BATON ROUGE - Republicans are turning a national debate over the resettlement of Syrian refugees into a point of attack against Democratic candidate John Bel Edwards in the Louisiana governor's race.

Both GOP contender David Vitter and Edwards have released statements saying Louisiana should block Syrian refugees from entering the state, agreeing with term-limited Gov. Bobby Jindal.

But Vitter and the Republican Governors Association are pointing to a Facebook post to suggest Edwards actually wants to help President Barack Obama settle more Syrian refugees in Louisiana.

In the post, Edwards talks of working with the federal government to "both accommodate refugees who are fleeing from religious persecution and ensure that all our people are safe."

Edwards said Vitter is distorting his comments in a "shameful and desperate" way.

The election is Saturday.