Obama scales back campaign events in Ike's wake

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama asked his supporters today to help with recovery from Hurricane Ike and cancelled his plans to crack jokes on the TV comedy show Saturday Night Live in the aftermath of the storm.

Obama did not put aside his differences with Republican rival John McCain.

In an outdoor rally in Manchester, New Hampshire attended by thousands, Obama discussed the “quiet storms that are taking place throughout America” as people lose their jobs, health care and pensions, and he argued that McCain was out of touch with those struggles.

Obama had been slated to appear in a sketch on the NBC comedy show’s season premiere, hosted by Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps.

Campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Obama decided it was no longer appropriate because of the hurricane devastation in Texas.

Obama and running mate Joe Biden had planned to campaign together at the rally in Manchester’s Veteran’s Memorial Park. But the campaign decided to scale back the event as the storm battered the Gulf Coast and cancelled Biden’s appearance.

Obama asked people to keep the victims in their thoughts and prayers and be ready to help volunteer or donate to relief efforts.

“During times of need, we are all in it together, and it doesn’t matter if we are Democrats or Republicans, black, white, Hispanic or Asian,” he said. “... You will help them, I have confidence.”

Obama planned to return to Chicago after the rally and spend the rest of the weekend at home.