Inside Report for Dec. 21

• By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Dec 21, 2005

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• %20Plenty%20of%20people%20are%20saying%20Gov.%20Kathleen%20Blanco%20performed%20poorly%20in%20the%20aftermath%20of%20Hurricane%20Katrina.%20Few%20are%20lining%20up%20to%20succeed%20her%20in%20two%20years%20and%20assume%20the%20awesome%20task%20of%20rebuilding%20the%20storm-shattered%20state.

  %20%20"It%20was%20a%20hard%20job%20before%20the%20storm,"%20state%20Treasurer%20John%20Kennedy%20said.%20"It's%20twice%20as%20" target="_new"> Digg

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Plenty of people are saying Gov. Kathleen Blanco performed poorly in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Few are lining up to succeed her in two years and assume the awesome task of rebuilding the storm-shattered state.

"It was a hard job before the storm," state Treasurer John Kennedy said. "It's twice as hard as it was before the storm."

Halfway into her term, Blanco has said publicly she plans to seek another one in 2007.

Cross Buddy Roemer off the list of possible challengers.

"I'm just interested as a citizen," the former governor said recently.

"I'm 62. I had heart bypass surgery some five months ago."

State Sen. Cleo Fields, who lost to Mike Foster in the runoff for governor in 1995, does not plan to seek the position. "I'm not interested in the job," Fields said.

Kennedy also is a "no" although he sought the job for a while in 2003.

"I'm going to run for re-election," he said. "I like being state treasurer. I plan on doing the job until people decide they don't want me."

Sen. Walter Boasso, R-Arabi, is a "maybe," which puts him in the ranks of other political figures who are hesitant about declaring whether they will challenge Blanco.

"I never rule out anything," Boasso said.

"My whole life has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs."

As Roemer put it, the job of governor is difficult in the best of the times, but Katrina is turning it into the role of a lifetime.