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John McCain ordered the Republication National Convention in Minnesota to be delayed and downsized late this afternoon because of Hurricane Gustav. McCain decreed that his convention not look like some unsympathetic party as Gustav threatens property and lives.
McCain and his new running mate, Sarah Palin, flew to a hurricane center in Mississippi. He vowed that Gustav will be their focus, not the Republican convention.
McCain said, "We have to go from a party event to a call to the nation for action." As the hurricane got closer, McCain went further. "So we're gonna suspend most of our activities tomorrow. It's time to open our hearts, our efforts, our wallets, our concern, our care for those American citizens who are now under the probability of a natural disaster," he said.
The turn of events is a disappointment to delegates. Jeyben Castro, a delegate from Florida, said, "It would have been nice to have the whole spotlight specifically on the convention."
The Louisiana delegation rushed home while network TV anchors headed to New Orleans.
President Bush and Vice President Cheney cancelled their plans to attend the convention, too. "In light of these events, I will not be going to Minnesota for the Republican National Convention," Pres. Bush said.
Thurl Bailey was supposed to deliver the invocation tomorrow; at this point we don't know if that will happen. At last word, Mitt Romney was still scheduled to meet with Utah's convention delegation over breakfast tomorrow morning. Romney arrived tonight on a chartered plane with Sarah Palin, Cindy McCain and Mike Huckabee.
The full impact of Hurricane Gustav on the Republican National Convention is not known at this point. Republicans never planned to match Obama's big show in Denver, but now they wonder how much of a show they will have at all. Republicans do have work to do at the convention this week, so they'll do that and very little else tomorrow.
The convention will convene late in the afternoon and adjourn in the early evening. The shortened agenda is a disappointment for Republicans who have been waiting their turn to get the prime time attention Democrats have been getting for a week.
Barack Obama is back on the campaign trail. In Ohio and Michigan today, he played off the Labor Day theme. But he also said he plans to mobilize his supporters and donors to chip in where help is needed in the Gulf. "Since we've got a network of volunteers and donors all across the country is to coordinate with officials to figure out what would be most useful, if we can get volunteers and we can get donations where they can be directed," Obama said.
We'll be tracking the unfolding of this unconventional convention throughout the week.
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