9.19.2005
Political Clout Could Steer Relief (USATODAY.com)
Posted 9/18/2005 9:12 PM Updated 9/18/2005 11:07 PM
By Andrea Stone, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Hurricane Katrina knew neither state boundaries nor political precinct lines as it washed across the Gulf Coast.
Yet as the emotional wallop of the storm's human cost recedes and Congress gets down to doling out rebuilding funds, some observers expect sharp divides to surface as the two hardest-hit states vie for relief. Because when it comes to clout on Capitol Hill, Mississippi and Louisiana are not in the same boat.
"I can't imagine the stars being better aligned for the purpose of access and everything Washington has to offer" than it is for Mississippi, said Marty Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University.
New Orleans' broken levees and mass evacuation have focused most attention on Louisiana. But Mississippi may be in a better position to collect federal dollars from the Republican-controlled White House and Congress once the media spotlight dims.
Consider:
• Mississippi's senior senator, Republican Thad Cochran, chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, which gives out federal funding. Louisiana's senior senator, Democrat Mary Landrieu, attacked the administration's response.
• Mississippi's junior senator is former majority leader Trent Lott, a Republican who chairs the rules committee that decides which bills get voted on. Louisiana Republican David Vitter, a freshman elected last year, gave the federal government a grade of "F" for its handling of the disaster. When federal officials wanted to send the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort to Louisiana, Lott intervened to reroute the ship to his hometown of Pascagoula.
• Haley Barbour was a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and one of the most well-connected lobbyists in Washington when he was elected governor of Mississippi in 2004. He has defended the federal response. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat, initially criticized Washington's handling of relief efforts and refused to hand over control of the Louisiana National Guard to the federal government.
(More ... USATODAY.com - Political clout could steer relief) ¶ 17:55
By Andrea Stone, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Hurricane Katrina knew neither state boundaries nor political precinct lines as it washed across the Gulf Coast.
Yet as the emotional wallop of the storm's human cost recedes and Congress gets down to doling out rebuilding funds, some observers expect sharp divides to surface as the two hardest-hit states vie for relief. Because when it comes to clout on Capitol Hill, Mississippi and Louisiana are not in the same boat.
"I can't imagine the stars being better aligned for the purpose of access and everything Washington has to offer" than it is for Mississippi, said Marty Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University.
New Orleans' broken levees and mass evacuation have focused most attention on Louisiana. But Mississippi may be in a better position to collect federal dollars from the Republican-controlled White House and Congress once the media spotlight dims.
Consider:
• Mississippi's senior senator, Republican Thad Cochran, chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, which gives out federal funding. Louisiana's senior senator, Democrat Mary Landrieu, attacked the administration's response.
• Mississippi's junior senator is former majority leader Trent Lott, a Republican who chairs the rules committee that decides which bills get voted on. Louisiana Republican David Vitter, a freshman elected last year, gave the federal government a grade of "F" for its handling of the disaster. When federal officials wanted to send the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort to Louisiana, Lott intervened to reroute the ship to his hometown of Pascagoula.
• Haley Barbour was a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and one of the most well-connected lobbyists in Washington when he was elected governor of Mississippi in 2004. He has defended the federal response. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat, initially criticized Washington's handling of relief efforts and refused to hand over control of the Louisiana National Guard to the federal government.
(More ... USATODAY.com - Political clout could steer relief) ¶ 17:55
