The Norman Transcript

Headlines

Discussion

October 30, 2012

Obama aims to project leadership

The Associated Press Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama the candidate stepped aside Monday so the commander in chief could take over.

In the waning days of his re-election bid, the president scrapped two days of campaigning and retreated from the trail. He hunkered down at the White House to oversee the government’s response to the East Coast superstorm — and to project presidential leadership.

“The election will take care of itself next week,” Obama said, speaking to reporters at the White House after hastily flying back to Washington from Florida.

Obama aides insisted that was not only the right decision, but also an easy one. Even with Obama locked in a tight race with Republican Mitt Romney, the president would have risked appearing to put politics over the public’s safety had he pressed on with his travel plans.

“The president has real responsibilities and those responsibilities come first,” said David Axelrod, the president’s chief campaign strategist.

Obama’s response to the storm still had plenty to do with politics. After returning to the White House, Obama walked through the rain straight into the Oval Office. He convened a meeting with top government officials in the Situation Room. And later, he appealed to politically divided Americans to put their differences aside during the storm.

“We look out for our friends, we look out for our neighbors and we set aside whatever issues we may have otherwise to make sure that we respond appropriately and with swiftness, and that’s exactly what I anticipate is going to happen here,” he said.

For local news and more, subscribe to The Norman Transcript Smart Edition, or our print edition.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Headlines
  • Moore Tornado Moore open for business

    Until an EF-5 tornado carved a path through the economic core of Moore on Monday, sales tax generated more than $2 million each month. In addition to damages, closed roads and utility outages forced many businesses to shut their doors. ...

    May 25, 2013 1 Photo

  • Sharing stories of survival

    MOORE — As Monday’s EF-5 tornado moved closer to Plaza Towers Elementary School, teacher Justin Ayers knew they were in its path. Ayers said all of the teachers at the site likely knew what was coming from television reports and they had ...

    May 25, 2013

  • 5-year-old girl finds silver lining

    A twist of fate and the discovery of a cochlear implant from a Moore hospital damaged by Monday’s EF-5 tornado are part of the story of a precious 5-year-old girl. In December, Jayde Scholl was adopted by Tulsa audiologist Jacque Scholl. ...

    May 25, 2013

  • Disaster central

    WASHINGTON — Many states get hit frequently with tornadoes and other natural catastrophes, but Oklahoma is Disaster Central. The twister that devastated Moore was the 74th presidential disaster declared in the Sooner state in the past 60 ...

    May 25, 2013

  • Okla. legislature adjourned early

    OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma lawmakers adjourned the 2013 Legislature on Friday one week earlier than required, wrapping up a session that saw Gov. Mary Fallin advance her agenda to reduce taxes and overhaul the state workers’ compensation ...

    May 25, 2013

  • I-5 bridge falls into river

    MOUNT VERNON — The trucker was hauling a load of drilling equipment when his load bumped against the steel framework over an Interstate 5 bridge. He looked in his rearview mirror and watched in horror as the span collapsed into the water ...

    May 25, 2013

  • Tornadoes impact family twice

    On May 3, 1999, Sherrie Lambert’s sister Esther Coburn, 35, was killed by the devastating EF-5 tornado in Moore....

    May 25, 2013

  • How to help: Community challenge

    Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity is challenging the community to provide long-term aid for storm victims by contributing to efforts that will provide many of these Oklahomans with homes....

    May 25, 2013

  • Obama balances threats to America

    WASHINGTON — Forecasting the changing nature of threats against the U.S. for years to come, President Barack Obama says “America is at a crossroads.” And so, too, is his presidency’s counterterrorism policy, which has long struggled to ...

    May 25, 2013

  • Hotels team up to house influx of tornado victims

    Norman hotels are used to big crowds. Whether it’s the extended family of every graduating senior at OU or tens of thousands of visiting Sooner fans, Norman always finds a way to house them....

    May 25, 2013