In 2002, when Trent Lott was under fire for making comments about Strom Thurmond’s 1948 presidential run that were interpreted by the Left as racially insensitive, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) was quoted as saying that a Democrat leader in the Senate “would not be allowed to keep their position” in the same circumstances.

But in the aftermath of Harry Reid’s racial gaffe, Landrieu has been silent. Deafeningly so. And this fact has not escaped the notice of the national Republican Party:

Now, Landrieu’s silence on Reid “is deafening,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson Marchand.

“It’s difficult to view Senator Landrieu’s silence as anything other than a clear double standard – especially in light of her own statements in 2002 that a Democratic leader ‘would not be allowed to keep their position’ if they made such a racially-charged statement.”

Landrieu, who last month had scheduled a New Orleans fundraiser for Reid before cancelling it in the wake of local protests and Reid’s insistence on staying in Washington in an attempt to ram the senate health care bill through that weekend (Dec. 11). Landrieu also has donated $10,000 to Reid’s campaign for the senate.

What reaction will Landrieu offer? And what effect will the Reid controversy have on the New Orleans mayor’s race in which her brother Mitch is involved?