Yeah, Bryan, right. This isn’t a Republican thing. It’s all about competence, right?

Well, there’s this from the recall website that puts the lie to your spin:

“IMPORTANT NOTE: We want to recall this Governor, not impeach her. The problem with impeachment is that the Lt. Governor would automatically step into the Governor’s position. If the Governor is recalled citizens will be given an opportunity to elect a new Governor by special election.”

Forget the fact that the Lt. Governor is widely viewed as having performed extremely competently and effectively in the wake of Katrina. The fact that he also happens to be a Democrat whose last name is Landrieu.

Even though I voted for Blanco, I’ve been very disappointed and underwhelmed by her performance. I would not vote for her again. But this “recall” drive is purely partisan.

And the wagons, predictably, circle. And you wonder why your state had tapped out the nation’s compassion reserves.

And really, you ought to read the story Jimmy. Your precious gov is in Holland now. On your dime, most likely.

I used to live in Rhode Island. I thought it was the most corrupt place in the western hemisphere (mob stuff). Then I met a man from New Orleans, a former cop. Boy was I wrong, if only 1% of the stuff he told me was true.

Jimmy, if it were up to me the state of LA would not get one stinkin’ dime of federal money.

I will enjoy watching the wagons circle. Hell, if they can defend Nagin’s incompetence they can defend anyone. It’s like watching Marion Barry (I was born in DC) get reelected.

I’m not circling Blanco at all. As I said, I wouldn’t vote for her in the next election and I think her performance during the whole Katrina affair has been disappointing, to say the least.

But if you think this recall effort is not a largely partisan effort, you have your head in the sand. My question is why not move towards impeachment and let the competent Lt. Governor take over. Impeachment doesn’t require mounting a protracted and expensive recall campaign, and a subsequent special election.

I will say again to all of you charitable folk: I, personally, don’t want a penny from you. You can keep sending it to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudia Arabia, and Indonesia. And if you want to help build a bridge to nowhere in Alaska, that’s fine, too. But, Becker, et. al., the federal government can’t just continue to take our money and then argue we have no say in how it gets spent. You don’t want the federal government to spend a dime here, then at least be a good conservative and tell the federal government to stop taking that dime from us. Just let me spend my own tax dollars on rebuilding my own life and New Orleans, and let my state spend the revenues it generates for the federal government from its coastal oil production industry, and you can do whatever you please with your tax dollars.

Please, it’s DISCORD, not dischord. A swell blog otherwise.

I felt some discord over that spelling, but considering that you pump out multiple posts in a day, letting a word or two slide is OK.

Do you need criminal charges for an impeachment? Her performance last year clearly indicates that she is not competent for the job, and while her incompetence was costly I don’t know if you could call it criminal. The Louisiana voters got the leader they deserved. Perhaps they can make a wiser choice with a special replacement referendum.

Trying to prove criminal negligence is a whole ‘nother kettle of fish, and would take so long that the standard election for Governor would be done before the special hearings could be completed. If the La. legislature has a Democratic majority, then they will go through the motions but not remove her from office (kinda like what Clinton went through about 8 years ago).

Jimmy, With respect to where the feds should not be spending money, my list is too long to fit in the comments section here. Suffice it to say that I take a very restrictive look at the “Commerce Clause” so most domestic federal expenditures would go away under my administration. I would not pare things back, I would eliminate the Dept of Education, phase out SSI for younger workers (pick an age), eliminate the Medicare PD “benefit” and kill most of the Farm Bill on day one. Then I would get really serious.

I’m generally fine with “local” expenditures for things. And I think you paying much lower federal taxes is a good thing. If the people of LA (or anywhere else for that matter) want to spend money in their state, I’m good with that. I don’t even care if it’s spent, in my opinion, well.

Obviously, I’m not getting elected any time soon. BTW, I’m OK with our expenditures in Iraq and Afghanistan. Better than burying civilians in the US.

And with those actions, you would be the least popular president in American history.

“And really, you ought to read the story Jimmy. Your precious gov is in Holland now. On your dime, most likely.”

Along with both of Louisiana’s Senators, some of the State’s other Congressional Delegation, and business representatives. And if that dime gets us better levee protection, I will consider it a dime well spent. Besides, if it’s my dime, why should you care how it gets spent?