Will a new Democratic Congress Help Rebuild SE Louisiana? (merged)(x2)

Not a smart thing for Rangel to say, but let's face it, before Giuliani and 9/11 Southern politicians used to say negative things about NYC constantly.

The funny thing is, though, Mississippi is so gung-ho GOP that it hardly matters. Democrats are angling at making formerly GOP places competitive -- like Indiana Ohio, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and maybe Louisiana -- as well as firming up their increasing edge in the Northeast and Midwest.

With the new Democrat-controlled Congress, and with people like McCain, Giuliani and Romney as GOP frontrunners for 08, states like Alabama and Mississippi that are nowhere near swing states can probably expect their clout to decrease dramatically. (How 'bout that Haley Barbour/Trent Lott/Thad Cochran clout now!)

But potential swing states like PA, OH, CO can expect more federal construction pork of the kind we've come to expect. LA can position itself for this in a way that MS cannot -- and some of that money could actually be used for levees or evacuation routes.