(CNN) – The general who led military relief efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina is denying a report that he may challenge Louisiana Sen. David Vitter in 2010, calling it "speculation and rumors" Sunday.
Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, now a CNN emergency preparedness analyst, said he is moving back to his home state. But "No one's talking to me about running for Senate," Honore said.
"That is a serious rumor that's got started that's created a lot of buzz," said Honore, who left the Army in 2008. But he said he has never declared a party affiliation, and any talk of a Senate run is "all about speculation and rumors."
Honore is best known for taking over a widely criticized relief effort after Katrina flooded most of New Orleans in August 2005. The city's mayor, Ray Nagin, famously described the cigar-chomping three-star general as a "John Wayne dude" who could "get some stuff done."
A Louisiana political Web site reported last week that he was "seriously considering" a Republican primary challenge to Vitter, a first-term Republican who was ensnared in a Washington sex scandal in 2007. Honore said he had received more than 100 e-mails in response to that report, but no news outlet asked him whether it was true before CNN contacted him Sunday.
"That ought to scare the hell out of people in this country," said Honore, who once called a reporter "stuck on stupid" during a nationally televised news conference.
Honore said he plans to continue working as a disaster preparedness consultant, raise money for the Red Cross and teach once he returns to his home state. But he said he also will keep a "close watch" on efforts to rebuild the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast "as a private citizen."
"As of this time, I'm not running for any political office," he said.
From CNN Politics
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I distinctly remember Honore during the first days after the Katrina disaster. He was indeed very efficient, and had a no-nonsense deameanor about him. I remember thinking, that he should've run for at least mayor of the city as I felt a heightened level of confidence just by watching him.
On a related issue, Carville's dissappointment in the president having not yet personally visited New Orleans, should be tempered by the knowledge that this presidency has been fraught with extraordinary challenges I am quite satisfied witht the fact that Obama has sent 11 cabinet members to assess the situation in N'Orleans, and has promised to visit before the year is out.
I admire and respect General Honore for his heroic efforts to coordinate and facilitate disaster relief in New Orleans. It took the military to do this in the midst of civilian failure to deliver relief to millions of victims of Katrina. I think that General Honore should reconsider running against Mr. Vitter for Senate as a democrat or independent. Mr. Vitter is unfit for public office and has not and will not do anythng to help rebuild New Orleans. If he reconsiders and runs, General Honore can shake things up in Washington and finally get leaders to pay attention to New Orleans and start to undertake rebuilding efforts.
He would be a good one, and might even kick some butt while he was in Washington!
This is the "Ragin Cajun's" choice. I would support him totally. During Katrina it was HE that took charge and got things done and did not worry about political results, just what was important to the people!
Listening to him during interviews on TV, you get the sense of a man that, tells it like it is, doesn't pull any punches, and puts blame on whoever needs it. Probably the best reason for him to stay out of politics!
So CNN is reporting a story in their National Political Ticker that isn't true nor relevant .....
Too bad, he'd make a great kick-butt senator.
Given the problems that Vitter has, I have a feeling that most will do well against him. A porn star would do well because they are open about what they have done. Vitter hasn't been.
A John Wayne dude!!!!! Lets run him!!!! He will be cooler than Dutch/Gipper, the Terminator & the Body all put together!!!! He will more than likey run the state into the ground the same way those three ran theirs into the ground but he will have a cool & tough image thats all that matters..........but wait Louisana is already ran into the ground.
We think a ranked military or paramiliyary man may be an appropriate answer for a senatorial question, since this man has indeed had his hands dirty during the Katrina disaster, whuile he was efficiently coordinating efforts for the clean-up. In our hearts, he is the benevolent bloke to bulldoze his way into the power house of politics.
I thought they didn't have party primaries in Lousianna?
As much as we need strong, straight talking, straight shooters like General Honore in Congress...
...the low brow inbred murderous racists in places like Algiers in New Orleans...
...permeate the swampy backwater that is Louisiana...
...Those who would have voted for him have been relegated to REFUGEE status, and spread all over the country...
Brad Pitt for Louisiana U.S. Senate .
It is a shame he is dismissing the rumor. There is a man of pragmatic leadership not a politician with feet of clay.
Buh Bye Vitter. You'll have plenty of free time to spend with call girls after 2010.
In the news today...no news to speak of. Nothing happened today everywhere. However, Republicans are still upset about Pelosi, Health Care Reform, Clinton, Woodstock, the internet, paying ANY taxes, not having enough guns, Obama's first presidential order to ban all guns, their definition of Socialism being at odds with the actual definition and that that dern rap Music.
Democrats, of course, are upset that Republicans don't agree with them and like a bullied kid, just want Republicans to respect them.
Stay tuned as the headline for this ticker story will change every hour on the hour with a new pun ordecieving half-truth to make this non-story seem interesting.
This story has been brought to you by that company with the dancing people on a loop who want to lower your interest rate.
Trying to avoid covering town halls?
I think that one of our Founding Fathers once said that the only people who are suitable for public office are the ones who don't want the job. I remember Honore's work post-Katrina - and his candor is refreshing. I don't know if he is right for public office, but he seems to be a bright man.
Why all the ews on New orleans when more people were killed and displaced in the mid west floods this year. where are the protests and celebrities bashing Obama for not sending any aid?
he would not be a good choice for government. stick to the military, mister.
Before the Democrats get their panties in a wad over finding someone to replace Vitter, they need to think about how much trouble they are goin gto have trying to marginalize a man who was a General and who is very familiar wth DHS. Honore will be a bigger thorn in their collective sides than Vitter could possibly be.
General Sir,
If you run I will vote for you! We need real Americans in our legislative branch of Government, more so now than ever.
I remember watching this guy. Kinda like a modern Patton. We could use him in Congress to shake things up! Just imagine this guy in Congress! He would make the libs would wet their pants!
why is CNN not blaming the California fires on President Bush? Obama just said that he inherited bad climate.
Too bad most of the poor original residents haven't been able to move back to New Orleans. Keep an eye on the socioeconomic class of the people who are moving in. Too bad they aren't replacing the public housing but are putting up spiffy new mixed-use developments. How many of the original residents will be allowed into the new developments? New Orleans will make a comeback, but it will be a Disneyfied parody of its former self. That's progress, folks. Katrina was the best thing that ever happened to developers. As usual, poor folks are on their own. Have a nice day!
The General is a leader and one who is not stuck on stupid as our present elected officals are.
He would have my vote for President.
Sad to say he is not politically correct enough to be a sorry squirming senator. His language and words are colorful and loved by men especially those that have served but it would not go over well with the general public. He would be a refreshing change to the maggots we have ruining the country now.
Generals are born for wars and politicians are born to tell lies.
no honourable public figure wants to tarnish their reputation by running for the fear and hate mongering gop.
the gop will be annilated in the next election.their behaviour now is suicidal and they are in a fantasy world believeing obama poll numbers are low.yes, they are but he will bump right back during the 2010 election because the gop has no solutions to america's problems just fear and hate from ignorant folks used by big corperations.
This is the kind of guy that could help fix what's wrong with Washington and with the Republicans. IF the Republicans don't treat him the way the Democrats treated the guy from Ohio, Paul Hackett. He was a decorated Iraq veteran, with a clear head and straight talk. An ex-mayor before he went to Iraq, but they decided they wanted him to sit out the senator election in favor of someone who had more 'experience'. (i.e. They had the seat and lost it, or had run for it before and not got it). But the main reason is so they could control his agenda from the top of the party. Which of course is bad for the citizen and good for the coporations and professional politics people.
We need more John Wayne kinda' dudes, in both parties.
Sen. Vitter is doing a great job. why would we want to replace him?
Let's send them some more of our tax money to rebuild in the flood zone! This could never happen again.... duh, uhhhh, where's the leak ma'am?
Anybody other than Landrieu, the Republican in Democrat's clothing, who is in the health care and pharmaceutical pockets!
I think it would be really interesting if the General did run but I understand why he wouldn't want to in this political climate and the way the 24/7 media picks everyone completely apart. Who needs it.
One other thing. How dare James Carville take issue with President Obama for not making it down to New Orleans yet. He has been handed every crisis including HOW TO FIX THE KITCHEN SINK in the past 6 months. Could someone, anyone, give him a break...
By the way, I have been contributing to the American Red Cross, New Orleans relief fund since 2005. I definately want to see the Gulf Coast recover but he simply can't be everywhere all the time. Getting the economy back on track and passing a health care plan will help us all, including the citizen of New Orleans...
It's true! You get what you vote for and Louisiana deserves to be in the position they are in, afterall, they voted for David Vitter. Enough said!!!!
a mover and a shaker
Louisana could use help...they need Honore NOT Vitter.
They need to replace Senator Landieu, she's not worth a darn.
And what about Hurricane USA. After Obama has finished with you?
Now Japan swiches leaders. All the investments are going East into Europe. You cant understand how bad the market has become since he took office. Japan was one of your biggest traders. You have lost them because of Obama..
Lt. Gen. Russel Honore is a Cool guy.
He did a Great job in Rescue and Relief.
Goergie delayed in sending help in Time.
Georgie did not act in Time.
Georgie was more focused in IRAQ OIL.
N'Orleans does not Have Oil. Therefore Georgie has no interest.
GEORGIE SHOULD BE IN JAIL.
A rightous and noble man! He would be a refreshing change in the U.S. Senate vs the majority of left-wing socialistic porkeaters only concerned with their political self-interests.
To all you who think your getting a shining star, are you in for a rude awakening. The joke will be on you and the Democratic Party. Gotta love it!
Four years later and New Orleans is still a dump, meanwhile money was quickly allocated to rebuild Iraq. These are just some of the Republican "eccentricities" that flip me the h*ll out. There is NEVER a problem with us spending money ABROAD, but heaven forbid that we try to spend it right here in the good ole' USA and people start screaming that they 'want their country back'. Beyond belief and comprehension. Truly.
I doubt liberals would elect a military leader instead of a lawer. They love the double-sided talk from lawers – it makes them feel good. People had an opportunity to elect a miltary leader with experience last year for the executive branch and they blew by instead electing a good speaker and lousy executive. People wouldn't elect this guy – he is a straight talker and no-nonsense guy.
GALVESTON was completely wiped out by IKE......so we don't want to hear about katrina.......RITA wiped out Port Arthur, TX and had coffins floating down the street......i am sure they don't want to hear about katrina......New Orleans is it's own enemy. The local govt. raised real estate value so certain locals could'nt come back home. Imagine renting for 400.00 a month and then after the storm the rent is 900.00 a month. Their local govt. to the Houston city counsel we want certain people to come back and the Houston C.C. informed them we accepted everyone who came so why can't you?
A man like this needs to stay away from politics.....He is a soldier. We need him on our (the People) side.....
How was Vitter elected to the senate after going to jail for dog fighting?!!! The libs probably sent Acorn thugs to the poles to scare the voters. Sad.
Thank you for your service Lt. Gen. Russel Honore. It's people like you that make me darn pound to be an American!!!! God Bless you and our military men and women from the past, present, and future!
Just ask U.S.Grant how easy it is for a military hero to achieve the same level of success in politics. The Lt. Gen. should stay in the military- they need all the help they can get.
New Orleans was a dump and cesspool before Katrina. You could sens a trillion bucks there and it would still be a dump...
Is it not interesting how race and politics take over during these feedback discussions ? What does Katrina, Glaveston, and Rita have in common, people who we have elected who care more for other countries, especially Iraq(Who never attacked us !) and Afghanistan than for the American people ! We need people like the General, who care more about the people( the real mission) than the politics.
To all you anti-American idiots who have turned your backs on the city and people of New Orleans, how about we don't help any of the people in the midwest (ya know, our countrymen too) each and every time a tornado destroys a town or our people in Florida each and every time a hurricane destroys a city there? I mean why continue to build in tornado alley or in the path of hurricanes, right? New Orleans wouldn't have sustained 90% of the damage had some idiotic administration not failed to fully fund the building of the levees!
NOLA was ill conceived from the start. Building a metropilis below sea level was stupid the first time and even lots more stupid to do it yet again. If a New Orleans is wanted that much move it up river to higher land. Those making the decision are spending the money of people who'll never be in a position to visit and frr-sur can't afford to buy a mean in the french Quarter. Also they're gambling peoples lives. The federal government should have cut and run after ehe emergency was over. This shouldn't be a federal issue but a state one. I resent being forced to pay for someone else's stupidity.
Given that Senator Vitter has NO accomplishments in the Senate at all (other than to be an adulterer caught with prostitutes), Lt. Gen. Russel Honore *should* be a better candidate.
However, the white majority of Louisiana has shown time and time again that they prefer hypocritical, adulterous, Bible-thumping, poor, white trash over more qualified candidates.
Wow, he's a Republican....and he's a hero. Imagine that! Must be tough for the left-wingers to swallow.
Um, Palin/Bachmann 2012 (couldn't think of a dumber, more idiotic, and dangerous ticket by the way, great job!), Vitter is a Republican so you better check yourself. Good question though- how could Republikaaners elect a man convicted in a dog fighting scheme to the Senate? Oh, and why is he still there after cheating on his wife with a prostitute? You should change your party's name to the Hipocritters.
Lets give this job to Joe "the faux plummer".he says hes good at fixing cesspools.
An honorable man like Honore should easily be able to beat a guy who slept around on his wife with prostitutes any day.
The General says he's an independent. But, considering he is a man who takes personal responsibility for himself, would prefer others take responsibility for themselves, and is also the sort of man who will take responsibility for those who don't or can't get off their butts to take care of themselves, I suspect the man leans Republican. Now, if the General were, say, an impressionable 18 year old, a brainwashed college kid, or an admirer of deadbeats, crooks, race-hustlers, thieves and power-hungry politicians who would like to control everyone else’s behavior, perhaps he would lean Democrat. As of yet, he hasn’t admitted to any latent contempt for the military, so that would also seem to disqualify him as a potential democrat.
The General has stated that he's moving back to Louisiana because he's missed his home and that's where he wants to live. If that's the case, why would he want to be back and forth to D.C. all the time?
Instead, let's hope he runs for governor of Louisiana. Maybe if we have a real stand-up guy in Baton Rouge, we can fix some of our problems, and we won't be such a national laughingstock anymore.
And BTW, I am one of those "liberals" you all keep disparaging, and I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. I think most of my progressive friends in New Orleans would not hesitate to vote for him either. Liberals DO NOT hate the military, no matter what Rush tells you. Stop being ignorant.
Stop whining about Katrina.
They were told to leave and did not!
That storm wreck other states and you do not hear them whining!
The citizens choose to live below sea level and stayed.
This is a state problem not a federal problem.
I have been to NOLA once before the storm I would not go back on
a bet.
tea party smarty foo pa dey a spell socialist as socialst what a bunch of dumb donkey rear end idiots!
ps. and ifin we had palin as our comandeer in chef we wud be glory to god almoghty in the highest!
The senate might be able to use someone like him, someone who can kick butt and take names. Maybe then we could see something get done other than obstructionism and sniveling.
Get him in there to clean out the democrat scum that has been polluting Louisiana for decades.
"[F]rom the start" places like New Orleans and Houston were "conceived from the start" as major ports of call for this country, and hugely contributed to the economic expansion that depended on waterway shipping (before airlines, etc.). Because of that proximity to the water, Houston is also in a flood plain. Should Houston have been forsaken after Tropical Storm Allison flooded downtown – and I mean underwater! – because it is in a flood plain?
Regarding Honore, I truly appreciated his realization of the humanitarian catastrophe post- Katrina. He recognized that the stricken victims were destitute and had been forsaken when they were most vulnerable. His core humanity struck me the most.
The "John Wayne dude" for Senate! He would have my vote.
As a Captain in a Fire Department, I spent a week at the Houston Astrodome volunteering during Hurricane Katrina. I was there when they were handing out $2,000 ATM pre-paid FEMA credit cards. There were local news stories about the money being spent at stripclubs, liquor stores, gun stores, and on expensive name brand purses. FEMA gave these evacuees free rent for more than a year. Employment consultants were there to provide job assistance. Houston Independent School District buses took the children to our area schools. There was more clothes donated than were able to be distributed. We opened our hearts, our homes, and our wallets to our sister city New Orleans. The majority loved their new lives and would never go back. The previous Govenor of Louisiana wouldn't allow the Red Cross into the Superdome or Convention Center. she said: "If we feed them, they will stay." She also wouldn't allow the Federal Government to take over the state's duty, therefore the delay blamed on Bush. Call him names, call me a racist; but the truth is the truth. What kind of a racist am I while I lifted disabled senior citizens out of their wheelchairs and put them on the toilet? Or doing preliminary medical evaluations when they arrived. Or searched for lost children in the Astrodome.
Indeed he did get a lot done.
Lord knows Nagin didn't get anything done. And when the Mayor and Governor botched relief efforts, they successfully fobbed all the blame on the Feds for not sending in the troops when (a) the governor said No to troops, and (b) federal law prohibited the feds from sending them in uninvited. Who woulda thought there'd be that much snow in New Orleans?
The headline on the home page is clearly propaganda. It should be labeled "Katrina General Will NOT Run for Senate".
Thank gosh. This man is a complete idiot!!!
Never heard of him, good thing he decided not to run.
Yeah, 'cuz Nagin sure couldn't get anything done...all he wanted to do was TALK.
We need more people in office who have had successful careers in business, medicine, technology and the military.....I'm fed up with career politicians whose lifetime acheivements amount to taking bribes from special interest groups.....We need term limits on the Senate and the House. I hope Honore runs for office.
I think a man like this could do as much good in political service to his country as he has in military service to his country.
Can anyone explain how the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana didn't take care of their people, but the President gets blamed? Other states, Florida and Texas in particular, get clobbered all the time from hurricanes. But they don't seem to be whining about it and blaming the federal government for not taking care of them. They get out of the way if necessary, hunker down, get ready and take care of things when it's over.
Why on earth weren't New Orleans and Louisiana able to do the same thing?
Honore is LA's best shot at getting something done. Easy to critize a past Republican govt for its ills, but let's not forget that N.O. was a cluster for many years prior to this storm.... As another commentary says; when the storm hit, many did not wish to leave, the major did nor have bus drivers, locals looted, trashed a stadium, etc. Little self-reflection in NOLA. 65%+ of its population lived on welfare and when it came to rebuilding many of the local were whining from govt-supplied mobile homes from a nearby state. Sorry people, but it takes a work ethic to get yourself in shape, a state cannot be successful on jazz and beignets alone...!
It is time that the residents of NOLA helped themselves instead of sitting back doing nothing except asking for a handout. My cousin went to NOLA (volunteer – no pay). He told us that the residents just sit on the porch and watch the vounteers work...therefore, he would never go back there.
I love the irony of all of the Republicans wanting to claim him as there own because he's military when nowhere in that article (or anywhere else) does the man claim to be a Republcan OR a Democrat! Also, the assumption that if one is a liberal you're automatically anti-military is really ignorant.
General Honore' should run for Governor. Although I'm sure he would be great senator; his abilities are best suited for a singular command role.
Sir, It would be nice to have you in the race