"Never again will a disaster of this nature be handled in the terrible and disgraceful way that it was handled," the Senator says in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward. Click above for a clip.
“There was unqualified people in charge, there was a total misreading of the dimensions of the disaster, there was a failure of communications.''
Asked if failure stretched to President Bush, McCain says "Yes."
Plus: McCain hits similar theme in evening speech in Baton Rouge. Read excerpts here.
And: McCain distances himself from Rev. Hagee's comments linking Katrina to the city's plans to host a gay pride parade. Uses the word "nonsense" nine times.
