Ray Nagin fails to impress

Betsy Newmark is unimpressed with Mayor Nagin’s most recent performace.

Nagin, interviewed over the weekend in Dallas by Fox News, questioned Allen’s credentials: “Since I have been away a day or two, maybe he’s the new crowned federal mayor of New Orleans

Was that comment necessary? Allen seems to be making extremely reasonable objections and was very circumspect in what he said about the Mayor and the Mayor has to go and try to assert himself and assure everyone that he’s still in charge. And then, after Bush stepped in and said that he was concerned about people coming back while there are no services available and another hurricane is heading for the Gulf, Nagin backed down and started saying that people should evacuate again. That was the right decision, but Nagin did not reassure everyone with his leadership this time…I can’t think of one moment when he has been impressive and reassuring rather than bombastic and more interested in quarreling with either the federal government or the governor for the city’s problems.

Quite, quite right. But the press seems to love him, for some reason. He does not get challenged on anything.

Bernard is also unimpressed and a mite troubled by Hizzoner Hamlet:

Watching Ray Nagin wrestle with his own inept decisions and back-and-forth vascillation is akin to sitting in the theatre for a stage play production of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” with the venue New Orleans.

Yup. As Bernard says: Disgraceful. I won’t say he’s stuck on stupid but Gen. Honore might. Right after he gets done stomping on the press.