This week: eventful enough for you? It seems like five weeks, not five days, since the Saints played in the Superdome in a game that seemed to take seven hours and left the city drained of adrenalin … and beer. Since then, we’ve had Dr. Ed Blakely popping off at the mouth, a raid on the ACORN offices, and, of course, yesterday’s big boom from Jim Letten’s office. Meanwhile, tomorrow’s matchup against the Panthers begins at 3:05 p.m., we’ve got seriously great weather out there, it looks like HurriTropiStorm Ida ain’t gonna be our problem, and we have the season finale of Mad Men to look forward to after the game Sunday. So what’s in Gambit this week?

• In our cover story, Jeremy Alford reports on a secret meeting held by statewide elected officials — both Democratic and Republican — to plot their own courses while Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration begins to grapple with next year’s budget. Trouble for the gov? Or trouble for the legislators?….

• Clancy DuBos weighs in on yesterday’s staggering 63-count federal indictment against the city’s former technology czar, his wife and his business associate. Words that pricked up Clancy’s ears: The investigation “is not over”….

• Adam Norris profiles Brian Young, the Saints tackle who left the team last year after severe knee injuries. Young is back with the team he loves as a volunteer assistant coach….

• I’ve got an interview with comic Ron White, who’s coming to the Mahalia Jackson Theater next week. In a chat so candid much of it was unprintable, Ron goes off on network brass, as well as confessing his fondness for weed, 18-year-old Macallan and Oprah’s Book Club….

• Will Coviello has a thorough preview of next week’s New Orleans Fringe Festival….

• and our gourmet guy, Ian McNulty, eats mambo italiano in Metairie.

As always, thanks for reading. See you on the newsstand Sunday, or read it all online Monday afternoon.