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By Dan Merica, CNN

updated 11:34 PM EDT, Sat November 1, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

New Orleans (CNN) -- To Hillary Clinton, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu is the fighter for Louisiana who "refused to let Washington turn its back" on the state in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina almost 10 years ago.

Clinton reached back to the months and years after the 2005 hurricane killed more than 1,500 people in Louisiana to praise Landrieu on Saturday at a New Orleans rally for the endangered three-term senator.

"She was relentless," Clinton said, noting that she and Landrieu were in the Senate at the time. "You learn a lot about a person and a leader in a moment like that. And I saw Mary in action, no cameras, no attention, just focused like a laser to take care of her people."

Clinton continued: "She never gave up. If you know anything about Mary Landrieu, you know that is an ingrained characteristic, she doesn't shy away from a fight."

Landrieu is in a different kind of fight this year -- a fight to keep her Senate seat against a stout challenge from Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy. Every national poll since the start of September has shown Cassidy besting the incumbent.

Clinton did her part on Saturday to knock Cassidy but never actually referred to him by name.

"From what I have heard, Mary's opponent didn't really lift a finger after Isaac," Clinton said, using a familiar Landrieu campaign attack that cites a 2012 no-vote against legislation that included disaster relief money for the state after Hurricane Isaac rocked the state.

Read more:
Hillary Clinton reaches back to Katrina to tout Mary Landrieu