A little something was passed along through the bloggers' listserv by Matt McBride: the link to this interview that was done with Hizzoner the Walking Id after he was cleared to leave Shanghai and continue on to impart some supposed bits of disaster wisdom to folks in Australia. I am not in the mood to watch it at the moment (as far as I'm concerned, if the identity of the "tech-savvy person" in charge of doing virtual surgery on the mayor's emails has not been revealed in the interview, it's not worth much) so feel free to DIY and leave your impressions in the comments here.

(*Head to Da Zombie for more info on "the professional" and on other recent revelations about misbehavior meant to discredit the Inspector General stemming from Nagin supporters)

I may tackle watching it later on, but I am instead unraveling my feelings of disgust over Barack Obama's plan to dazzle Louisiana people and pols with his rationality concerning the public option in health care: All I can do is make rational arguments and hope they catch; it's a great experiment.

A great experiment.

Barry, man, listen to me, please: this state's health care does not run on anything near the scientific method. We are not one giant laboratory in which we will all submit to being pickled by chronic illnesses for the sake of your rationality - which is suspect anyhow. Presenting rational arguments for a public option and likening their acceptance to throwing them against a wall and seeing what sticks is highly irrational.

According to our governor, who has cut funding to a much-needed mental hospital here in New Orleans, this state is running in the red, a situation in which thrift trumps sanity. According to our Democratic "good" senator Landrieu, it runs on good old-fashioned level-playing-field competition fostered by private insurers, a large number of whom have given her money to ensure that their positions in that level field will be greater than that of the public option. According to those same insurance companies, their rules can be bent and twisted into a Mobius strip of excuses as to why the claims one files for compensation for medical procedures are of no concern of the insurers - pardon us, O claimant, while we take your money and run. Don't get sick, now, stay healthy!

The only rationality that speaks to all of the abovementioned entities in this game of providing affordable health care to all is that of the color green.

Speak rationally, Mr President, but please, carry a big solid gold stick that you have no hesitation about using. Money will keep talking long after your voice has been silenced.