I second what Bruce, formerly of New Orleans, said, namely that "many find that negative stories of New Orleans play into the hands of the Democratic Party and its (justifiable) criticism of the Bush Administration."

During Sept., Oct., and early Nov. of last year--the months leading up to the midterm elections, I'd found that I was able to count on the fingers of one hand the stories aired out of New Orleans or the rest of the storm zone on NBC Nightly (which I'd been watching every night except for when it was pre-empted). This was the case although, per the Times-Picayune, Baton Rouge Advocate, and other Louisiana newspapers I'd been reading online, there was no shortage of news out of New Orleans or the rest of the storm zone. There wasn't even any coverage out of Louisiana or Mississippi on the congressional elections in those states. So I wondered if censorship had been taking place to help the chances of GOP members attempting to win election to Congress.

And I'll add that the lack of negative coverage out of New Orleans--coverage which tells the truth about the hardships her people have been dealing with almost 18 months after the storm and the fact that they're still in a world of hurt--plays into the hands of an evil Bush Administration which, if it had its way, would have Americans forget all about New Orleans, her need to recover, and her people's need to put their lives back together. It's easy to imagine that no one could have been more grateful last night for NBC Nightly's coverage of Anna Nicole Smith's passing, which kept from being aired more substantive news such as news out of New Orleans, than Bush and his minions.

Ellen that 8.9 billion dollars was Iraqi money, not US

Brian:
I would appreciate a message to our Repulican Senators regarding Nancy Pelosi. Stop complaining.
Want to talk about waste? We would really like to know where our hard earned $8 BILLION went that disapeared in Iraq? Also, why is it okay to spend hundreds of millions in Iraq while cutting the medicare benefits to millions of elderly U.S. citizens? Haven't they supported this country for decades?
Thanks Brian. Keep up the good work!

I also am a displaced resident of Lakeview.

Some of those who want only good news stories of New Orleans to be aired may be well intentioned and want displaced residents to return, but there's another dynamic at play as well. Many find that negative stories of New Orleans play into the hands of the Democratic Party and its (justifiable) criticism of the Bush administration.

My own view is that all levels of government have failed to address the catastrophe of the levee failures--and that those who want to blame the residents of New Orleans for expecting the government to fix the problems really don't have a clue as to the situation there--they really need to come to New Orleans to see the true picture. Our own personal example--we had a FEMA trailer delivered to our property in October--we're still waiting for the keys and authorization to use it.

Dear Mr. Williams,

1.Please let the soldiers know that they are in my thoughts and prayers.
2.Please let Mr. Russert that I hope his ankle heals quickly.
3.I’m sorry that you and your colleagues had to experience the “incident.” I think you are doing a service to make sure Katrina’s aftermath is kept in peoples minds. Because for them, it is not “yesterdays news.”
4.To end on a much lighter note, I also knew someone who had a dog named “Bear.” I wonder if there are a couple of bears named “Dog.”  I know that was a lame joke, but I couldn’t resist.

Wonder if the husband that has a prominent role in the city also has a prominent role in making things a little better. One might ask.

Pelosi's plane is a non-issue that's the political equivalent of the story of the "space cadet" who "went ballistic." There are many more important things that are going on--such as the need to help New Orleans recover.

Dear DAve in TN-

Get the details on the Pelosi Plane issue before you write e-mails implying that something is not kosher. Hastert had the same plan, but he lived in Illinois...so a smaller plane could be used.

I think the U.S. is tired of knee-jerk visceral reactions to anything that the party that is not one's choice does. I would hope that we get back to a more civilized discourse so that something actually gets done that benefits us Americans instead of just providing for political one-upsmanship. The congress has set a poor and immature example the past 6 years as to how the peoples' business gets done (or not done as has been the case). Let's hope that they begin to tone down the political rhetoric, and actually debate and make laws, etc. Hopefully, that will set the tone between us people who DO care, and who DO pay attention so that we may talk about the important things instead of creating an inflamatory environment not so much full of ideas as full of venom, and "AHA" moments.

I am a Katrina evacuatee from the Lakeview area of N.O.,temporarilly living in New Jersey. You definately need to keep up the focus on the devistation that still exists in N.O. The people in other areas of the country have no idea of the devistation that stil exists in the greater part of the City, especially when they view the Saints/Dome Staduim and Mardi Gras festivities portraying a deceptive image "all is well." Your on the ground coverage is essemtial in keeping national awareness of the aftermath of this disaster.

Is anyone at NBC going to ask Nancy Pelosi why she thinks having to make a refueling stop in fly over country is a security risk? They talk about the Two Americas one being DC, NY & Ca, and the other being "all that stuff" in the middle, but come on.

Brian, I am a rsident of Lakeview in New Orleans and I want to offer my heartfelt thanks for all you have done to bring awareness to the problems we are still having in New Orleans 16 months after Hurricane Katrina's aftermath. As you have noted it was the federal government's neglect that caused the loss of all the homes in Lakeview. We have rebuilt our house and are back living in our sad neighborhood. We are a proud people and will re-build but it is necessary for the government to not forget us or the promises made by the President. Bless you for taking up our cause and please don't let a few negative people discourage you. We need more interested influencial people like you to speak for us.

Dear Mr. Williams,

Thank You for taking the time to visit our city and try to let the world know we are fast becoming the city who paid reverence to decay ie: the French Quarter and all of the rest of our wonderful history , to simply be melting in debris of flood waters, pain, spin, and fear.

My husband and I stayed 13 days post Katrina in the French Quarter, after just launching a small business in May of 2005. We made it through the storm ok, but the day after is when it all started. We stayed, watched, heard, crawled away from gun fire, saw bodies, fires and held off looters. We said we stay we win somehow we will win.

We brought back our seamstress who fled to the Ozarks and has literally been living with us. Our business is shakey, funds depleated, and at our wits end.

We have worked hard since the day power came back, never have stopped, but we think, we have run out of time, and money and avenues to stay. We are not young, and our story not so bad in the whole picture, but the world has to know the spin has been so wrong.

Our friend was at at stoplight the other night and a shot went through his rear passenger window and missed his partner by an inch...just a random shot on Decatur and Ursuline.

We are scared, worn out, and have no idea what to do next.....no one does here once you reach depletion. Landlords are fickle, so you live on hope and trust, and you keep on keeping on.

I know ramble, my husband wrote our story and it has circulated and it is intense. BUT PLEASE, know there are alternatives, and we are certain we can help, us and the city. We won't give up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you contact us we will share many many things about here. Again Thank You.

I second Amanda's comment--airing only "good news" out of New Orleans would be almost as bad as airing nothing at all. I think there should be a combination of news about the hardships and how people are dealing with them and upbeat, inspiring news about signs of recovery and people who are successfully coping. Tuesday night's newscast contained such a good mix.

Hello Brian;
I was surprised last night Feb 7 2007 that you didn"t mention the death of our great legend Frankie Lane and long time singer and actress Barara McNaire.

Brian, Where is the story of Lt Ehren Watadas's court martial trail at Ft. Lewis, WA? The procecuting atty went for a mis-trial today. This has been going on for quite some time. Is the military trying to dismiss this before it turns into a debate on the legality of Iraq War?

Brian,

One thing I've noticed in all the coverage on Iraq and the surge strategy is that I haven't once seen an interview with an Iraqi soldier. There are very few interviews, in fact, of any Iraqi's at all. I understand the security situation but why not interview some of the new Iraqi army and get their thoughts/opinions? Thanks. Keep up the good work.

As a displaced resident of Lakeview, now living in Charleston, SC, I can tell you that your presence and your committment to our city is much appreciated. Through word of mouth and spread of emails, no less than 6 people got in touch with me prior to your broadcast to let us know that, through NBC, we could catch a few glimpses of home. While some residents cling desperately to hopeful images and positive coverage, the sad fact of the city is that New Orleans has many, many troubling issues.

Brian Williams is one of my heroes. He has guts and a cogent mind to go with them. I am grateful as an American citizen to be able to watch every night, for he offers the real fair and balanced accounts of the news of the day. So, hats off to you, Brian. Also, he is a fashionalbe dresser...and I am always looking forward to which tie he will be wearing on the Nightly.

The Sea Knight twin-rotor helicopters are museum pieces make no mistake. The V-22 was supposed to replace them all years ago. Normally a modern helicopter (the best being the new European NH-90 - an all-composite, stealth model) is fairly well protected from small and even quite heavy 23-mm fire from the ground. They have armored seats, dual engines incase of failure, rotors that can take punishment, infrared suppression systems, and a crash-worthy landing gear. The V-22 also has good egress speed, which shortens the time on site to half, I think. Modern helicopter engines can also run about a half hour at full power without any oil. I'm not certain to what standard the Sea Knight is being used, but I'd think it's probably lacking most of these 'now standard' safety measures. For a country that spends more on its military than the entire world combined (and that was BEFORE the Iraq war) it is hard to think how bad things really are - a debate I could have for hours.

Let's see.. Would the Headlines have been "Murder by BBs". Could she have been become known as the BB Murderer.. Maybe her book will be named The Diaper Dialogs.

The gal is obviously sick, and was likely distressed over the failed marriage. Then became obsessed over the potential loss of her lover was just too much.. Help her. don't persecute her!

The punishment needs to fit the actual crime, not a "what if" hypothetical crime.

It's interesting how people interpret the news in such different days. Just yesterday in my American Studies class I argued how the media (with NBC Nightly News in mind) plays a critical role in keeping the plight of the gulf coast in the minds of the people and government officials. Others interpreted it as simply an attack on the President.

I say keep up the coverage. The situation in the gulf coast mustn't be ignored if we're to learn from it.

Brian: Thanks for these daily views into the world of news gathering. THIS is how a blog should be and I look forward to it each day. Not only is the content interesting, but it's refreshing to read great writing - which isn't always easy to find.

Brian thanks for the up date on Mr. Russert. It's nice to see an honest dedicated professional stand his ground by what is truly a dishonest defendant. I look forward to Mr. Russert addressing his viewers who strongly support him.

I really pray that Americans and elected officials do more then use the words support our troops. Our soldiers are dropping like flies and all we hear are words. All the crimes this Administration has committed and continuing to commit. So much has come out as the GOP stops our Democracy from working. This Administration is far worse then the Nixon scandal. We're asked to give 2.9 Trillion dollars away as Bush can't answer for 4 years of money lost and stolen. It is a sad day for America and those who help build this great country only to watch the Bush Administration bring it down with this crime wave.

As to the comment of the resident of New Orleans, "How do you expect people to come back to New Orleans if they see all this negative coverage?" It is my belief that the all sides of the story should be presented, the good, the bad and (unfortunately) the ugly. I think (for the most part) Nightly News has been doing just that. I believe the residents of New Orleans would be crying foul if only "good news" stories were aired that would ultimately undermine the efforts towards the rebuilding, taking the focus and dollars away. Just my 2 cents.