White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One today that President Obama’s Monday visit to areas affected by Hurricane Isaac was planned before GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced plans to visit Louisiana today.
Isaac, now a tropical depression, has dumped more rain on the region than Hurricane Katrina, and is moving up the Mississippi Valley with more threats of flooding and tornadoes. Though New Orleans was generally spared, some Gulf Coast areas saw worse flooding than Katrina.
Obama is skipping a Cleveland campaign event to go to Louisiana on Monday, but keeping a Toledo date that day before flying south.
Carney refused to answer a question about whether the White House thought that Romney’s quick visit could be a “distraction” to relief efforts.
“The broader question is one I think you would need to address to state and local officials. I just don’t have any way to assess that,” the press secretary said. “…Obviously, as has been the case with previous natural disasters and other events similar to that, there are assessments being made all the time about whether the president should visit and when, and always the caveat is introduced that we want to make sure that we’re not affecting response efforts.”
Carney also carefully answered a question about what a private citizen like Romney could accomplish in a Gulf visit.
“I think that it’s always important to draw attention to the fact that individuals and families and business owners are profoundly affected by storms like Isaac, and that’s an important thing to do,” he said.
Carney said Obama “did not have an opportunity to watch any of the convention coverage last night” because “the president tends to consume his news the old-fashioned way, via print.”
Regarding Clint Eastwood’s speech, Carney said, “I wasn’t quite sure what I was watching last night.”
The press secretary said he spoke for himself in criticizing the lack of Afghanistan mention in Romney’s speech. “I was surprised not to hear mention of the 70,000 men and women who are serving in Afghanistan, executing a mission that is profoundly important to America’s national security in a conflict that was the direct result of an attack on the United States by al Qaeda,” he said.
I don’t know but maybe I’m missing something here. If I was President, I think I would have already been to the gulf states to give my support. Why wait until Monday? So the msm can follow and pontificate what a compassionate President we have. Didn’t Bush get ridiculed for showing up late?
They’re red states. He doesn’t care about them, but it finally occurred to somebody in the campaign that the optics weren’t good in the swing states if he doesn’t go.
The same problem that happened with Katrina is happening here. There isn’t much that will get done with the Federal government on Labor Day holiday leave. Things will get rolling on Tuesday when the feddies get back to work. But no way they were going to lose their reservations on the Eastern Shore for the last holiday before staff season starts.
Staff season being mid-September to mid-November and mid-Jan to late-March when the bureaucrats are at their desks in significant number to get something done. Otherwise, you have to wait until someone in the chain returns from leave to sign off.
Obama goes down on Monday, pontificates, then Tuesday the government workers will actually start responding.
“I was surprised not to hear mention of the 70,000 men and women who are serving in Afghanistan, executing a mission that is profoundly important to America’s national security in a conflict that was the direct result of an attack on the United States by al Qaeda…” – Obama spokestool
Indeed. As more time passes we can see what a military-hating man this disgusting Romney guy is…
Riiiiiight, little va-Jay-Jay, shurrrrrr it was.
By the way, nice looking bridge there you’ve got for sale…
Note to Romney campaign:
Hook up and highlight the many church relief groups that are no doubt on their way. In the wake of Katrina, I ran into far more church organizations that had sent their relief vans and trailers than FEMA or Red Cross. Just stop by where they are passing out hamburgers or lending a hand in the clean up.
=====Regarding Clint Eastwood’s speech, Carney said, “I wasn’t quite sure what I was watching last night.
Well, Jay just pop on over to read J Christian Adam’s post today. You’ll discover you got the full Alinsky.
Oddly, earlier today the WH said they had “no plans” to go to NOLA:
http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012/08/change-in-plans-obama-will-visit-la-monday-133976.html
The Romney campaign is inside of Obama’s OODA Loop. This should be amusing.
I would think that Jindal would be able to verify if Obama had already planned to visit, since that would have required significant cooperation and advance work with his people, especially regarding security.
Somebody should ask him. I suspect that, as usual, the Carny is lying.
To Berlin…