Romney tours Isaac-hit areas

JEAN LAFITTE, La., Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Newly minted Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney toured storm-ravaged areas of Louisiana Friday, declaring, "I'm here to learn."

Romney arrived in New Orleans just hours after officially accepting his party's nomination at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla.

"I'm here to learn," Romney said as he prepared to join Gov. Bobby Jindal and first responders in the Jean Lafitte area of Jefferson Parish, USA Today reported.

President Obama is to visit the area Monday.

Parts of Louisiana and Mississippi were inundated by Hurricane Isaac, which slogged ashore Wednesday, the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a Category 3 hurricane that killed 1,800 people and devastated New Orleans. Katina made landfall in Louisiana on Sept. 29, 2005.

White House spokesman Jay Carney, en route to Fort Bliss, Texas, with the president, refused to say whether Romney's visit was premature and would interfere with the initial cleanup effort.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., however, called the trip the "height of hypocrisy" because of the budget plan trumpeted by GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan, which cuts disaster-relief funding.

Romney canceled plans to attend a rally in Richmond, Va., in favor of the Louisiana detour. He sent Ryan ahead without him, Politico reported.