Bagnais (and brother Michael).
Damn, I didn't realize it's been 16 years.
Tee hee. I've developed quite a fondness for daughter Patricia, as she's attractive, IMO, doesn't always do "mainstream" Hollywood films, is a very good actress, and was great in "High Art," which made me wonder what her mama thought.(she played a drug addicted lesbian opposite Ally Sheedy).

[KamaAina]

8. Hey there, fellow exile!

Michael is Larry's cousin, not brother. I should know; I also served as sort of an unofficial advisor to Michael when he ran for Congress -- the seat now held by William Jefferson, focus of a Federal bribery investigation. I'm sure Michael, now a judge, is wathcing this very closely... his politics were kind of proto-DLC, but he's interested in new ideas (a rare quality indeed down there), and as far as I know anyway, he's clean (ditto).

As for Patricia, many fine performers over the years have had fraught relationships with their parents -- and she most certainly is a fine performer :-)

[Janice325]

9. Oops!

It's been a while. I googled, and could Vernel (One Mo'Time) be Larry's brother???
Anyway, nice to meet another exile, even though I left NO in 1994.
(Oh, and I recently googled and found that one of New Orleans greatest living treasures, Becky Allen, is still alive and well and performing in New Orleans.)