Romney sees Isaac's damage

JEAN LAFITTE, La. - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney visited hurricane-damaged Louisiana on Friday as he campaigned his way out of the Republican National Convention, touring a flooded community and saying he hoped his visit would rivet public attention on victims' needs.

The former Massachusetts governor kicked off the final leg of his quest for the White House by visiting Jean Lafitte, La., where emergency crews were helping victims of Hurricane Isaac. The storm brought severe flooding to the area earlier in the week before it was downgraded.

Romney met along a highway with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and they talked about challenges facing the stricken area, which relies on fishing for its livelihood. He also spoke to town officials and emergency workers.

"I'm here to learn and obviously to draw some attention to what's going on here," Romney told Jindal. "So that people around the country know that people down here need help."

Jindal talked about the contributions of the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and other organizations. Romney asked how many people had been evacuated and said: "Did the water come from the sky, or the rivers, or the ocean?"

Reporters could not hear the entire conversation.

At one point, Romney and Jindal talked to a man in waders and a straw hat who was holding a neon yellow "Mitt Is Our Man" handwritten sign. The man complained about the area's lack of protection from flooding.

The town is located just outside a region that is protected by levees and other flood-protection measures built after Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans in 2005. The Army Corps of Engineers spent about $13 billion on the system.

"Where is our levee protection?" read a giant pink sign hanging on the balcony of a flooded house.

President Obama was following with his own visit to Louisiana on Monday, the White House announced.

Romney's trip to Louisiana, announced less than 12 hours after he had accepted the GOP presidential nomination, came at Jindal's invitation, the campaign said. Jindal, a Republican, told reporters Romney had been in touch several days ago to ask how he could help with storm relief, and Jindal suggested Romney come down and see the damage for himself.

He said he had extended an invitation to Obama as well.

"We're thrilled that Gov. Romney's coming today," Jindal said. "We're thrilled that the president's coming on Monday. We welcome them both."