WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., released the following statement today in response to criticism by Louisiana GOP Chairman Roger Villere regarding comments she made in an interview Sunday with WWL-TV in New Orleans.

Sen. Landrieu said:

“I call upon Mr. Villere to stop turning into a partisan fight legitimate questions regarding the ineffective federal response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the catastrophic failure of federal levees that followed.  I have praised the President and members of his Administration when they have made sincere efforts to help, and I will continue to do so when they stand up for south Louisiana.  But questioning the federal government’s failures is our shared duty – politicizing them is not.  Mr. Villere is doing a disservice to our state if he believes we should defend every aspect of a failed federal response simply because the one leading it happens to be a member of his own political party.

 “Like many of my constituents, I often wrestle with the question of how to help make the Gulf Coast’s recovery a greater national priority.  The President made clear his own priorities for the nation in his State of the Union Address last week.  For nearly a quarter of the speech, he spoke about the war on terror – an important priority indeed – but said not one word about the continuing recovery challenges along the Gulf Coast.  One is left to wonder what it takes to get – and stay – on the radar screen.

“The Administration and its allies also continue to dispute Louisiana’s legitimate right to parity in recovery funding by dredging up charges of corruption and incompetence.  I and many other leaders in Louisiana, Mississippi and elsewhere – Democrats and Republicans alike – have fought hard to overcome this harmful reputation that we share.  But I will not be silent as these tired, worn stereotypes are used to effectively deny the people of my state the parity in resources necessary to rebuild.”

          On Monday, Villere had said in a written statement, “The State Republican Party has taken umbrage to a statement made by U.S. Senator, Mary Landrieu (D-La) who led a Congressional field hearing to discuss Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. 

“Senator Mary Landrieu’s outrageous outburst this morning in which she remarked that we ‘would have been better off if the terrorists had blown up our levees’ is the latest episode in a stream of recent Democratic blame-shifting and accusations.  Landrieu appears to be joining with Governor Blanco among the ungrateful Louisiana Democrats that seem to have forgotten the federal government has already appropriated billions and billions of dollars of aid to the state and its citizens, only to have Blanco’s Road Home Program set a new standard in bureaucratic inefficiency.  The notion that Louisiana would be better off if terrorists attacked our state should be unthinkable to an elected Senator.  Did she forget the terrorist attacks on our country a few years ago and the suffering that the people of New York and the country as a whole felt?” stated Republican Party of Louisiana Chairman, Roger Villere, Jr.

Villere ended his comments by stating “Senator Landrieu’s statement this morning is the most insensitive remark I have ever heard from a politician.  The blame game Senator Mary Landrieu and Governor Kathleen Blanco are engaged in is an impediment to our progress and an insult to our people.  Our citizens would be better off if the Democratic officials responsible for reconstructing Louisiana were more concerned with the state’s future instead of continually passing the buck.  Louisiana needs commitment, competence, and cooperation, not a string of inflammatory remarks.  This might be what the Democrats want, but the citizens of Louisiana desire and deserve leaders that will solve problems, not criticize everyone else for their own inaction”.

Governor Blanco and others criticized President Bush for not discussing Katrina during his State of the Union speech last week.  Also, the Democrats and Republicans are involved in a pitched battle for Governor of Louisina currently held by Kathleen Blanco (D-La) that might be adding to the acrimony.  Plus, there has been discussion about the efficacy of local Democratic leadership in dealing with the revival.  However, during the field hearing in New Orleans, it became obvious that Louisiana has in fact been discriminated compared to other states depending upon the amount of damage post Katrina and Rita and Congress and the administration placed a cap on the amount any one state could recover in money to assist with the recovery. 

New Orleans Homeland Security Hearings: Shameful .