E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
FERNANDINA BEACH, FL -- Speaking under clear blue skies here as Hurricane Sandy pounds the Northeast, Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan asked Floridians to keep those in the path of the storm in their thoughts and prayers.
“Look, Floridians, you are no stranger to big storms. You know better than anyone on the need for communities to come together and for neighbors to help one another,” Ryan said. “You know, as we were driving over here, Adam [Putnam, Florida commissioner of Agriculture] was telling me about the hundreds of Floridians, about the hundreds of utilities crews that left just today from Florida to go to the Northeast. Thank God for men and women like that. Thank you for sending your people. That’s what we do for each other in this country.”
Recommended: Sandy gives unpredictable twist to 2012 election
The Wisconsin congressman, who along with his running mate Mitt Romney cancelled all of their remaining events this evening and all day Tuesday, encouraged the nearly 2,300-person crowd to send financial assistance to the numerous states that have declared states of emergency.
“When you get home today, take a look at the Red Cross website. Think about donating to the Red Cross. We know how to help each other in this country. If you have friends and family in the path of the storm, make sure you call them. Make sure they listen to the warnings, make sure they check on their elderly neighbors,” Ryan said.
As the East Coast braces for Hurricane Sandy, the presidential campaigns have altered their schedules for the week. NBC's Domenico Montanaro also breaks down new polling from battleground states.
He noted that the campaign is in touch with “regional leaders” and are collecting supplies at their victory offices throughout the Sunshine State.
Before continuing on with his normal stump speech and encouraging people to help the GOP ticket beat President Barack Obama in 8 days, Ryan said: “Since we all love this country, lets put our neighbors in the north in our prayers. Lets do what we need to do to help them get through what is coming their due – what is coming in their way – and lets not forget the fact that this is the greatest country on the face of the earth.”
Leave a Comment:
Irespond - And you trust the man who was President but wouldn't even try to save the life of his own ambassador when under direct attack? Such a man is not to be trusted - with anything!
... WHILE FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE SANDY, ROMNEY EYES CUTS TO FIREFIGHTER FUNDIUNG by: Sarah Jones
In Manhattan and everywhere Sandy is wreaking havoc, firefighters are serving their fellow citizens at a time of need. They were there when the crane fell in NYC, when a facade fell, in Atlantic City and more.
Firefighters matter in an emergency. Remember when Governor Romney mocked President Obama for saying we needed more firefighters? That wasn’t just political posturing. Mitt Romney has a long, sordid history of fighting firefighters, dating back to his term as Governor of Massachusetts when he “used a line-item veto to cut ‘millions of dollars for firefighting equipment,’ including firefighters’ ‘coats, pants, helmets and boots.’”
Romney also made cuts to firefighters, police and teachers that “led to the laying off of about 14,500 workers in total over the course of Romney’s term.” Furthermore, Paul Ryan’s budget would cut firefighting support by 19 percent.
In Iowa on June 8th of this year, Mitt Romney was mocking President Obama for saying we needed more firefighters, police and teachers. Romney said, “He wants another stimulus, he wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more firemen, more policemen, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin? The American people did. It’s time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.”
Romney said Obama’s comments about firefighters and teachers would “go down in history as an extraordinary miscalculation and misunderstanding by a president who’s out of touch.”
Asked to respond to Romney’s May comments about not needing more firefighters, the president of the International Association of Firefighters told Salon, “It doesn’t surprise us at all. It’s very consistent with our experience with him and his view about our responsibility to keep our communities safe. His actions as governor, as candidate for president, have made it clear that he’s willing to jeopardize the safety of our communities.”
Salon reported on Romney’s epic battles with firefighters as Governor:
In July, while fighting the Colorado fires, Aurora firefighter Steve Clapham responded to Romney’s comments about cutting federal funding to firefighters by telling Huffington Post, “Given the severe fire danger right now is there anyone who really believes we need less firefighters? The American people need leaders who will invest in firefighters and in public safety. We need the support of politicians who understand the importance of the job that we do.”
Romney said Obama’s comments about firefighters and teachers would “go down in history as an extraordinary miscalculation and misunderstanding by a president who’s out of touch.”
Asked to respond to Romney’s May comments about not needing more firefighters, the president of the International Association of Firefighters told Salon, “It doesn’t surprise us at all. It’s very consistent with our experience with him and his view about our responsibility to keep our communities safe. His actions as governor, as candidate for president, have made it clear that he’s willing to jeopardize the safety of our communities.”
Salon reported on Romney’s epic battles with firefighters as Governor:
In July, while fighting the Colorado fires, Aurora firefighter Steve Clapham responded to Romney’s comments about cutting federal funding to firefighters by telling Huffington Post, “Given the severe fire danger right now is there anyone who really believes we need less firefighters? The American people need leaders who will invest in firefighters and in public safety. We need the support of politicians who understand the importance of the job that
It’s most telling that Romney wouldn’t walk back his June comments about cutting back on firefighters after he made them. The media was expecting him to explain that he had gaffed, but his campaign refused to respond directly to requests for clarification, while his surrogate Sununu referred to the “wisdom” of Romney’s comments. By now, when Romney won’t get specific, we get worried because it can only mean one thing: We won’t like the answer so he’d rather avoid telling us the truth.
The crisis of Sandy offers us yet another opportunity to understand the importance of our first responders and what the function of government is.
We do.”