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(CNSNews.com) -- MoveOn.org presented three survivors of Hurricane Katrina to the media outside the White House Thursday to draw attention to the group's ongoing criticism of the Bush administration.

About 100 supporters of the liberal political group descended on Pennsylvania Avenue and spent most of their time blaming the president for the allegedly slow local, state and federal response in New Orleans; and, indirectly, for the failure of the city's levees.

One woman who stopped to show her support for President Bush received a loud and emotional rebuke from a MoveOn.org protester.

New Orleans residents Iona Renfroe, Michelle Augillard and Christine Mayfield recounted their stories of surviving the storm and the described the lack of assistance they received in the aftermath. Each criticized the federal government without addressing accusations of early failures by local and state officials.

Renfroe, a New Orleans attorney, claimed that there has been "absolutely no response by the federal government ... absolutely nothing has been done."

According to the Department of Homeland Security, as of Tuesday, the federal rescue effort involved more than 71,000 personnel and has resulted in more than 45,000 rescues, including 23,000 by the U.S. Coast Guard. Approximately 273,000 citizens had been evacuated and two-thirds of them are still being housed in 550 federally-organized shelters around the country. Federal authorities had gathered and distributed 11.3 million military "Meals Ready to Eat" and 18 million liters of drinking water.

Tom Matzzie, Washington director of MoveOn.org Political Action, also focused his criticism on the Bush administration, calling the federal response to Hurricane Katrina "a national disgrace.

"What looks like incompetence by the president and his appointees is actually something worse," Matzzie claimed. "This is what government looks like when it is in the hands of people who don't believe in government, who want to privatize, who want to cut back and reduce the ability of the government to serve its people."

Mattzie also blasted President Bush for comments suggesting that state and local officials share in the responsibility of preparing for and responding to natural disasters.

"He and his team don't want an effective government that can protect people who work hard and pay taxes," Matzzie continued. "Instead, they want to give huge tax breaks to wealthy Americans. The result is that there is no effort left, or there is no ability left for the government to respond to the needs of its citizens, especially in times of crisis."

MoveOn.org protester clashes with Bush supporter

Clarice McMillan, of Alexandria, Va., was standing about 25 feet behind the MoveOn.org protesters holding a small, hand-written sign that read, "Support the president and love the people." She had been there for only a few minutes when she was confronted by a screaming MoveOn.org supporter.

"Damn you! Supporting the president's great, but supporting the people and the Constitution is more important," the unidentified woman screamed at McMillan. "The Constitution and the babies who died is [sic] more important than any president and you know that in your heart."

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