New Orleans once again takes a short break from their struggle and puts aside the bitterness and pain to celebrate Mardi Gras and a spirit that cannot be drowned, kept down, or run out of town.

Meanwhile, twenty-four states set the stage for a historic presidential election that will see America's first woman or America's first African-American vying for the most powerful job in the world.

The only candidate who put Katrina victims front and center has left the stage, but not before getting a commitment from the two Democrats left standing to never forget the people living in poverty, the homeless, the working people struggling to get by and provide health care for their families, and especially the Gulf Coast residents still waiting for help that will never come from an administration that leaves behind only the rubble of broken promises piled up in a legacy of incompetence and failure.

There's not much else to say until the votes are counted, the streets are swept clean, and America swears in a new President on January 20th 2009 -- hopefully one who remembers the Gulf Coast residents and makes good on America's promise to them.

And if you're looking for hope, there's no better place to look today than the streets of New Orleans and the voting booths of America.