Gov. Blanco did little to reassure observers during a press conference on Tuesday, when she seemed on the verge of bursting into tears.

"The magnitude of the situation is untenable," she told reporters. "It's just heartbreaking."

The next day Blanco told ABC's "Good Morning America," "This whole situation is totally overwhelming."

Louisiana Democrats are putting the best face possible on Blanco's performance.

"She's obviously affected tremendously by the emotional impact of the devastation," former Sen. John Breaux told the Washington Post. "I think she's doing everything humanly possible to bring it together."

Asked whether Blanco sounded discouraged by the havoc wrought by Katrina, Breaux told the paper, "No, I think she was on top of it. But considering the circumstances, with a whole city underwater, it's hard to be calm, cool and collected."

Some compared the beleaguered governor to her Mississippi counterpart, Haley Barbour - who has so far offered a more reassuring presence.

Gov. Barbour vowed early on to deal "aggressively and ruthlessly" with looters in his state.

Gov. Blanco, on the other hand, initially suggested that stopping rampant looting in New Orleans wasn't a priority, telling reporters Tuesday: "We don’t like looters one bit, but first and foremost is search and rescue.”

As conditions continued to deteriorate, however, Blanco changed her tune, announcing late Wednesday: "We will restore law and order. What angers me the most is that disasters like this often bring out the worst in people. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior."

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