Obama Recruiting Help and Steering Clear of Gulf Coast For Now
ArchPundit
Most importantly–help the Red Cross out
TOLEDO, Ohio — Sen. Barack Obama announced that his campaign would mobilize supporters from his enormous e-mail list to send money or enlist as volunteers once the impact of Hurricane Gustav becomes apparent.
Obama told reporters that his campaign already is coordinating with local authorities. The senator has said he has no plans to go to the region, because of the potential disruption, although Sen. John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, are heading to Mississippi today.
“We can activate an e-mail list of a couple million people who want to give back,” Obama said. “I think we can get tons of volunteers to travel down there if it becomes necessary.”
He said McCain’s visit was appropriate. “A big storm like this raises bipartisan concerns and I think for John to want to find out what’s going on is fine,” Obama said
In a nod to his vast entourage, Obama continued, “The thing that I always am concerned about in the middle of a storm is whether we’re drawing resources away from folks on the ground because the Secret Service and various security requirements sometimes it pulls police, fire and other departments away from concentrating on the job. I’m assuming that where he went that wasn’t an issue. Were going to try to stay clear of the area until things have settled down and then we’ll probably try to figure out how we can be as helpful as possible.”
