Overexposed

This almost falls into the pain perdu category, but it really merits attention. It might be the understatement of the year from "our [boneless] mayor":

I am overexposed.

Isn't it curious for an invisible mayor to acknowledge that he has a bad image?

Ray Nagin made the statement in order to put an end to the lobbying effort by Rev. Ben Edwards Sr., at a recent Sewerage & Water Board meeting, to have images of "our mayor" posted in the SW&B building, along with images of board members. Edwards has been a Sewerage & Water Board member since former mayor Sydney Bartholomew appointed him.

Edwards spent $269,250 on radio and billboard ads to help Ray Nagin get re-elected, calling the financial support an "independent expenditure." Hmmm ... if it were an "independent expenditure," shouldn't his ties to the Nagin administration be questioned? I wonder if Nagin's opponent in the mayor's race, Mitch Landrieu, could have gotten some of that "independent expenditure" support from Edwards?

Where does a "reverend" get that kind of money to support political candidates?

God gave it to him, of course. God probably also told him that he wanted Ray Nagin to be the mayor of New Orleans again.

It's also possible that Edwards paid for the ads with bad checks.

I wonder if the sheep in Reverend Edwards flock support his political choices.

And shouldn't the reverend's "ministry" lose its 501(c)(3) status if it engages in political activity?

From a previous PGR post:

Edwards is also in a key position on the Sewerage and Water Board, where he has used his position to steer contracts to friends like Bishop O.C. Coleman of Greater Light Ministries. Coleman, oddly enough, is a principal in a company that does business with the Sewerage and Water Board, Management Construction Consultant Inspection Inc., or MCCI.

Morial, who is the subject of a grand jury investigation, has defended Edwards from critics, saying he likes Edwards' style of stirring things up and of pressuring the S&WB to hire minority firms (no word which minority firms). I have no doubt Morial liked Edwards, in particular if the reverend stirred things up for Morial in the same denominations as he did for Nagin.

Edwards has been on the road, visiting six cities in seven days. Asked what he was doing on those trips, TP reporters Michelle Krupa and Frank Donze wrote that Edwards "burst into a lengthy belly laugh," repeating the line, "we just travel a lot," five times. That sounds like nervous behavior.

Watch for images of Dollar Bill Jefferson around the country. Nagin endorsed Jefferson, despite a federal bribery investigation of Jefferson. Edwards wouldn't say if he was working on Jefferson's behalf, saying he wouldn't reveal who he was supporting until after the 2nd Congressional District election on Novmber 7th.

I'm certain of at least one thing -- Edwards' behavior couldn't be overexposed enough!

Both Edwards and Jefferson are on the PGR tar-and-feather list.

Tags: Hurricane Katrina | Katrina | New Orleans | Louisiana | America's Wetland | Bush is a moron | Impeach Bush | George W Bush | Bush | Worst President Ever | Ray Nagin | Worst Mayor Ever | Recall Ray Nagin | Rebuild New Orleans | We Are Not OK | Katrina Dissidents | Failure Is Not An Option | Katrina One Year Anniversary