Giving cover to the White House, Edwards declined to join those calls. He told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Thursday night that while Obama was welcome anytime, it would be better for him to wait a week or two so as not to divert resources from what remains an active rescue and recovery effort. He noted that a presidential visit requires hundreds of local first responders to help with security and shutting down roads. “It is a major ordeal,” Edwards said. “I’d ask him to wait if he would for another couple weeks.”