If the NBA and NCAA think NOLA is ready you have to wonder…Who’s really not ready here?
A national commission today rejected New
Orleans’ bid to host a 2008 presidential debate, deciding that the city
was not sufficiently recovered from Hurricane Katrina to handle such an
important event.The commission’s
position contrasts with the NBA and the NCAA, which are both holding
their premier events in New Orleans early next year. The city will play
host to the college football championship in January and the NBA
All-Star game in February.Anne Milling, founder of Women of the Storm, said she was informed of
the debate commission’s decision today by Paul Kirk, a Democrat and the
co-chair of the bi-partisan group. Although the New Orleans debate was
endorsed by seven presidential candidates, she said Kirk told her the
commission did not believe the city was ready.
UPDATE: The seven candidates who had endorsed a NOLA debate included 5 Democrats and 2 Republicans.They were: Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Obama,Brownback, and McCain.
UPDATE: Here ismore…
The debate would attract about 3,000
national and international journalist, Milling said, bar fewer than the
crowds for the other events.“I don’t think it could be a technology issue,” Milling said. “The convention center is one of the finest sites in the country.
The debate producer told her last year that the city could handle the debate then, Milling said.
“Is it a case of politics trumping the clear moral choice?” Milling said. “In my opinion that’s what happened.”
UPDATE:Here are the dates, locations and formats of the debates:
First presidential debate:(domestic policy focus)
Friday, September 26
University of Mississippi, Oxford, MSVice presidential debate:
Thursday, October 2
Washington University in St. Louis, MOSecond presidential debate: (town hall meeting format)
Tuesday, October 7
Belmont University, Nashville, TNThird presidential debate: (focus on foreign policy)
Wednesday, October 15
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY