No mention of Katrina disappoints lawmakers

Before speech, La. governor says storm response partisan

By Ana Radelat
Clarion-Ledger Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — President Bush steered clear of one of the biggest controversies of his administration during the State of the Union speech Tuesday, making no mention of the federal government's plan for Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

"Most Americans think it was not handled well so why bring it up?" said Ron Haskins of the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. Haskins also said a mention of Katrina could have prompted jeers from the Democratic majority in the audience.