Vice President Joe Biden has canceled a trip to Tampa, with Tropical Storm Isaac threatening the Florida host city of the Republican National Convention, the Democratic campaign said.
President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign cited “disaster preparedness and local security concerns,” for putting off the trip that had been set for Monday, as a visit by the vice president would require significant mobilization of local law enforcement and federal authorities.
The change in schedule “is being taken out of an abundance of caution to ensure that all local law enforcement and emergency management resources can stay focused on ensuring the safety of people who might be impacted by the storm, as well as those attending the activities in Tampa,” the Obama campaign said in a statement.
But Biden is still scheduled to visit two cities further north in the battleground state of Florida — Orlando and St. Augustine — on Tuesday, though that trip remains “subject to change due to weather-related precautions.”
At the Republican event, which runs Monday to Thursday, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan will be formally named candidates for the November 6 presidential election.
Obama and Biden will be confirmed as the Democratic candidates at their party’s convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, from September 3 to 6.
Tropical Storm Isaac was roaring toward impoverished Haiti, where it was set to make landfall later Friday. Although its trajectory is still disorganized, it could near the Florida coast, including Tampa.
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