Romney campaign insists Sandy didn’t curb momentum

CLEVELAND—Mitt Romney's campaign is rejecting the suggestion made by a leading Republican official that Superstorm Sandy has stalled the Republican presidential nominee's momentum heading into Election Day.

In an interview with CNN's "State of the Union," former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said, "The hurricane is what broke Romney's momentum. I don't think there is any question about it."

Asked about the comment, Kevin Madden, a senior Romney aide, told reporters he "wouldn't entertain the same notion."

"I think we're going to win on Tuesday. And I think we're going to win on Tuesday because we've had the best closing message, the best closing argument and because of the enthusiasm we've seen for the governor," the aide told reporters on the Romney plane as it flew from Iowa to Ohio. "I don't look at what happened with the storm and how it affected so many people through a political lens."

Madden said the campaign remains focused on translating the enthusiasm witnessed at Romney rallies in recent days into a vigorous get-out-the-vote effort and on pushing Romney's message to voters.