Mr. Obama, Do Not Politicize Hurricane Sandy

President Obama has cancelled two campaign days to monitor Hurricane Sandy. Republican Mitt Romney's staff is sketching out contingency plans for the disaster bearing down in the form of the weather system approaching the East Coast. Romney planned to go forward with campaign rallies in the Midwest out of the storm's path on Monday. He started his Monday campaign stops with calls for prayers and Red Cross support for those caught up in the storm's path. He told affected supporters to bring in their yard signs so they don't damage property and encouraged donations to the Red Cross. In midair Monday morning, the White House announced that Tuesday's trip to Green Bay, Wiscondin, was off. The President planned to convene a video conference in the Situation Room with administration officials monitoring the storm's path and running the response. He also made a statement to news organizations at midday Monday from the White House Press Room. By dawn Monday, the White House had decided to call off the campaign stops scheduled by the President, already in Florida because he left Sunday evening to avoid the hurricane, and to head back to Washington. Air Force One landed in a driving rain that forced Obama to return to the White House by motorcade instead of helicopter. He hoped to get back to Washington "...to oversee the hurricane effort and to be updated on it." We have already seen the media jump on the Obama bandwagon, saying that the crisis gives the President a chance to enhance his re-election chances, and to be seen as "Commander-in-Chief" in charge of the national catastrophe. Excuse me, media, but I do not believe that there are Taliban or al-Qaida operatives flying in on the winds of Hurricane Sandy. There is no occasion for Obama to be seen as the Commander-in-Chief. What he is doing is making the best political hay out of the storm-blown chaf of a national crisis that should call forth the national unity that is the antithesis of political gaming. Further, the photo ops provided by the President visiting FEMA, the federal agency charged with helping local agencies in time of natural or man-made crises, as well as the photos emanating from the White House Situation Room, are almost ludicrous. It is the governors of the states affected, in cooperation with mayors and other local units and their state national guard, who lead the effort against Hurricane Sandy. It is they who ask for help from FEMA, as they see fit. It is state and local police and rescue groups that are on the ground trying to prevent deaths and property damage. So, Mr. Obama, turn on your TV and get your updates. -- but do not pretend to be in charge of anything related to Hurricane Sandy. If you are lucky, you will not be held unjustly accountable for all of Sandy's unexpected assaults - even if you took delight in unjustly blaming Mr. Bush for Katrina. If you keep your head down and let those responsible do their jobs, you just might escape with your re-election hopes no more damaged than they already are. Do not presume to ask us for anything more.