Barack Obama pledges aid for Hurricane Isaac victims

US president Barack Obama is taking his re-election campaign into the South on Labour Day, where he will offer a presence and promises of help to those flooded out recently by Hurricane Isaac.

Mr Obama will mix politics and presidential empathy on a holiday traditionally known as an election-year turning point, with the summer season closing and more voters paying attention to the race for the White House.

The president shortened his campaign schedule after Isaac pounded the Gulf Coast, but he will still rally the labour vote in Ohio today.

In Louisiana, Mr Obama will visit one of the areas hardest-hit by the hurricane, St John the Baptist Parish, about 30 miles west of New Orleans. He will view the storm damage and assess recovery efforts before addressing reporters.

AP