ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 31, 2008

GOP Scales Down Convention Plans

As Hurricane Gustav Approaches Gulf Coast, Only Necessary Business Will Be Done On The Floor

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Play CBS Video Video Gustav: Another Katrina?
Russ Mitchell speaks with "The Early Show" weatherman Dave Price about the impending Category 4 storm Gustav, which will soon strike portions of the South, including New Orleans.

Video St. Paul Set For RNC Spotlight
Consistently overshadowed by its sister city, St. Paul has often been overlooked by the public radar until now, as the Republic National Convention will take place here. Nancy Cordes reports.

- Sen. John McCain, the Republicans' nominee-in-waiting, tore up his campaign schedule, and the Republican National Committee followed suit, as their convention was thrown into flux by Hurricane Gustav. (AP)
- President Bush speaks about preparations for Hurricane Gustav on Aug. 31, 2008. (CBS)
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Photo Essay Gathering Gustav
Storm triggers flooding and landslides in Haiti, major threat to Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

(CBS/ AP) John McCain tore up the script for his Republican National Convention on Sunday, ordering the cancellation of all but essential opening-day activities as Hurricane Gustav churned toward New Orleans.

"This is a time when we have to do away with our party politics and we have to act as Americans," he said as fellow Republicans converged on their convention city to nominate him for the White House.

President Bush and Vice President Cheney scrapped plans to address the convention on Monday, and McCain's campaign chartered a jet to fly delegates back to their hurricane-threatened states along the Gulf Coast. Campaign manager Rick Davis said the first-night program was being cut from seven hours to two and one half.

The hasty reordering of an event months in the making underscored not only the risk posed by Gustav, but also an intense desire by McCain and Republicans to avoid the political damage that Mr. Bush suffered from his widely criticized response to Hurricane Katrina three years ago.

The formal business of the convention includes nominating McCain for president and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate on Wednesday. McCain's acceptance speech, set for prime time on Thursday evening, is among the most critical events of the campaign for his chances of winning the White House.

“If you go out on the convention floor and look around, the slogan of this convention, and the slogan of McCain’s campaign, is 'Country First,'" said CBS News senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield. "That’s his whole basic argument - I put country first. Surely, by this accident of fate, McCain has a way to demonstrate what he means by postponing all the political activities here and only doing what is legally required."

McCain said he was looking forward to attending the convention but did not say when he would arrive. He spoke via satellite from St. Louis after he and Palin received a briefing on hurricane preparations in Jackson, Miss.

Campaign manager Davis told reporters inside the convention hall that the opening program on Monday would be "business only and will refrain from political rhetoric."

To help those in need, he said, "We are working with the delegations, financial people, finance committees, many other concerned individuals to do what we can to raise money for various charities that operate in the Gulf Coast region."

As for the convention schedule, he added that further adjustments would be made on a day-to-day basis.

McCain said of his briefing in Mississippi: "I'm happy to report to you that the coordination and the work that's being done at all levels appears to be excellent." He cited remaining challenges in communications and search and rescue operations, but emphasized that the response seemed to be going more smoothly than the one three years ago.

"I have every expectation that we will not see the mistakes of Katrina repeated," he said.

“I think it speaks well of McCain," said CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer. "He reached out and got a hold of this thing, and made sure they are focused on what they ought to be focusing on, and that is those people down on the coast.”

The Bush administration's handling of that storm contributed to a plunge in the president's approval ratings that helped the Democrats win control of Congress in 2006.

The uncertainty contrasted with a state of readiness inside the Xcel Center, a hockey arena transformed into a made-for-televison red-carpeted convention hall. Thousands of red, white and blue balloons nestled in netting high above the floor - to be released during final-night festivities if the Republicans decide to go ahead with them.

Outside, police took nine people into custody for crossing a security barrier in an anti-war march. The nine, including two women in their 70s, were charged with trespassing, according to Doug Holtz, a St. Paul police commander.

Continued

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