Before thousands of fired-up Democrats here Thursday, Sen. Hillary Clinton promised to make up for what she perceives as lost time rebuilding the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina. Clinton made a campaign stop in Canton on Thursday night for the Mississippi Democratic Party's Jefferson Jackson Hamer Day dinner, a gathering of state Democrats that drew about 2,000 people to an equestrian arena 20 miles north of Jackson.

In her 30-minute speech, Clinton took President Bush to task for his response to Hurricane Katrina, saying the president should not have needed a video from CNN to understand what was happening after the storm.

"The President did not respond to the needs of the people here in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana... " Clinton said. "We do not yet have the level of response and urgency that a national disaster, which turned into a national disgrace, deserves. I will do whatever I can to make up for lost time as your president.

"There will be one person in the White House that will be responsible every single day to give me a report about the progress we are making in rebuilding and getting people back in their homes, fixing the infrastructure and dealing with insurance claims."

Clinton didn't get into specifics about her Katrina-recovery plans, and did not field media questions.

Although she has cast herself as an ally of African-Americans in rebuilding New Orleans, last year she accepted fund-raising assistance from a family friend who is controversial with many black and white victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The friend, Sheriff Harry Lee of Jefferson Parish, has been close to former President Bill Clinton for many years. But Sheriff Lee has a long history of making divisive and derogatory remarks, sometimes aimed at residents of neighboring New Orleans, which is predominantly black, and his relationship with many black political leaders is turbulent.  Harry Lee hosted a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in May. Hillary Clinton was in attendance at the fundraiser.

Yes, this is the same Sheriff Lee that ordered his officers to prevent Katrina evacuees from crossing the Crescent City bridge to safety [MORE]. When bridge was sealed, it prompted accusations of racial prejudice because his tiny city is largely white and the faces of most fleeing storm survivors were black.We have to wonder if Senator Joeseph Lieberman was right when he said that the Clinton's have used African-Americans like Kleenex.

Quotes from former Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee:

"If there are some young blacks driving a car late at night in a predominantly white neighborhood, they will be stopped. There's a pretty good chance they're up to no good. It's obvious two young blacks driving a rinky-dink car in a predominantly white neighborhood -- I'm not talking about on the main thoroughfare, but if they're on one of the side streets and they're cruising around -- they'll be stopped."

"I'm going to catch that bastard, and when I catch him, he is going to be black. I just don't give a damn what people think of me anymore. If that was their daughter and we weren't doing that, they would be on our ass."

When residents of an all-black neighborhood in Avondale complained about police brutality, Lee pulled all deputies from the neighborhood.

Lee passed away in October of last year. At his funeral, a letter from Bill Clinton commemorating Lee was read. [MORE] and [MORE] and  [MORE]