In an effort to solicit federal aid for the earthquake-caused damage in nearby Louisa County, Gov. Bob McDonnell asked President Obama Tuesday to accompany him on a tour of the county during Obama's upcoming bus tour of Virginia and North Carolina.
McDonnell spokesperson Jeff Caldwell said McDonnell sent a letter requesting Obama's presence because the Federal Emergency Management Agency denied Virginia's application for aid for Louisa homeowners who suffered millions of dollars worth of damage from the Aug. 23 earthquake which rattled the East Coast.
"The governor believes the decision was made without a full understanding of the damage homeowners suffered in the area," Caldwell said. "Since the president was coming to Virginia anyway, the governor thought he would invite him to see firsthand the damage and devastation wrought by the earthquake."
Because Obama's tour in Virginia will focus on campaign issues, he is unlikely to tour Louisa County for this politically tricky issue, said Kyle Kondik, director of communications for the University's Center for Politics.
"The lobbying work is on the governor's behalf, and my guess would be that the president would not play ball on this particular issue," Kondik said. "If he were to go there, he would talk about what he wants to talk about, as opposed to what the governor wants him to talk about."
Caldwell said the estimated $15 million in damage, largely suffered by uninsured homeowners, is too large for the federal government to ignore.
"We have volunteer organizations who are helping homeowners in Louisa and victims from the tornadoes and other natural disasters we've suffered this year, but those organizations have limited resources," Caldwell said. "And state funding can only go so far in assisting those victims while we're also paying for [the Virginia Department of Transportation] to help rebuild roads and bridges, and state police and others to provide safety tools."
Whether Obama tours Louisa County or not, Kondik said his upcoming visits to Virginia cities are indicative of the commonwealth's importance in the 2012 presidential election.
"I'd say Virginia's one of the five most important swing states," Kondik said. "The president won here in 2008 but it's historically gone Republican in the previous four decades"
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