New Orleans has continued to grow and thrive in the decade since Hurricane Katrina made landfall, political power couple James Carville and Mary Matalin said Wednesday, but still, Carville commented, "some things are not as good as we want them."
"Other things are better than anybody expected," the Democratic strategist, who with his wife have become key leaders in post-Katrina New Orleans, told
MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. "But I would say that we're in a better place than anybody could have ever hoped for five years ago."
He continued that these days, there are better levees, which is critical, considering the damage wrought when the city's levees failed after Katrina hit, causing the flooding that devastated the city.
Story continues below video.
"Secondly, we have better schools," said Carville. "And third, we have better political leadership, and that's drawn in a lot of outside investment, Rockefeller Foundation [Resilient] Cities program. We've got a lot of FEMA help."
Matalin agreed that the city's destruction was caused by a man-made disaster, but the recovery has been a "man-made miracle."
"New Orleans is an antidote for what ails Washington, D.C.," she said. "I think the political leadership resulted in conjunction with citizen leadership has resulted in the best urban school reform in the country."
She also praised Mayor Mitch Landrieu, saying he's "been an astounding leader and shows what leadership can do," and the recovery also "shows what citizens working together can do in short order."
Carville also praised the city's police department, which has been under a consent decree with the Justice Department for some time, saying he believes the department has improved.
"We really have, despite what gets in the news all the time, we really have reduced our problem significantly," Matalin said. "This is a very safe city to come to, not to mention a very fun city to come [visit]."
Related Stories: