New Orleans gets a new Mayor

This morning New Orleans got a new mayor, Mitch Landrieu. He was inaugurated today puting to an end the reign of Mayor Ray Nagin. Because of so many mis-steps in post-Katrina New Orleans, a new mayor seems to be a source of hope and joy in the city that care forgot. I don't usually wax very political on my blog but I will say the change in mayors appears to be a good thing from the outset.

New Orleans, as a municipality, is overwhelming democratic and demographically black majority. Any hope for a conservative politician and conservative plan of attack is a vain hope. From a somewhat crowded field of candidates, Mitch Landrieu won convincingly not even needing a runoff to secure the city's top job. No stranger to politics, Landrieu has served as Louisiana's Lt. Governor, is the brother of U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu and the son of the last New Orleans mayor who happened to be white, Moon Landrieu.

The Landrieu's are, for lack of a better term, our Kennedy clan. First, they have bunches of them. I beleive the new mayor is one of 9 children. Secondly, they are a long-time staunchly Catholic family, although politically, they differ often with the Church on its' official teachings. And politically, love them or hate them, they know how to win.

Mitch, for his part, is a gifted orator. And he appears to be very enthusiastic. If he has done anything in his victory, and 1st day on the job, he seems to have united a city, to some degree, in a city that thrives on disunity. Black and white, poor and rich, businessman and working man, all appear ready to rally behind the Crescent City's new mayor.

Landrieu did make sure that he began his day at a ecumenical prayer service and choose St. Louis Cathedral, the seat of the Archdioces of New Orleans, for the location. And at the start of his sppech, right after taking the oath of office, he began with a prayer. So let us do the same tonight. We all should pray for the new mayor, Mitch Landrieu, even those of us who may disagree with his politics. The citizens have given him a four year term to make New Orleans better. None of us, none of us, should want him to fail. And feel free to pray that Landrieu will seek God's counsel in the small and large decisions he will have to make as the city's chief executive.

Good luck Mr. Mayor, make New Orleans all she can be. She deserves it!