I admit, it is a challenge for me to write these weekly MyDD posts in support of John Edwards. On any given day, you can find several well-written, thoroughly researched diaries by other Edwards supporters here and at Daily Kos.

Just look at the entries with the tag "Edwards Evening News" at Daily Kos. They are packed with information about the campaign and links to other diaries supporting Edwards for president.

Tonight as I nursed my toddler to sleep I lay there wondering what I could add of any value to this week's conversation about the presidential candidates at MyDD.

As you may have read, on Monday John Edwards announced

that he will be going to help rebuild an area of New Orleans devastated by Hurricane Katrina and offered supporters the chance to join him. Between today and the end of September, Edwards supporters will be able to enter their names in a drawing by visiting the John Edwards campaign website. No contribution is necessary to enter the drawing. In the beginning of October, five names will be selected at random for the opportunity to go with Edwards to help rebuild New Orleans.

For more on this initiative, I recommend Philgoblue's diary or the Edwards Evening News Roundup by NCDem Amy.

I am not entering the contest, because as much as I would like to participate, it is not feasible for me to leave my two young kids for days at a time.

But I am so glad that John Edwards is going to force the media yet again to pay attention to the disgraceful neglect of New Orleans.

I understand the political arguments for and against Edwards' visits to New Orleans in recent years. Advocates say the visits call attention to substantive issues of poverty and inequality (as during his "poverty tour" over the summer). He is also inspiring people to work for positive change (as when he brought hundreds of college students to work on rebuilding New Orleans during spring break 2006).

Detractors claim he is just "using" New Orleans as a backdrop to further his own career. Some people didn't like it when he announced his presidential candidacy in the Ninth Ward either.

Clearly the Edwards campaign sees some political advantage in this contest. Yesterday's press release contained an obvious dig at two rival campaigns:

"The challenge of building One America starts in New Orleans," said Edwards. "Instead of offering you a fancy dinner or photo-ops with celebrities, we're giving you the opportunity to create the change we need to see in this country."

I do not have a clue how much talking about NOLA, and poverty generally, helps the Edwards campaign. For every Iowan who tells me they appreciate Edwards' efforts to focus our attention on these issues, there is an Iowan who tells me Edwards is being foolish or naive, because most voters don't care about poor people.

One thing I do know: when John Edwards has visited New Orleans, the national media have had no choice but to cover the story, and in doing so, they have reminded Americans that we have unfinished business there.

In the weeks when John Edwards has not visited New Orleans, the ongoing devastation in that city is way off our media's radar screen.

I only visited New Orleans once, on a family vacation when I was ten years old. I would be lying if I said I had a deep sentimental attachment to the city. But I am outraged that so many people have been unable to return to their homes and neighborhoods.

During the summer of 1993, when a 500-year flood devastated some neighborhoods in the Des Moines area, I was living in the UK. It was surreal to see footage my home town on the BBC, but it was that big a flood.

I came home to visit about six weeks later. You could see signs of the flood in dead trees and some abandoned buildings (some of those were rebuilt later, others were taken down), but for the most part, everything was up and running again. Even in one of the worst-hit neighborhoods, the historic "Valley Junction" area of West Des Moines, businesses were open and people were in their homes. This was less than two months after the flooding.

It is stunning to learn how many neighborhoods are still uninhabitable in New Orleans. It is shameful, and Americans need to be reminded.

If Edwards had not declared this contest, do you think the media would be setting aside space in their October news holes to cover rebuilding efforts in New Orleans?

Thank you, John Edwards, for putting this issue on the media's agenda and making more people think about what our national priorities are versus what they should be.

On a related note, if you want to read more about conditions in NOLA, keep your eye on "guerilla vlogger" mbair's page at Daily Kos. She is doing a series on New Orleans two years after Katrina. The first diary in her series shows how "Katrina is every day in New Orleans." The second diary is mainly about a recent visit by Maxine Waters.