Not quite so big, but still easy

The Washington Times ^ | 11-20-07 | Wes Pruden

[JZelle]

NEW ORLEANS.

Taking the temperature of the water in New Orleans is everybody's idea of fun. Well, why not? "The City that Care Forgot," as it once nonsensically called itself, has learned that a lot of people care a lot, even if care doesn't. Or something like that.

Eating well continues to be the national pastime, and the wealth of wide-bodies bumping bottoms-against-bottoms on the sidewalks and in the narrow streets and alleys of the French Quarter testifies to the triumph of gluttony. A vegetarian platter in the Big Easy is typically a delicate decoration of shredded carrots, a slice or two of beets, a little parsley and a round of tomato garnished with six oysters, a half-dozen barbecued shrimp, a handful of soft-shell crabs and a slab of medium-rare beef.

The improvement in the appearance of New Orleans, on the other hand, is dramatic, even over a period of mere weeks. The federal government has appropriated — appropriated, not spent — almost exactly the sum of taxpayer money to make New Orleans and the Gulf Coast whole after Katrina as it spent — $153 billion, adjusted for inflation — to rebuild Europe after World War II. It's not clear what has actually been spent, or how to loosen the tap, but high hopes rest in the new governor-elect, Bobby Jindal, a Republican.

The reconstruction is often in the places that visitors see, and improving times nevertheless barely camouflages the residual anger that New Orleans was mistreated in the wake of the storm. The exodus of half the city's population, mostly poor blacks who vote only for Democrats, suggests that Louisiana without the New Orleans ballot boxes the Democratic pols regarded as ATMs, dispensing votes, won't ever again be so reliably Democratic.

[JZelle]

Not a very flattering picture of Landrieu.

[Resolute Conservative]

I took my wife to NO in 2004 at her request and she has made it very clear to never take her there again.

[weegee]

I’m surprised of all the talk of gluttony and fat cats (especially in describing Americans). 50% of Europe is overweight/obese as is New Zealand (witness the recent uproar of refusing a woman an immigration status because they are already an overweight nation).

The whole world is “obese” and “gluttonous”. Nothing that a good famine under Communism wouldn’t cure, eh?

[Bitsy]

Not a very flattering picture of Landrieu
I’ll be glad when I won’t have to look at any more pictures of her. Right after Katrina, we could only get a fuzzy picture from one station. It seemed like every hour Blanco was on with Landrieu up her butt and David Vitter relegated to background. I felt like throwing the TV out the window - especially when they were constantly blaming Pres. Bush for their incompetency!~

[Recon Dad]

The spirit that brought New Orleans back from Hurricane Camille, the killer ‘cane of three decades ago, with almost no federal help is once more at work.

I don’t want to be a nit picker, but....Camille didn’t hit New Orleans it hit the Gulf Coast.