Ha! Mayor of New Orleans on the Today Show

[underpants]

Let me set this up with what preceded it.

First story-LOOTING. With the subtitle -THE WORST OF HUMAN NATURE- underneath they showed footage of a guy with a TV on his shoulder, kids riding bikes, two cops filling up a shopping cart, (baby food shelves emptied, diapers, etc.)

Second story-Campbell Brown in Gulfport MS. Showed horrible devastation. Nothing left. Then the good news from Ms.Brown "18 wheelers are lining up outside of town with the basic necessities (counts on fingers) food, water, diapers, baby formula"

Hmmm :think::eyes:

Then a telephone interview with Mayor Ray Nagin. The interviewer (name?) asked about the rampant looting "Are you losing control of the city?!?!"

Mayor Nagin (from memory but almost verbatim)-"Well the looting is isolated in a couple parts of the city and it isn't really out of control, mostly just people who have run out of food and of course you will have opportunists but..it...it's really just created by a media focus on it."

The interviewer didn't ask a follow up.

No video of it ....yet.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/?ta=y

[mattclearing]

1. Would you rather they starve?

I don't really get what you're trying to say. Do you think there are cashiers on duty?

[underpants]

4. I think the Mayor was saying that isn't a big deal

Yes he might just be trying to protect the city's image but I think he was basically saying that what you are seeing on TV is not necessarily the end all of what is actually happening (they hadn't shown anyone turning a wrench have they?).

He didn't do it as a slam but it was so offhand and dismissive it was easy to tell that this was no big deal to him or to the city.

[mattclearing]

5. Well, it is the least of their problems.

I think a lot of people are acknowledging that.

[tazkcmo]

7. Not at all

But ya can't eat a TV or a necklace. THAT'S what they were talkin' about.

[Fenris]

2. Oh man, that's a great slam.

:D

[underpants]

6. Piffle

as I posted above it was just a swatting away flies moment as if to say "That is so trivial at this point I don't need to spend time answer that question"

[TornadoTN]

3. I really commend the Mayor

I have been very impressed with him through this whole ordeal. From the lead up, watching him try his best to work with what he had to get citizens out and prepare them for the hurricane to what he is doing now.

He is no pushover it seems and I sense that he is getting fed up with the media and the federal government. If anyone is going to come out swinging and expose one of the greatest travesties that our country has ever expierenced, my money goes on this guy.

I have much more respect for Mayor Nagin that I ever will for Rudy Guilliani. I just hope Mayor Nagin gets to take his place in history by merit, rather than Rudy's bravado.