All Politics Is Louisiana

The relationship between the White House and Congress is getting contentious. When the Justice Department gave the green light for the office of Representative William Jefferson (D-LA) to be searched for evidence of Jefferson taking bribes, both Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert and Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi cried foul, claiming that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales failed to recognize the separation of powers implicit in the Constitution and that the search violated the House of Representatives' rights not to have their affairs unduly meddled in by the executive branch. Although the evidence against Jefferson is damning, I side with Congress on this one. The separation of powers clause is designed to keep the executive branch from overstepping its bounds and exerting authority beyond where its right of authority ends. When something like this happens in Latin America, that usually is a prelude to a coup d'etat. If Jefferson is to be indicted, let it happen through the proper procedures. (The White House has sealed the records taken from Jefferson's office for 45 days, but it hasn't cooled tempers much.)

Speaking of Louisiana politicians, New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin, as you already know, defeated Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu (brother of Louisiana's senior senator, son of New Orleans's last white mayor) in the city's mayoral election this month. Anaylsts cited overwhelming black support for a black mayor they felt was unfairly scapegoated for Katrina, along with support from white businessmen who still liked Nagin's pro-business stance. In fact, Nagin and Landrieu were simpatico on many of the issues affecting New Orleans. In the end they're both winners; Nagin kept his job, and Landrieu can go back to what he was doing. He's the state's lieutenant governor, so he obviously he doesn't do anything! :-D

Whatever Nagin plans to do in his second term, he'd better start doing it. Hurricane season starts tomorrow. :-O