These guys are doing some great work.

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin each thanked the man — identified as a federal housing representative — who followed them to the lectern Monday to announce a major reversal in policy.

But the well-dressed, well-spoken man calling himself Rene Oswin, assistant deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, turned out to be an impostor who was part of a weeks-long hoax.

“Everything is going to change about the way we work, and the change is going to start here today in New Orleans,” the man said during his speech.

Jackson, he said, had had to cancel his appearance at the meeting of 1,000 builders and contractors at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner because he had to stay in Washington to meet with President Bush.

William Loiry, president of meeting sponsor Equity International, said he was duped.

“We were contacted about a week ago or so by someone who we believed to be [public relations firm] Hill & Knowlton [saying] that they were representing the HUD secretary and that he wanted to make a major announcement at this summit.

“Of course, we know Hill and Knowlton and know they’re a reputable firm. We agreed to that.”

The reference to Hill and Knowlton being a ‘reputable firm’ is particularly rich. Uh, yeah, if reputable means shilling lies for war crimes for cash. Hill & Knowlton are to information what Heidi Fleiss is to romance.

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