La. Weekly, Gambit endorse Mitch

Louisiana Weekly:

In a city wounded in the months after Katrina with racial and economic divisions, he must have the potential to bring together people of vastly different backgrounds and ethnicities to a common sense of purpose.

For that reason, for the African-American community, we cannot in good conscious recommend the re-election of C. Ray Nagin. ...

In the months since the storm, justified or unjustified, Ray Nagin has built a reputation nationally that inspires humor and contempt rather than the compassion this city needs to rebuild. Perhaps, the media took the Mayor's words out of context, but few real attempts have been made by Nagin to repair that image. The country is out of patience with our Mayor. ...

When both New Orleans, in particular, and Louisiana in general need a spokesman in Washington capable of delivering a plan that will bring us the billions this city needs to rebuild our levees, streets, homes, schools, electrical systems, governmental centers, and business infrastructure, Mr. Nagin has not been effective. ...

For decades, the Weekly has argued that the color of one's skin should not determine his opportunities. Now, many friends of this publication would effectively have us back away from that stand-on the sole grounds that the Mayor is Black. ...

Gambit Weekly:

Four years ago, we enthusiastically endorsed Ray Nagin as our new mayor. We still like many things about him -- his charm, his swagger, and his honesty among them. Unfortunately, Mayor Nagin has not been very effective at getting things done ....

New Orleans cannot afford to wait any longer for Mayor Nagin to "get it." We need a mayor who understands -- right now -- how to make government work for the greater good. Mitch Landrieu will be that mayor.

Some have criticized Landrieu for being "too political" or "yet another Landrieu." Those are shallow arguments. Our next mayor will have to put together coalitions to move New Orleans forward.