Last days of campaign muddled by big storm

President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, heading into the final full week of a tight presidential race for the White House, were forced to overhaul their campaign plans to avoid a massive hurricane that was expected to wreak havoc on the US East Coast.

Wary of being seen as putting their political pursuits ahead of public safety, the two presidential candidates reshuffled their campaign plans as the storm approached with only nine days remaining before Election Day on Nov. 6.

Democrats claim math is on the president's side. Republicans insist Romney has got the momentum in pursuit of the 270 electoral votes needed for victory.

Both candidates were loath to forfeit face time with voters in battleground states like Virginia that are likely to be afflicted when Hurricane Sandy, a winter storm and a cold front collide to form a freak hybrid storm.

Obama canceled campaign stops Monday in Virginia and Tuesday in Colorado to monitor the storm but planned to go forward with other events Monday in Florida and Ohio, with former President Bill Clinton at his side, before returning to Washington. He planned to return to Ohio on Wednesday with stops in Cincinnati and Akron, followed by a Thursday swing through Springfield, Ohio, Boulder, Colorado, and Las Vegas.

Obama got an update Sunday from disaster relief officials before speaking by phone to affected governors and mayors.

"Anything they need, we will be there,'' Obama said. "And we are going to cut through red tape. We are not going to get bogged down with a lot of rules. We want to make sure that we are anticipating and leaning forward.''

An opportunity for Obama to demonstrate steady leadership in the face of crisis was offset by the risk that the federal government, as in past emergencies, could be faulted for an ineffective response, with the president left to take the fall.

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