"FEMA took on the role of helping to prepare localities and states to be in a position to respond," she continued, in quotes picked up by the Village Voice.

"Helping localities do what they needed to do to mitigate damage - that philosophy governed FEMA during the Clinton administration," Hillary said. "It was obviously rejected by this administration."

Though Sen. Clinton touted former FEMA director Witt's experience, she made no mention of Raymond 'Buddy' Young, whom her husband appointed to the post of Southwest Regional FEMA Director in 1993.

Mr. Young, a former Arkansas state trooper, won the promotion after heading up efforts to discredit other state troopers whose allegations fueled the Troopergate scandal.

Had Katrina struck during the 1990s, Young would have had jurisdiction over disaster relief efforts for New Orleans.

Despite that kind of cronyism, Mrs. Clinton painted FEMA as a model agency when her husband's appointees ran it. She pledged to introduce legislation to restore FEMA to the Cabinet-level status it had during the Clinton years.

In her second Katrina press event for the day, the former first lady continued to blast the Bush White House.

"I feel very strongly about this," she told reporters. "This current government is not only failing with respect to Katrina but we are not planning for the future."

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