Nagin Recruiting Hershey to Rebuild New Orleans

(2006-01-17) — In a further clarification of yesterday’s remarks that a rebuilt New Orleans would be a “chocolate” city, Mayor Ray Nagin today said he’s planning to recruit Hershey Foods to establish a candy manufacturing plant in the hurricane-ravaged region.

The Democrat mayor’s latest clarification builds on yesterday’s explanation that his remarks are not racist because chocolate is made with dark chocolate and white milk forming “a delicious drink.”

“We’re in the very, very early stages of discussions with Hershey,” Mr. Nagin said, “It’s still in the pre-meeting, pre-phone call stage. But that’s what this chocolate city concept is all about. It’s literally chocolate, rather than chocolate as a metaphor for something else. It’s edible chocolate. It really is.”

The mayor said he’s long been intrigued by the possibility of transitioning New Orleans’ economy from one “reliant upon fickle fads in human debauchery” to something more stable, like chocolate.

“Ever since I saw the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I’ve thought, ‘That’s New Orleans’,” Mayor Nagin said. “and I thought, ‘I’m Willy Wonka’. ”

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, who yesterday told a group of African-Americans that Republicans have run the House of Representatives like “a plantation”, said she would help Mayor Nagin secure federal funding to turn the Louisiana Gulf coast into “a chocolate version of Silicon Valley.” -- Scott Ott / ScrappleFace

Like I said in the post below, Mayor Nagin is the gift that keeps on giving. Scott also could not resist taking a shot at the Plantation remark from one former first lady Mrs. Clinton. Sure was plenty of extra mud flung around yesterday on MLK's rememberance day between these leaders! Hey... we even got to hear from Al Gore render his diatribe on the lawlessness of GWB on Dr. King's day. Shades of campaign debates! Those were the good old days....