Friday Night Penthouse Blogging: Power, Money, Cocaine, and Vehicular Homicide

The Mayor's award for excellence in recovery is coming at a very high price, it would seem. Do you think, when this ridiculous emperor-has-no-clothes event was being planned, that was envisioned as anything other than a PR opportunity for Mayor? While certainly there was some degree of enthusiasm for a glitzy party in any form, the Mayor's people clearly thought that an award for excellence would only serve to bolster his sagging credentials.

Who knew that people would react so strongly to the Mayor receiving an award for excellence in recovery? I thought he was doing a great job.

There's an awful lot of blogging going on for a rainy Saturday.

American Zombie says with some authority that party organizer Bernardo Wade spend a good portion of the late '90s peddling cocaine to performers at House of Blues and sexually harassing the staff there.

He also helps us recall that this man went after $100,000 in taxpayer funds to take his photo exhibit of the Mayor on a tour of American cities.

We also have some interesting comments at Clancy Dubos' latest column. Party host Stuart Juneau, who actually owns the penthouse above the Ritz where the event is to be held, killed a police officer on I-10 with his car and got off with a careless driving ticket. (I can't understand how you don't at least get hit for reckless driving)

Wow, right?

Those are some pretty sensational details, I know.

They ain't even coming from me.

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In the new world of New Orleans media, you can't just throw a party for yourself and have the paper cover it like a legitimate award. Now, you can't even throw a party for yourself and deflect resulting media ridicule in the instances where people become outraged.

People are right on top of this story, finding skeletons that beg questions far beyond any Stewart Juneau and Bernardo Wade had been prepared to answer.

It's a small town; we have sources, yo.

Mayor Nagin's people, Bernardo Wade, Stuart Juneau and those knowing members of the Excellence in Recovery Host Committee certainly have stirred up a lot of shit for themselves, haven't they?

And all they wanted to do was have a sexy power party at the penthouse above the Ritz.