Barack Obama has cancelled a campaign event in Florida in order to return to Washington and oversee the response to Hurricane Sandy. Mitt Romney has followed suit, pulling out of all campaigning on Monday evening and throughout Tuesday, along with his running mate Paul Ryan. The President had been due to appear alongside Bill Clinton in Orlando this morning, but will instead take a lead in monitoring conditions on the East Coast as it is battered by the deadly storm. He has also cancelled a planned appearance in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Tuesday, indicating officials believe the damage will continue throughout the week.
The President held a brief press conference in the White House at lunchtime today, warning the public to pay attention to official warnings and praising the work of first responders who would be 'working 24/7 around the clock nonstop'.
'Don't pause, don't question the instructions you are given,' he said, adding that those who disobeyed the instructions of authorities would be 'putting first responders in danger'.
Despite the ravages of the 'big and powerful storm', Obama predicted that the nation would survive the disaster unscathed: 'We will clean up and we will get through this.'He dismissed a reporter's question about how the hurricane will affect the election, saying: 'I'm not worried about the impact on the election... the election will take care of itself next week.'
At a campaign event in Iowa, Michelle Obama said of her husband: 'He has made this storm his priority, and he is going to do whatever it takes to make sure the American people are safe and secure.'
Due to deteriorating weather conditions in the Washington area, the President will not attend today's campaign event in Orlando,' White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement. 'The President will return to the White House to monitor the preparations for and early response to Hurricane Sandy.'Obama arrived in Florida on Sunday night, coming early to try to beat the storm.
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