You go, girl.

[pat]

Mary Landrieu threatens to punch out the next federal official who tries to blame the mess in N.O. on state and local authorities, including the president.

Chertoff echoed the White House line — saying the time to place blame will come later. But he also hinted at an emerging line of defense, saying federal officials had problems getting information from local officials and were surprised they hadn't been told by Thursday of the violence and horrible conditions at the New Orleans convention center.

"I got to tell you that hearing reports on TV and then calling the field and hearing something different is not what the secretary of Homeland Security wants to see happening," he said on "Fox News Sunday."

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., lashed back, saying she won't tolerate federal officials' denigrating local efforts to deal with the catastrophe.

"If one person criticizes them or says one more thing, including the president of the United States, he will hear from me," she said on the ABC's "This Week.""One more word about it after this show airs and I might likely have to punch him. Literally."

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

At first she apologized for the slow pace of relief, but I think she was overwhelmed and figured they had valid reasons. Now she's just pissed off.

I downloaded the video of her helicopter tour interview, where she stared at the single crane working on a levee breach, said, "It's just pitiful," and dissolved into tears, and cried myself.

Of course I'm horrified for everyone who's lost so much . . . but I also feel very badly for those whose job it is -- by choice, often -- to take care of their people in the area, and who feel powerless, and who feel betrayed.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

(The interview quoted above is the helicopter one. The download links at crooksandliars.com are slammed, so I'll probably toss that and the other one that moved me so much -- but is very upsetting -- onto yousendit.com.)

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

I do think her first response was too political and crafted, and I understand why she did it. She's someone I've known for, mmm, more than 20 years. Not a "go out to dinner with her" sort of "know", but certainly a "chat with at cocktail parties" sort of thing. It is weird to me to see what has happened to the folks I used to know...Kip is mayor of Baton Rouge, for instance.

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

I still remember during her first response when Anderson Cooper basically tore into her.