Obama cancels campaign events to focus on Sandy

WASHINGTON - Heading into the final week before Election Day, US President Barack Obama has to cancel Wednesday's campaign events in order to focus on the rescue and response efforts for deadly and devastating superstorm Sandy, said the White House spokesman on Tuesday.

Obama will remain in the capital on Wednesday to monitor the response to superstorm Sandy and ensure that "all federal resources continue to be provided to support ongoing state and local recovery efforts", said White House spokesman Jay Carney in a statement on Tuesday.

US President Barack Obama speaks while he monitors damage done by Hurricane Sandy at the National Red Cross Headquarters in Washington, Oct 30, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

That means Obama has to cancel his planned appearance in campaign events in key swing state Ohio on Wednesday.

Obama convened a video-teleconference in the White House and got updated about superstorm Sandy's track and impact on Monday morning. According to the White House, the president told his team that the top priority was to "make sure all available resources are being provided to state and local responders as quickly as possible".

Obama also urged Americans to continue to follow the direction and advice of local officials, governors and mayors.

Earlier Monday morning, Obama has declared "a major disaster" in the states of New Jersey and New York, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local recovery from Sandy.

The incumbent is balancing between his job and the home stretch of his re-election campaign. Due to deteriorating weather conditions, Obama has already canceled planned campaign events for Monday and Tuesday to stay in the capital and closely monitor the impact of the potentially deadly hurricane.

Speaking after a televised statement on Monday noon, Obama told reporters that the campaign was not top priority now and he was not worried about the impact of the storm on his re-election bid.

Sandy, which made landfall in New Jersey early Monday evening and combined with winter storms to become a hybrid storm, has so far killed at least 29 people in eight states, according NBC reports.

New York city was one of the hardest hit. The death toll has added to 10 and may continue to rise in the largest city of the country, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday at a press conference.