Mitt Romney had no plans as of Wednesday to visit communities or victims battered by superstorm Sandy, said an aide, who also declined to comment on President Barack Obama’s handling of the crisis.
“I don’t have any updates on anything about travel with storm damage,” senior Romney advisor Kevin Madden said when asked by AFP whether Romney had plans to visit hard-hit areas or meet with storm victims.
“I don’t have any plans that I can confirm beyond what we have on Thursday right now, for travel.”
Romney was campaigning Wednesday in sunny Florida, where he is holding three rallies a day after standing down from the campaign trail out of respect for victims of the storm, and as Obama carried out his presidential command of the federal response to the crisis.
On Thursday Romney travels to Virginia, where he had scrapped earlier weekend rallies due to the approaching hurricane. But even there, Madden said, there were no concrete plans to see storm-hit areas.
The comments raise the possibility that Romney will have no engagement with the regions hardest hit by Sandy in the run-up to the November 6 election, other than making weekend calls to Republican governors Chris Christie of New Jersey, Bob McDonnell of Virginia and Pennsylvania’s Tom Corbett.
Asked what Romney’s reaction has been to Obama’s handling of the storm relief operations, Madden offered a surprising response.
“I refer you to Governor Christie’s remarks. I believe the response is still going on, so I’m not in a position to qualify the response by the federal government.”
Christie made headlines at the weekend when he praised the president’s “wonderful” handling of the crisis and his engagement with Christie, whose state, particularly coastline communities like Atlantic City, was devastated by the storm.
No plans yet for Romney to tour storm damage: aide
