Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu is holding her ground on remarks she made earlier this week implying that race and gender play a role in Louisiana voters' dislike for President Barack Obama and in her struggle for a re-election bid in the state.

In a statement released Friday, Landrieu accused Republicans of twisting her words for political advantage. She reiterated that the South was not an easy place for African Americans to move forward, as well as for women to be accepted as leaders.

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"Everyone knows this is the truth," she said.

Landrieu first took heat for her comments during an interview with NBC's Chuck Todd on Thursday when she attributed Obama's unpopularity to his race.

The South is more conservative so African Americans and women need to work harder to get recognized, she said.

Landrieu's opponents, Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy and Tea Party-backed Col. Rob Manness, immediately pounced on her "racist" remarks.

The president's policies - including Obamacare and his going after jobs - is the reason the people of Louisiana oppose him. The same case applies to her since she backs him almost 97 percent of the time, Cassidy told Fox News.

Louisiana voters aren't racist, they just have common sense, he added.

The Tea Party-backed candidate called on Landrieu to apologize, saying that the people of Louisiana deserve an apology for being relegated to nothing but "sexists" and "racists."

Other GOPs also criticized Landrieu's comments.

Louisiana Republican Party chairman Roger Villere said the senator's comments were insulting and just shows how desperation in wanting to retain her seat, while Gov. Bobby Jindal took to Twitter, describing the comments as "remarkably divisive."

"She appears to be living in a different century," Jindal tweeted.

It must be noted that Obama's approval ratings are low not just in the southern states but in the northern as well.

In Louisiana, 76 percent of non-whites approve of Obama's performance, compared to 17 percent of whites.

TagsMary Landrieu, NBC Chuck Todd, Bill Cassidy, Rob Manness, Louisiana Republican Party, Barack Obama approval rating