The above AP photo of America’s New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagin, is very similar to a Times-Picayune photo that is causing huge controversy in New Orleans! Nagin and his Chief of Police were showing off the new police assault rifles, and it seems that this photo has been taken out of context. Says the mayor’s office, “The photo was taken out of context, was selected by our own local media and is now showcased across the nation as a mockery of all this city’s recovery efforts.” Yes, mayor’s office, that would be how photography works. Maybe next time don’t go flailing guns everywhere. [Fox News]

Look, it’s the Mayor of Hurricane Katrina, Ray Nagin, showing off the New Orleans Police Department’s new guns! He’s setting a good example for the city he cannot control. [AP Photo]

John Edwards gave his withdrawal speech today from New Orlean’s Lower Ninth Ward — where he first announced his campaign, and where everyone is voting for Barack Obama because, well, you know. On his way to the speech, Edwards even abandoned the media to visit the homeless in New Orleans’ tent city. I guess that was a nice thing to do. MORE »

It’s safe to say New Orleans has some housing problems these days, as in, people need housing and there isn’t any. The city planned on demolishing 4,500 public housing units today to help that situation and, in response, opponents planned a large protest outside of City Hall. At some point the police must have gotten a little uneasy because they shut the City Hall gates. The protesters broke through and so, naturally, the police beat the living shit out of them. More, plus some video, after the jump. MORE »

As if you’re not already sick to death of hearing Presidential candidates opine on everything from health care reform to jewelry, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced this week where the 3 debates between the 2 actual candidates will be held next fall. It was widely expected that New Orleans would be one of the choices, in no small part because 7 of the current candidates asked the Commission to choose it. And the Commission totally took that into account by choosing… Oxford, Mississippi, Hempstead, NY and Nashville, TN. Our thoughts on that huge pile of bullshit, and a poll for you, after the jump.

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You’d never guess our little Katrina is two years old today. Why? Because it looks like that hurricane and terrible flooding happened just days ago! Who would think a major American city would still be in ruins two fucking years after it was deluged and half-abandoned? MORE »

Congress joined the Bush Administration for a nice little barbecue on the South Lawn last night. The theme was Mardi Gras, so everybody could enjoy memories of New Orleans being destroyed by the Bush Administration and then pretty much left in that same condition years later. MORE »

There are now two places on Earth where New Orleans isn’t a half-abandoned wasteland: Micheal “Brownie” Brown’s mind and Google Maps. MORE »

Our sister site Idolator already sorta posted this on Wonkette, but apparently nobody (including your editors) pays any attention to those things. So here, now and forever, is the stupid Fox News video of Republicans mocking black hip hop culture. MORE »

Yesterday: MORE »

Denver gets the 2008 Democratic Convention. Hooray for mountain oysters! MORE »