New Jersey: Setting aside political rivalry, US President Barack Obama toured the New Jersey coastline ravaged by superstorm Sandy with its Republican Governor, with the two leaders praising each other for their response to the disaster and assuring all help to the affected residents as the US toll from superstorm Sandy passed 60
The rare bipartisanship displayed by Obama and Governor Chris Christie, a fierce critic of the President, comes just days ahead of the November 6 presidential election.
Obama, who got an aerial view of destroyed houses and beaches in the state known for its casinos and other recreational spots, praised Christie for his recovery efforts, saying the Governor had put his “heart and soul” in making sure the state “bounces back stronger than before.”
“I just want to thank him for his extraordinary leadership and participation,” Obama said on Wednesday.
He assured residents that the government would “not quit” and offered all help in rebuilding the destroyed cities.
Obama, who had suspended his election campaigning in the wake of the storm, said the biggest priority is to restore electricity for the millions of residents and businesses in states like New Jersey and New York, which have been the hardest hit by the storm. “Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones. My message… is we are here for you, we will not forget, we will follow up to make sure you get all the help you need till you rebuild,” he said. “We are going to be here for the haul.”
Obama said the federal government would work with the Christie administration in “getting power turned back on” and his office is looking at the possibility of using federal and military assets from around the country to help put the transport system back on its feet.
“We are going to have a lot of work to do. I do not want anyone to feel that somehow this is going to get cleaned up overnight. We want to make sure people have realistic expectations. What I can promise you is that the federal government will be working as closely as possible with state and local officials and we will not quit until this is done,” Obama said.
Earlier speaking at a shelter in the state’s Brigantine Beach, Obama said Christie is “working overtime” to bring the situation back to normal as soon as possible.
Christie, who had praised Obama for his leadership in handling the crisis in the aftermath of the storm, thanked the President for visiting the state and surveying the damage.
“We took a whole tour of the coast. He got a chance to see the destruction along the coast of New Jersey… I want to thank the President for coming here today. It’s really important to have the President of the United States acknowledge all the suffering that’s going on here in New Jersey and I appreciate it very much. We’re going to work together to make sure we get ourselves through this crisis and get everything back to normal,” Christie said.
The Governor had spoken in support of Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney at his party’s national convention.
At a rally in Virginia last week, Christie had lashed out at the President, saying Obama did not know how to be a leader.
“He’s like a man wandering around a dark room, hands up against the wall, clutching for the light switch of leadership, and he just can’t find it,” Christie had said at the rally. (PTI)