President Obama took time out from the campaign trail to visit a stretch of the devastated New Jersey coast and take on a role of comforter-in-chief that could be a major boost to his hopes of re-election next week.
Obama was accompanied by Governor Chris Christie, a Republican bruiser and Mitt Romney backer who showered him with effusive praise for his handling of Superstorm Sandy, giving the President a bipartisan sheen that his aides believe could help him secure victory on Tuesday.
Leaving Romney on the sidelines holding campaign events in Florida in which he had to pull his punches and barely featured on television anyway, Obama travelled to Atlantic City to get an aerial view of the widespread damage caused by the storm.
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Reassurance: President Barack Obama (left) hugs
marine owner Donna Vanzant (right) during a tour of Brigantine, New
Jersey, which was badly affected by Sandy
Aerial view: The President saw how homes in
Seaside Heights, New Jersey, have become surrounded by water after
Superstorm Sandy lashed the Atlantic Coast
Ripped apart: During the helicopter tour, the
President was shown how Superstorm Sandy tore away part of the
Mantoloking Bridge in New Jersey
Up in the air: The Marine One helicopter,
carrying President Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, takes
an aerial tour of the Atlantic Coast in New Jersey
He was joined on the presidential helicopter, Marine One, for the one-hour tour by Christie, who faces his own re-election bid next year and is widely believed to be laying the foundations for a presidential bid in 2016 should Romney lose this time around.
'I want to let you know that your governor is working overtime,' Obama told victims at an emergency shelter after the tour.
'The entire country has been watching what's been happening. Everybody knows how hard Jersey has been hit.'
Christie said: 'It's really important to have the president of the United States here.'
Obama returned the compliment.
The politicians' meeting came as people in the heavily populated US East Coast corridor battered by Sandy took the first cautious steps to reclaim their upended daily routines, even as rescuers combed neighbourhoods strewn with debris and scarred by floods and fire.
The storm later moved across Pennsylvania on a predicted path toward western New York State and Canada.
At the height of the disaster, more than 8.2 million customers lost electricity - some as far away as Michigan. Nearly a quarter of those without power were in New York, where lower Manhattan's usually bright lights remained dark for a second night.
Christie, who is a vocal supporter of GOP nominee Mitt Romney, has changed his partisan tune after the storm, regularly singing Obama’s praises in relation to the federal aid given toward disaster relief support.
‘The president has been outstanding in this and so have the folks at FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency),’ Christie told the Today Show on Tuesday.
Christie later told news anchor Soledad O’Brien that Obama ‘has been incredibly supportive and helpful to our state, and not once did he bring up the election.’
Christie continued his new tact of effusively praising President Obama and the work that the federal government is doing in response to the hurricane, saying that the two spent a ‘significant’ afternoon together touring the Jersey Shore in Marine One.
‘I cannot thank the president enough for his concern,’ Christie said at the 5pm press conference.
‘The president has been all over this and he deserves great credit.’
The governor said that the two have put their partisan differences aside and had spoken six times including their afternoon-long trip today.
‘It has been a great working relationship to make sure that we are doing the jobs that the people elected us to do,’ Christie said of Obama.
‘I am pleased to report that he has sprung into action immediately while we were in the car together.’
The President was slightly more reserved with his praise, as he kept the majority of his remarks focused on the efforts of FEMA and ways for those who lost homes from the storm rather than his political rival.
‘Governor Christie has been responsive aggressive, making sure the state got out in front of this incredible storm,’ Obama said.
During his introduction, Christie, known for his brash demeanor, said that he forgave residents of Brigantine for not following his order to ‘get the hell out’ before the storm hit Monday night. (He jokingly said ‘you’re forgiven this time.’)
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The President pledged to streamline the federal funding process, explaining that he has instituted a so-called 15 minute rule for his team, meaning that if a mayor, state politician, or governor calls them, they have to respond with firm answers in a matter of minutes.
‘We are not going to tolerate red tape,’ he said. ‘When you see neighbors helping neighbors you’re reminded of what America’s all about.
‘We’re going to have a ton of work to do. I don’t want anyone thinking that this will be cleaned up overnight. We want to make sure people have realistic expectations.
Support: President Obama holds North Point
Marina owner Donna Vanzant close as he tours damage done by Superstorm
Sandy in Brigantine, New Jersey. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
(left) stands with them
Walkabout: President Barack Obama talks to a
resident as he tours a neighborhood effected by Superstorm Sandy in
Brigantine, New Jersey Walking with with him are two Democrat senators,
Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez
Tour over: President Obama waves as he follows
Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate on to Air
Force One at Atlantic City International Airport at the end of his
visit to New Jersey
Men dispose of shopping carts full of food damaged by Storm Sandy at the Fairway supermarket in the Red Hook, Brooklyn
Shopping carts full of food damaged by Storm
Sandy await disposal at the Fairway supermarket in the Red Hook section
of Brooklyn in New York
Surveying the wreckag: A man looks over the debris on the Seaside Heights beach on Wednesday
Destroyed homes wrecked by Superstorm Sandy sits in the middle of a street in Seaside Heights, New Jersey
Scenes of destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy in Breezy Point, New York where a fire destroyed 110 homes
People examine the wreckage of boats washed ashore in Great Kills, Staten Island
Workers clean up debris left by Hurricane Sandy in Long Beach Island, New Jersey
Jackie Hoey inspects the first floor of her home which experienced heavy flooding due to Hurricane Sandy in Long Beach, New York
A bent railing caused by Hurricane Sandy in Breezy Point, New York
People stand in line for fuel at the corner of Hylan Boulevard and Reid Avenue in Staten Island, New York
Gary Silberman surveys his home that was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in Lindenhurst, New York
A front end loader pushes sand back on the beach in Long Beach Island, New Jersey
Engulfed: A collapsed house along the central Jersey Shore coast
What Obama saw: This aerial photograph of storm
damage in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, was taken from a helicopter
travelling behind Marine One
Aftermath: Another view of the damage to Seaside
Heights, New Jersey, taken from a helicopter travelling behind the
aircraft carrying President Obama
Bearing the brunt: The President took the
helicopter tour to see for himself how homes in Seaside Heights, New
Jersey, were destroyed in the storm
Battered: The President was shown the damage to
this amusement park at Seaside Heights, New Jersey, as he toured the
area by helicopter
Lifted: A row of beach homes rest off their foundations after Superstorm Sandy came ashore near Asbury Park, New Jersey
Topsy-turvy: Part of a home rests upside-down in
Seaside Heights, New Jersey, one of the areas worst affected by
Superstorm Sandy
Broken in two: Another view of the top of a
house which was torn apart when Superstorm Sandy struck Seaside Heights,
New Jersey. The rest of the property was found some way away from its
original spot, sitting in the middle of a street
Chaotic: Streets in Seaside Heights, New Jersey,
are covered with fallen power lines and debris following heavy damage
by Superstorm Sandy
Major problem: Emergency workers attend homes
heavily damaged by Superstorm Sandy in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. A
van is stuck under debris in the foreground
Electioneering: The name 'Romney' is spelled out
in sand during an aerial tour of the Atlantic Coast being taken by
President Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Crossing the political divide: Barack Obama
comforts the New Jersey's Republican Governor Chris Christie, a Mitt
Romney supporter who has sung the President's praises since Superstorm
Sandy struck
Tour: Barack Obama is greeted by New Jersey
Governor Chris Christie as he arrives in Atlantic City to inspect damage
caused by Superstorm Sandy
Joint effort: The President was joined by
Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate (right)
as he met the Republican New Jersey Governor (left), who has put party
politics aside after the storm caused widespread damage
Visit: President Obama, flanked by Federal
Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate (right) and New
Jersey governor Chris Christie (left) prepare to take an aerial tour of
the Atlantic Coast to view areas damaged by Superstorm Sandy
Political gamble: Rather than using the election
campaign's final Wednesday to woo voters in swing states, the President
flew to New Jersey to see the devastation
On his way: The shadow of Air Force One is seen
as it approaches Atlantic City International Airport before the
President's helicopter tour of the devastated region
New Jersey was one of the hardest-hit in Monday night’s storm, and power outages in the state’s two biggest cities - Newark and Jersey City - have prevented progress, as traffic lights remain out of action.
The visit came after the President’s second visit to FEMA headquarters for an update on federal progress.
Obama took a motorcade to FEMA's offices in D.C. to meet with agency chiefs before the flight to Atlantic City to meet with Sandy's victims and relief workers.
'This is a tough time for millions of people. But America is tougher'
US President Barack Obama
Days
before the election, the President has kept up a steady public presence
overseeing the storm response, while cancelling a series of public
campaign rallies.US President Barack Obama
It was Obama's second visit in four days with the agency. On Sunday, he met FEMA officials, then told reporters the government will ‘respond big and respond fast’ after the massive storm made landfall.
The President also paid a visit to the headquarters of the Red Cross on Tuesday, saying he wanted ‘no bureaucracy, no red tape’ to interfere with recovery, and suggested the military might be able to help in view of the enormity of the damage.
‘This is a tough time for millions of people ... But America is tougher,’ he said.
The speed of their response has prompted criticism from Michael ‘heckuva job’ Brown, the former FEMA director who was roundly criticized for the agency’s response to the devastation from Hurricane Katrina.
‘One thing (President Obama’s) gonna be asked is, why did he jump on (Sandy) so quickly and go back to D.C. so quickly when (after) Benghazi, he went to Las Vegas? Why was this so quick?’ Brown told a Denver news station.
Destroyed: An aerial view of the Breezy Point
neighbourhood in New York, where more than 50 homes were burned to the
ground as a result of Superstorm Sandy
Burned down: Residents living in the beachfront
neighbourhood at Breezy Point, New York, were told to evacuate as
Superstorm Sandy approached. When they returned, dozens of homes were
gone
Cloud of smoke: Debris smoulders as residents of
Breezy Point in the Queens borough of New York assess the damage caused
by a fire during Superstorm Sandy
Nothing left: Tom Duffy (left) and his family look through the debris of his home which was destroyed in the fire
Fire damage: Neighbors Lucille Dwyer (right) and
Linda Strong (left) embrace after looking through the wreckage of their
homes in Breezy Point, Queens, New York
Distraught: A woman stares at the ground as she
walks past damaged homes after the fire at Breezy Point in the Queens
borough of New York
Surveying the destruction: New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg (centre) views storm damage in the Breezy Point area
of Queens after fire destroyed homes
Exposed: This home in the Sea Gatee area of
Brooklyn, New York, had one of its walls and part of its roof ripped off
by the force of Superstorm Sandy
Emptied: Residents take belongings out of a home
in Sea Gate part of Brooklyn, New York, that was condemned after being
damaged during Superstorm Sandy
Meaningful: A damaged home in the Sea Gate part
of Brooklyn, New York, bears the sign: 'The most important things in
life... aren't things'
Sandy largely spared Florida, so Mr Romney calculates he can campaign there without appearing callous. But President Obama’s revised schedule is also a political gamble.
Rather than use the campaign's final Wednesday to woo voters in the tossup states that will decide the election, Obama decided to go before cameras with Christie.
When Governor Christie stopped in Belmar, New Jersey, during a tour of the devastation, one woman wept openly and 42-year-old Walter Patrickis told him: ‘Governor, I lost everything.'
Governor Christie, who called the shore damage ‘unthinkable,’ said a full recovery would take months and it would likely be a week or more before power is restored to everyone who lost it.
Water ride: John Okeefe walks on the beach as
the rollercoaster that once sat on the Funtown Pier in Seaside Heights,
New Jersey, rests in the ocean
No play: This US Air Force photo shows an aerial
view of the rollercoaster from the Seaside Heights amusement park on
the New Jersey shore submerged in surf
Mangled: The rollercoaster was severely damaged as Superstorm Sandy destroyed the boardwalk and pier in Seaside Park, New Jersey
Pet rescue: Olivia Loesner, 16, hugs her uncle,
Deputy Fire Chief John Ruff, after she was brought from her flooded home
in a boat in Little Ferry, New Jersey, Her mother, Janice Loesner,
carries their dogs to safety in a basket
Huge task: Workers try to clear boats and debris
from the New Jersey Transit Morgan draw bridge in South Amboy, New
Jersey, after the storm surge pushed them on to the train tracks
‘Now we've got a big task ahead of us that we have to do
together. This is the kind of thing New Jerseyans are built for,’ he
added. Governor Christie had said that he would ask the President to assign the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to start working on how to rebuild beaches and find ‘the best way to rebuild the beach to protect these towns’.
President Obama cancelled his campaign appearances up to today but is staying in the public eye as commander of federal relief efforts.
‘This is a tough time for millions of people,’ the President said. ‘But America is tougher.’
Obama campaign
senior adviser David Axelrod said today that the
President intends to resume campaigning on Thursday.
Campaign officials say
the President will make stops in Green Bay, Wisconsin; Las Vegas,
Nevada; and
Boulder, Colorado.
President Obama’s last
campaign event was last Saturday in New Hampshire. He flew to Orlando on Sunday to attend a campaign rally on
Monday with former President Bill Clinton but scrapped his campaign plans to
return to Washington D.C. to monitor preparations for Superstorm Sandy. Mr Romney wavered in his strategy. First the campaign said he would skip a rally in Ohio on Tuesday out of sympathy for the storm victims. Then Mr Romney decided to do the event but recast it as a storm-relief effort, shorn of the usual campaign speech.
Clean-up: Sanitation workers clear sand from
streets in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in the Brighton Beach
section of Brooklyn, New York
Wheels of misfortune: A BMW car was washed up on
to a bench when Superstorm Sandy struck the Brighton Beach section of
Brooklyn, New York
Unusual picture: A woman takes a photograph of the car in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, New York
Crushed: Freddie Nocella, Jr, looks at his
grandfather's damaged Trans Am as he helps to salvage belongings from
his grandparents' heavily damaged home in Babylon Village, New York
Unbelievable: A woman looks at damage in the
Rockaway neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, where the historic
boardwalk was washed away during Superstorm Sandy
Stuck: A car is pictured on Wednesday, partially
buried by sand that was washed ashore by Superstorm Sandy in Atlantic
City, New Jersey
All that's left: The foundations to the historic
Rockaway boardwalk are all that remain after it was washed away during
Superstorm Sandy in Brooklyn, New York
Snap: A man takes a picture of a woman in front
of a crumbled public bathroom following Superstorm Sandy, on Tuesday in
Belmar, New Jersey
Wrecked: A closer look at the collapsed properties in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, which President viewed from the air
Adding to Mr Romney's dilemma are the candidate's previous statements on the federal government's role in emergency management.
He said he believes state and local governments should have primary responsibility for emergency clean-up. Mr Romney refused yesterday to answer repeated questions from reporters about what he would do with the Federal Emergency Management Agency if he wins the election.
'A Romney-Ryan administration will always ensure that disaster funding is there for those in need. Period'
Asked about federal aid to help
recover and rebuild from Sandy, a spokesman said: ‘A Romney-Ryan
administration will always ensure that disaster funding is there for
those in need. Period.’
Spokesman for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney
For President Obama, missing a few days of active campaigning for vital presidential duties may be a good trade, politically speaking.
Lingering anger about President George W. Bush's performance when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005 could provide a backdrop to benefit President Obama if he does a solid job.
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, of the University of Pennsylvania, said a natural disaster gives a president ‘unlimited access to the media to say things the public wants and needs to hear in a fashion that reinforces that he is president.’
For President Obama, the federal response to the natural disaster could make or break his bid for a second term. His reputation could suffer if the federal government's response is feeble or botched.
Scenes from New Jersey: A man carries his wife
through the floodwaters in Hoboken (left), and cars and vans are buried
in sand on Long Beach Island (right)
Unusual pile-up: An aerial photograph shows
boats lying next to a house near Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, where they
were washed ashore during Superstorm Sandy
Resting place: A wider view shows dozens of
damaged boats piled up by the house next to a marina close to Monmouth
Beach, New Jersey
On fire: This photo from the New Jersey
Governor's Office shows damage north of Seaside, New Jersey, on Tuesday
after Superstorm Sandy made landfall
Severe damage: This picture provided by the US
Coast Guard shows property damages along the New Jersey coast caused by
Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday
Underwater: This picture provided shows flooded
homes in Tuckerton, New Jersey, after Superstorm Sandy made landfall on
the southern New Jersey coastline
Flooding: A portion of Harvey Cedars on Long
Beach Island, New Jersey was underwater after Superstorm Sandy blew
across the state with devastating results
BEFORE AND AFTER: THE DEVASTATING IMPACT OF SUPERSTORM SANDY ON ATLANTIC CITY'S HOLIDAY HOMES
How it was: This image from Google Maps shows
Mantoloking Bridge in Brick, New Jersey, before the devastation was
caused by Superstorm Sandy. All but one of the houses in the highlighted
area above were destroyed in the storm. The only one to still be
standing is circled above
Severe destruction: An aerial view from
Greenpeace taken by Tim Aubry of the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy
along the New Jersey coast in Brick
Shock: Brian Hajeski, 41, of Brick, New Jersey,
reacts as he looks at debris of a home that washed up on to the
Mantoloking Bridge the morning after Superstorm Sandy
Contenders: US President Barack Obama (left)
talks about damage done by Hurricane Sandy and rescue efforts while at
the National Red Cross HQ in Washington D.C. on Tuesday; while
Republican candidate Mitt Romney loads relief supplies for people
affected by Hurricane Sandy into a truck at a relief campaign event in
Kettering, Ohio
Speech: President Obama talks during his visit
to the Disaster Operation Center of the Red Cross National HQ to discuss
Superstorm Sandy on Tuesday
Talks:
President Barack Obama visits the FEMA headquarters following Hurricane
Sandy in Washington D.C. on Wednesday. Pictured with President Obama
are (from second left to right) Homeland Security Secretary Janet
Napolitano, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Housing and Urban
Development Secretary Shaun Donovan
From above: In this National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration image, the remnants of Tropical Sandy move
across eastern America on Wednesday
Gone: A boardwalk (left) and waterfront property
are heavily damaged following Superstorm Sandy, in Atlantic City, New
Jersey, on Wednesday
Uprooted: This picture provided by the US Coast
Guard shows property damage along the New Jersey coast caused by
Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday
Changed landscape This photo from the New Jersey
Governor's Office shows flooding on the bay side of Seaside, New
Jersey, on Tuesday after Sandy made landfall
Just still there: The damage caused by Hurricane
Sandy to the New Jersey coast, in a photo taken during a search and
rescue mission
Extraordinary: Sand and debris covers the
streets near the water in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday, after
the area was wrecked by Superstorm Sandy
Complete devastation: A lone piece of colour in a
children's playground is pictured surrounded by sand and debris near
the ocean in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday
Rubble: A toy truck sits among the post-Superstorm Sandy destruction on Tuesday in the devastated Atlantic City in New Jersey
Rebuild project: A man in a hooded jacket and
jeans walks past debris left by the floodwater from Superstorm Sandy on
Tuesday in Hoboken, New Jersey
No sales: A small shop that rents personal water
craft rests in a huge sinkhole on the bayside in Ocean City, New
Jersey, on Tuesday, after a storm surge
On the rails: This photograph, provided by the
state of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, shows a boat
resting on the tracks at Metro-North's Ossining Station in the aftermath
of Superstorm Sandy
Smashed: Captain Charles Bodien, Jr, posts a
condemned sign on a summer camp at Webster Lake in Franklin, New
Hampshire, after a tree crashed down on it
Destitute: In this U.S. Coast Guard photo, a
helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod, Massachusetts, observe
property damage in New Jersey caused by Sandy
Misery on the beachfront: This aerial photograph
provided by the U.S. Air Force shows how the storm left homes on the
New Jersey shoreline surrounded by water
What to do? Zelphia Connor stands outside her
garage in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Wednesday, damaged by pieces of
the boardwalk that Superstorm Sandy broke
Still moving: A vehicle drives on a flooded
street in Little Ferry, New Jersey, on Tuesday, after Superstorm Sandy
made landfall on Monday evening
Sea crash: Boats clustered together at a marina
in Brant Beach, on Long Beach Island on the New Jersey shore on Tuesday,
a day after Superstorm Sandy blew across
Devastation: A beachfront home is gutted in
Manasquan, New Jersey, following the dramatic storm which caused havoc
across the US East Coast
No Halloween: This photo taken on Tuesday shows a
store with 'Boo Sandy' and 'Trick or Treat?' writing on wooden boards
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Wreckage: The remains of a boardwalk and other
debris is washed ashore following Superstorm Sandy, in Atlantic City,
New Jersey, on Monday
Aid: Bill Johnson is helped by a friend to
remove one of his kayaks from a pile of debris in the aftermath of
Superstorm Sandy in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday
Ruined: People walk past debris in the area
where a 2,000ft section of the boardwalk was destroyed, with the
Showboat Casino in the background in Atlantic City
Shock: People stand on a mound of construction
dirt to view the area where a 2,000ft section of the boardwalk was
destroyed by flooding in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Smashed up: The damaged front of an auto repair
shop on Atlantic Avenue is seen in the aftermath of Sandy's landfall in
Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday
Collapse: Beach houses are left destroyed in the
Bell Harbor community after Sandy inundated the Rockaway Peninsular in
the borough of Queens, New York
While President Obama and Mr Romney
moved cautiously yesterday, their campaigns exchanged sharp words in
Ohio and expanded their operations into three Democratic-leaning states. Mr Romney's campaign is running ads in Minnesota and Pennsylvania, and a pro-Romney group is doing the same in Michigan.
The three states were considered fairly safe for President Obama, but his campaign is taking the threat seriously. It sent former President Bill Clinton to Minnesota yesterday and it is buying airtime in all three states.
The Republican efforts could indicate that Mr Romney is desperately searching for a last-minute path to victory without all-important Ohio, where polls show President Obama has a slight edge.
Response: Firefighters try to put out blazes at
Breezy Point on Tuesday in Queens, New York. A fire broke out in the
flooded community late on Monday night
Pointing: Two men look at damage in the Breezy
Point area of Queens, New York, on Tuesday after fire destroyed about 80
homes as a result of Superstorm Sandy
Taking cover: The scene at 130th St and Newport
Ave in Rockaway, Queens, New York, where many houses were burned down
after Superstorm Sandy hit the area
Destruction: A beach house is left destroyed in
the Bell Harbor community after Superstorm Sandy inundated the Rockaway
Peninsular in Queens, New York
Or it could mean just the opposite,
that Mr Romney's so confident in the most competitive battlegrounds that
he's pressing for insurance against President Obama in what's expected
to be a close race. Or perhaps the Republican simply has money to burn.
Use it now or never. The U.S. president is chosen not by the nationwide popular vote but in state-by-state contests.
That has made a handful of states whose voters are neither reliably Republican nor Democratic the focus of the November 6 election, expected to be one of the closest in U.S. history.
Ohio and Florida are prominent among those, and no Republican has been elected president without winning Ohio.
Little left: Beachfront properties in Rockaway,
Queens, New York, where many houses were destroyed after Superstorm
Sandy hit the area
Throught the wreckage: After Superstorm Sandy
hit New York, extensive damage and flooding was apparent throughout the
city. Breezy Point in Queens is pictured
Not moving: Lucy the Elephant is still standing,
seemingly unscathed on Tuesday after Superstorm Sandy blew across the
area along New Jersey shore
Set to join Mr Romney and running mate Paul Ryan are golf legend Jack Nicklaus, ex-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Texas Governor Rick Perry and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Vice President Joe Biden planned to campaign today in Florida. Mr Ryan was scheduled to campaign in his home state, Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, Democratic groups bitterly complained about a TV ad the Romney camp is running in the Toledo and Youngstown areas of Ohio. The ad suggests that Jeep will move its Toledo car-making facility to China, a claim Jeep executives deny.
Democrats called the ad a brazen lie and a sign of desperation. Even some Republicans worried that Mr Romney has gone too far in a state where voters follow the auto industry closely.
‘It's the kind of thing that happens late in the campaign, when everybody's tired and you're not quite yourself,’ said GOP pollster and strategist Mike McKenna, who does not work for the Romney campaign.
‘It didn't help. But I don't think it's a big thing. At this point, everybody has made up their mind.’
ONE YEAR AGO: OBAMA AND CHRISTIE PICTURED TOURING DAMAGE CAUSED BY HURRICANE IRENE IN NEW JERSEY
All smiles: Political rivals Chris Christie
(left) and Barack Obama (right) were pictured together last September
after Hurricane Irene hit New Jersey
They looked like best friends, sharing a warm embrace and laughing in New Jersey - with the meeting coming at a time when Governor Christie was under pressure to run for the Republican presidential nomination.
Governor Christie won major plaudits for his authoritative command of preparations and the following clean-up after Irene, which hit last August.
He made what became a famous quote, after his frustration came through after seeing people surfing on the beach in TV interviews.
'Get the hell off the beach,' he told surfers in a press conference that was replayed on news programmes around the US.
Governor Christie announced last October that he would not run for president against Mitt Romney, after weeks of speculation that he might reverse his long-held stance of staying out of the 2012 race.
'This is not the time to leave unfinished business,' Governor Christie said at the time. 'New Jersey - whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me'.
Surveying the damage: Governor Christie (left)
won major plaudits for his authoritative command of preparations and the
following clean-up in New Jersey after Irene
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