Brazile Backs Bush on New Orleans

Democratic political consultant Donna Brazile managed Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign, but she stands solidly behind his opponent when it comes to the reconstruction of the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged areas.

"I am not a Republican. I did not vote for George Bush – in fact, I worked pretty hard against him in 2000 and 2004,” the New Orleans native writes in a column carried by several newspapers.

"But after watching him speak from the heart, I could not have been prouder of the president and the plan he outlined to empower those who lost everything and to rebuild the Gulf Coast.”

Brazile praised Bush’s call for Americans to come together and use their industriousness, ingenuity and compassion to help those stricken by the tragedy.

"There are times when it seems that our nation is too divided ever to heal,” Brazile writes. "But we are one nation. We are a family.

"When the president asked us to pitch in, he wasn’t really asking us to do anything spectacular. He was asking us to be Americans, and to do what Americans always do.

"Mr. President, I am ready for duty. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.”