Mary Landrieu in The Associated Press

On Budget & Economy: Opposed $700 billion bailout; not enough taxpayer safeguards

Landrieu opposed the $700 billion financial market bailout backed by the White House and approved by Congress. But she also said that she supports government-guaranteed loans between banks and the use of federal tax dollars to buy stocks in banks to shore up the financial system: both plans pushed by the Bush administration, using the authority and money from the bailout bill.

When he was allowed to ask Landrieu a question, Kennedy asked why she now supports elements of the bailout bill: “What made you change your mind?”

“I didn’t change my mind,” she replied. “I did vote against the bailout package because I didn’t think there were enough safeguards for taxpayers.”

On Energy & Oil: Proud of expanding oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico

Kennedy responded that much of the billions of dollars in royalties wouldn’t start flowing until 2017, after thousands more acres of wetlands had washed away. But Landrieu noted millions of dollars already had come to Louisiana because of the drilling bill.

On Government Reform: I have delivered for Louisiana; send me back for more

Landrieu, meanwhile, continued to push herself as a centrist senator who works across party lines and has brought home billions of dollars in aid to Louisiana during her 12 years in Congress, particularly since the blows of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. “Send me back to continue to fight for you, to deliver for you,” she said.