Barack Obama, East Coast | featured news

President Barack Obama travels to New York Thursday for a firsthand look at the damage left by superstorm Sandy and to meet with families recovering from the disaster, a White House official said.

President Barack Obama has spent months trying to balance his re-election bid with running the government. Now, just when his campaign needs him the most, with little more than a week before the election, his official job is beckoning.

The price in disaster relief will further balloon a government account that already is a source of partisan friction between President Obama and Congress.