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"The president is focused on exactly what the American people elected him to do, which is manage the country in the event of crisis," campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. It is the kind of statement that leaves Romney little counter, because there is no good political move in undermining American unity. On the flipside, even with a priority on safety and recovery for storm victims, the Obama camp's underplaying of all things political seems a mighty stretch. On Tuesday, one week from Election Day, Vice President Joe Biden went so far as to say, "Honest to God, I don't think anyone's thought about that." Romney, without government authority but with a real shot of unseating the president, has been mindful of his tone, too. "We are looking for all the help we can get for all the families that need," Romney said in an Ohio gym. He stood in front of a neatly lined table of toothpaste, diapers and blankets. His donate-for-storm-relief event, though, welcomed supporters with a campaign video declaring how he would make America strong again. More than one Obama adviser suggested Romney was blurring precisely the line that the president would never dare cross. "Soon enough we'll need to get back to work on the most important campaign of our lifetime," campaign manager Jim Messina said in an email. It looked like so many of the fundraising appeals he has sent out for Obama's re-election bid. In this one, he was lobbying people to donate to the American Red Cross. As for the back-to-campaigning part of Messina's message, Obama has campaign stops scheduled in Nevada, Colorado and Ohio on Thursday. They remain a go, for now, while Obama monitors the storm. And while voters monitor him, not campaigning, even as he is.
[Associated
Press;
Ben Feller has covered the presidencies of Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
Follow Ben Feller on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BenFellerDC.
Copyright 2012 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
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