NEW ORLEANS — Stung by criticism that he and his administration had neglected the hurricane-tattered Gulf Coast, President Bush on Thursday made his first visit to the region in six months, proclaiming, "This is a hopeful day."
Bush, standing in a muddy lot near new homes in Long Beach, Miss., said: "Part of the reason I've come down is to tell people here in the Gulf Coast that we still think about them in Washington.... Times are changing for the better, and people's lives are improving. And there is hope."
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which hit Aug. 29, 2005, the administration was criticized for its slow response. Reports issued by Congress, interest groups and even the White House said delays hindered rescue and recovery efforts in New Orleans and elsewhere on the Gulf Coast.
In January, Bush was criticized for not mentioning the devastation in his State of the Union address.
House Democratic leaders said in a statement ahead of Bush's Gulf Coast visit: "Hurricane Katrina was a natural disaster, compounded by a man-made disaster. It is now 18 months past time to get our response right."
Administration officials said the criticism was misdirected.
"I think there's been lots of progress over the last 18 months," said Don Powell, the administration's Gulf Coast recovery coordinator. "Children are in school. 'Help wanted' signs are up. The port is 100% back. Restaurants are open."
He added: "Is there more to be done? Absolutely."
Bush has made 14 trips to the region since the hurricane. Most were in the first two months after the disaster, in which damage estimates reached $100 billion or more. He last visited the area in August, to mark the storm's anniversary.
On Thursday, Bush made four stops in Mississippi and Louisiana. At the Samuel J. Green Charter School in New Orleans, he visited third- and fifth-grade students and posed for photos.
He called the school "a bright spot," a sign that life was returning to normal in the city.
"I'm here to herald success -- success for today and, equally important, success for the future of this important city," Bush told a crowd in the cafeteria, where the high-water mark from flooding was visible on the walls.
Administration officials said more than 50 of New Orleans' public schools had reopened, serving about 28,000 students.
Critics said that was fewer than half of the 128 schools and 60,000-plus students in the city's two public school systems before Hurricane Katrina.
