Taking a break from politics, Ryan focuses on Sandy

HUDSON, Wis.With political campaigning suspended for a second day due to superstorm Sandy, GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan took the day to thank volunteers who were packing up canned goods to send to storm victims in New Jersey.

"Look everybody, this is wonderful. This is what Americans do" Ryan said when he stopped at a victory office earlier in the day in La Crosse, Wis.

"We've got a lot of our fellow Americans in the Northeast who are hurting right now. This storm has hit America hard. Let's keep the people who are suffering in our thoughts and prayers. Let's say a special prayer for those people who have lost their lives in this storm and I just want to thank everybody for coming together and doing this, for putting together these care packages."

Play Video

Romney holds Sandy "disaster relief event"

Ryan, who was accompanied by his wife, Janna, and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who's running for Senate, also urged the volunteers to donate to the Red Cross or to give blood if they were able.

Like Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Ryan did not take questions about long-term plans for federal funding for emergency management programs. Romney said during a CNN primary debate last year that he favored putting states in charge of emergency response programs, prompting questions about whether he would eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

His staff has said recently he would not.

42 Photos

Superstorm's most dramatic images

Critics have also said that the House-passed budget Ryan authored would cut money for disaster relief, though Ryan's campaign spokesman, Michael Steel, said the budget includes no cuts to FEMA.

[abbe91]

In the midst of a disaster like Hurricane Sandy, the last thing the Red Cross wants is to sort through a hodge podge of donations and figure out where things should go. But cash donations don't look as good on camera, so Romney asked for stuff that he thought would be more photogenic, even though it wasn't the best way to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy : because this event was about him, not about them.

[blarneyy]

You aren't telling the truth. Don't be so bitter and hateful. here it is direct from the Red Cross Website.

HOW TO HELP "This will be a large, costly relief response and we need help now," Shimanski said. "People can help by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief online, by text or by phone."


Donations help the Red Cross provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to those affected by disasters like Hurricane Sandy. To donate, people can visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to someone's local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

[audemus]

Make up your mind, BLARNEYY...you accused ABBE91 of lying, and then you actually made the EXACT same point she or he was making...I think I'm starting to understand why Romney's doing as well as he is...his supporters are simple-minded. (Of course I don't mean you BLARNEYY...)


P.S. It's really hard to donate a can of pork and beans via cell-phone or text....I tried it once and nearly ruined my phone.
: )>

[rationall7]

Now, all of a sudden they want to look like Obama and be a community organizer, what an endorsement for Obama.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

President Obama wanted to update America's power grid (in part by burying power lines) and transportation systems including from New York to New Jersey but congressional republicans and Chris Christie blocked him on both counts. The irony of it all, further proof and reason not to vote for republicans.

[blarneyy]

It's not the federal gub'mit's job to work on private industries products. That's just common sense. The fact that democrats don't understand that private industry is private and the federal gub'mit needs to stay out of it is one really big reason not to vote for democrats. The power grid is owned privately and wasting taxpayer money on it is a foolish endeavor at the very least.

[Thisbudz4OU]

Romney's "staff" said he would not cut FEMA funds. I want to hear it from Romney. I would like to hear those words from Ryan. Of course, etch a schetch doesn't have to do anything he promises when he gets into office.

[blarneyy]

should have listened to him in debates and during interviews. He's been real clear on this stuff. Problem is Dem's just like to make up what is said and then run around going "he lied" because he isn't saying what ya'll made up in the first place. It's so sad it's laughable.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Romney and Ryan would eliminate FEMA and put it in the hands of the for profit private industry. Just think how private industry would over price things for helpless Americans in need to make more profits like what private industry does.

[blarneyy]

yea, instead of gub'mit wasting four times the amount of money pushing papers. FEMA is useless and is nothing but paper pushers in the first place. I've had to deal with them and luckily where I live we were smart enough to kick them out and fix our own problems. They were just wasting time and money but then that is how the gub'mit works and what dem's love.

[daffy64]

Ryan took a break from washing clean pots at a soup kitchen to pretend he cares about the 47% of Americans who are "bums".

[justamaz]

Even Obama is taking a break from campaigning. To bad our insensitive and lying President couldn't of taken off after the Libya deaths. How could any patriot vote for that arrogant jerk.

[rationall7]

Don't fall for this conservative masquerade of the priviledged reaching out to the less fortunate (pretending to be liberial or humanitarian) they are only trying to appeal to the mass majority for the shake of being elected in the wake of a disaster.

The conservatives always say Jimmy Carter was the worst President of the USA but he started Habit for Humanity, Jimmy Carter after office was the best "Humanitariian former President" this country has seen, and on a globel scale it is former President Bill Clinton. Now will someone please tell what former Republican President can stand in the ranks of these former Presidents as Humanitarians that give back to their Country?

[blarneyy]

Well thanks to Obama Jimmy isn't the worst President of the USA anymore. Obama is quite the overachiever.

[rationall7]

I couldn't help to notice that the conservatives running for President and VP in this time of a national disaster is looking like a pair of "Socialists" asking to help people in need, all of a sudden the conservatives are looking more liberal, but the again it's Holloween"

[blarneyy]

big difference between asking folks to also help and forcing people to help via taxation and wasteful gub'mit red tape.

[rationall7]

Ryan is right this is what the American middle class Democrats does, unlike their counter-part wealthy that want to keep every penny that comes to them then have their conservative middle-class march to the same drum beat chanting entitlements. Obamacare is about having healthcare when a disaster arises, it may need some tweeking here and there but the principle is there. Some of the victims of Sandy will need medical care that don't have insurance and their bill can't be covered by canned goods, as in other countries Americans shouldn't have to worry about a medical bill if we all just pay a few dollars a month in the same pot.

[blarneyy]

LOL! the old hate the rich covet what they have mentality. The saddest people are those who just hate people for having more than they do. Maybe you should fix your own issues instead of just being mad at others who have accomplished more and done more with their lives. Petty jealousy is such a sad characteristic.