GOP Back To Business On RNC Day 2

CBS News Reports Convention Will Resume Tuesday With Revamped Lineup Of Speakers

(CBS/ AP)  The Republican Party hopes to get back to the business of getting John McCain elected president in the remaining sessions of its national convention, CBS News reports.

The GOP scaled down a normally boisterous opening day out of deference to Americans caught in Hurricane Gustav while struggling to put out fires that sprang up around his little-known female vice presidential pick.

Just hours before the Republican political festival opened in the Minnesota capital, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin disclosed that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. It also was revealed Monday that an attorney had been hired to represent Palin in a state ethics probe and that her husband, Todd, had been arrested for drunken driving two decades ago.

McCain senior adviser Nicolle Wallace told CBS' The Early Show Tuesday that the candidate knew about the pregnancy and within the campaign "this did not give anyone any pause."

The man who led McCain's vice presidential search team said he thought everything that had come up as a possible red flag during the background check had now been made public.

"I think so," Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr. told The Associated Press. "Yes. I think so. Correct."

Hurricane Gustav, which pounded ashore 1,000 miles to the south, provided some distraction from the news surrounding Palin. Yet initial reports showed the storm was not as devastating as feared, and attention quickly returned to the 44-year-old mother of five, known as a maverick who has routinely challenged the Alaska state political machinery.

Gustav, while reminding Americans of how the administration of President George W. Bush bungled the response to Hurricane Katrina three years ago, gave McCain's Republicans a chance to show they could do better this time as they pushed hard to strengthen the relief effort.

Convention organizers stripped out pageantry normally attached to the opening day of a political convention, and Republicans scaled back attacks on Democratic candidate Barack Obama.

Instead, first lady Laura Bush and her would-be successor, Cindy McCain, provided the day's star power, appealing for delegates to open their wallets to help those caught in Gustav's path.

"This is a time when we take off our Republican hats and put on our American hats," said Cindy McCain, reprising a line her husband used Sunday.

The plan for Tuesday is a revamped lineup, highlighted by scheduled speeches from former Tennessee Senator and presidential nominee Fred Thompson and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who was on McCain's short list for vice president, CBS News reports.

Also, President Bush will address the convention via satellite, CBS News reports.

On Monday, Mr. Bush and his vice president, Dick Cheney, canceled their appearances even before Republican convention organizers decided to scale back the first day's events. Mr. Bush headed to Texas to be nearer hurricane relief efforts.

McCain visited a relief center in Ohio and helped pack cleaning supplies and other items into plastic buckets to be sent to storm-hit states along the Gulf of Mexico.

The hurricane hit the heart of Louisiana's oil and fishing industries but appeared to spare New Orleans the catastrophic flooding of Katrina.

Democratic nominee Obama also scaled back his political activities and turned his attention to the Gulf Coast. After stops in Michigan and Wisconsin, he was returning to his Chicago headquarters to monitor the storm's progress and decide his schedule for the rest of the week. He urged supporters to donate to the American Red Cross.

As Republicans assembled, outside the Xcel Center protesters smashed windows, punctured car tires and threw bottles, and there were reports that delegates from Connecticut were attacked as they stepped off their bus to attend the day's convention session.

An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 anti-war protesters marched toward the convention, some of them smashing windows, puncturing tires and throwing bottles along the way. Police used pepper spray on the demonstrators and made at least five arrests.

Melida Arredondo Alexander brought a coffin to the protest, as well as a photograph of her stepson, Corporal Alexander Arrredondo, who was killed in Iraq at age 20, reports CBSNews.com political reporter Brian Montopoli. She handed out copies of one of the letters Arrredondo sent from Iraq, which read in part, "I am not afraid of dying. I am more afraid of what will happen to all the ones that I love if something happens to me."

The war was likely to get a second day of attention outside the convention on Tuesday as U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, a former Republican presidential candidate who opposes the Iraq war, was expected to speak to supporters at a Minneapolis rally. Separately, a group advocating for the poor was planning a protest march toward the convention center.

The hurricane marked a pause in what has been the most compelling U.S. presidential campaign in memory. Both McCain and Obama were given little chance at the outset of their parties' primary campaign of winning the nominations.

McCain, 72, a veteran senator and former Vietnam prisoner of war, would be the oldest first-term president in U.S. history. Obama, 47, a first-term senator, would be the first black president.

McCain added further spice to the race last week by naming a Palin, a virtual unknown, as his running mate - the first Republican woman ever picked as a vice presidential candidate. Palin is a strong opponent of abortion and her selection was seen as boosting McCain's support among the party's base of Christian conservatives, many of whom have been reluctant to back him.

For a second day Tuesday, Palin had no public events scheduled. Her only public comments Monday came in a brief statement with her husband, Todd, about their daughter's pregnancy and decision to marry the father, who was identified only as Levi.

McCain's campaign aides said the statement was issued to rebut Internet rumors that the governor's 4-month-old baby was, in fact, Bristol's.

"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family," the Palins said in the brief statement.

In Monroe, Michigan, Obama condemned rumors involving the children of candidates and echoed the McCain campaign argument. Said Obama: "I think people's families are off limits, and people's children are especially off limits."

Prominent religious conservatives issued statements of support.

James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, commended the Palins for "for not just talking about their pro-life and pro-family values, but living them out even in the midst of trying circumstances."

The decision to hire a lawyer for Palin stems from an investigation into whether the governor fired Alaska public safety commissioner Walt Monegan after he refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palin's sister.

In July, a legislative oversight committee approved $100,000 to investigate whether Palin abused her power.

The dispute over the dismissal has dogged Palin for nearly two months and is likely to do so for another two months leading to the Nov. 4 election.

The legislature's investigating committee disclosed the attorney's hiring on Monday. The committee released an e-mailed letter it had received from the lawyer on Friday, the day McCain announced Palin would be McCain's running mate.

Tucker Eskew, a senior McCain adviser, said the state, not Palin herself, hired the attorney to represent her in her capacity as governor, and he has been working for several weeks.

"The governor of every state gets legal counsel, and this attorney is part of a weeks-old effort to provide this governor defense in a series of outlandish politically motivated charges," Eskew said.

[pirmin3]

"back to business" ???

That means let the corruption, cheating, lying and womanizing begin.

[afmca]

Back to business .... maybe after Palin''s daughters pregnancy bombshell; Cheney''s g*a*y daughter will announce she is adopting a child. Knowing the Repubs they would then make another exception to their morality rules. Repubs are truly disgusting!

[jmurrieta1]

"Mr. Bush headed to Texas to be nearer hurricane relief efforts. "


Time for yet another vacation at the ranch, eh?

[jmurrieta1]

"The decision to hire a lawyer for Palin stems from an investigation into whether the governor fired Alaska public safety commissioner Walt Monegan after he refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palin''s sister. "


So the supposed corruption-fighter became corrupt as soon as she grabbed some power.

[donnie766]

Its an accusation. And isn''t it funny that it comes out now, and not when it happened..

[toldyouso12]

McCain senior adviser Nicolle Wallace told CBS'' The Early Show Tuesday that the candidate knew about the pregnancy and within the campaign "this did not give anyone any pause."

If this is true, then why did McCain send a team to Alaska after this announcement to dig into more info about Palin and why did the Alaskan town where Palin was mayor state that the Dems (who got there first) were the first to request documents concerning Palin in their town. The Republicans lie so much it is not funny and more is sure to come from this. The woman was not vetted--just how much could she be, considering that McCain only met her once then spoke to her for 15 minutes before deciding to put her on the ticket after Liebermann was shot down?

Sarah Palin LIED about the bridge to nowhere and scrubbed her site of her very real and close affiliations to 6 times indicted Ted Stevens. This is all on youtube and will be played out. As for her daughter---to disclose such a personal matter in order to defend her own pregnancy is INEXUSABLE. Most of us would have opted for a sworn statement or Birth Certificate or DNA data--things that Palin has refused to provide--wonder why? Maybe someone told Palin that if she did provide such data and it later turned out to be false--it would be like lying on a job app and be grounds for dismissal. So instead she threw her 17 year old daughter under the bus to defend herself.

[donnie766]

If any of you big tough hairy armchair quaterback warriors ever got nominated veepee, you''d git sued fer having vaggginas.

[toldyouso12]

ts an accusation. And isn''''t it funny that it comes out now, and not when it happened..

Posted by donnie766 at 08:37 AM : Sep 02, 2008


It came out when it happened and has been playing big in local Alaskan news. But now, due to her being chosen by McCain--what was small time, local politics will be played to a much larger, national crowd--we already have been privvy to those taped phone conversations which appear to make Palin look like a liar. Again. (see the lie about not accepting the money for the bridge to nowhere)

[donnie766]

Ted Stevens ain''t a felon. He''s been a senator fer something like 30 years. How could he be a felon? How could earmark money be ANYBODY''S platform? They all do it. They''ve been doing it for generations.

[toldyouso12]

Hey, Cindy McCain--that "popped collar look went out in the 1980s. Bringing it back in retro fashion, are ya? LOL

[donnie766]

She looked like a vampire. I thought it was kinda cool..

[toldyouso12]

Ted Stevens ain''''t a felon. He''''s been a senator fer something like 30 years. How could he be a felon? How could earmark money be ANYBODY''''S platform? They all do it. They''''ve been doing it for generations.

Posted by donnie766 at 08:42 AM : Sep 02, 2008


Think you better read up on those charges Donnie. It is a lot more than earmarks like proof of him receiving huge personal gifts and then voting a certain way. Like having rooms added to his home for FREE by lobbying groups, like money changing hands. Ney got in trouble for this. So did Cunningham--and both had been in politics a long time. A long time in politics doing the "dirty" just means more time that they had to steal and bilk and cheat the public. And which is it for you? Part time troll, and part time lucid? LOL

[donnie766]

Local communities don''t elect congressmen/women and senators for them to move to washington and never be seen again. The elect them to get earmark money for local projects. For local business.

[donnie766]

This is just a reality.. Your state representative represents your community.. legally and financially. The fact that states get earmark money is just taboo to the socialists and the communists.

[donnie766]

"Part time troll, and part time lucid?"

I''m the only crazy one here.

[toldyouso12]

Local communities don''''t elect congressmen/women and senators for them to move to washington and never be seen again. The elect them to get earmark money for local projects. For local business.

Posted by donnie766 at 08:46 AM : Sep 02, 2008


That''s right. But Stevens is not in trouble for his bridge to nowhere--neither is Palin. Stevens is in trouble for taking gifts and monies from lobbying groups, like having an entire new downstairs put on his home for FREE by one group, and receiving monetary gifts which he did NOT report as per IRS and Congressional rules--and for tailoring his votes to certain groups who have been found to have done him huge (and possibly illegal) favors. Palin is also n the line for abuse of power for trying to have someone fired--her day will come in court--and if she is stupid enough to continue to lie--if proof comes out to the contrary--even if she was elected the VP of the country--that perjury would be grounds for her impeachment. This is all serious stuff and has nothing at all to do with earmarks. The only thing about the bridge to nowhere earmarks is that Palin LIED in her speech when stumping by saying she was against it, despite all the youtube and other sources proving she was FOR that money. So she is a liar---cut along the same lines as DeLay and Bush and other Cons.

[donnie766]

Politicians turn justice into ''guilty until proven innocent''. He''s innocent until proven guilty! They all are..

[toldyouso12]

Ted Stevens has been indicted with 6 counts. He has yet to stand trial but the proof is overwhelming. The vagaries of Congressional ethics rules allows those who are indicted to still run for office and to actually serve until convicted. There are felons in Congress and some like Craig who have criminal records. But both Jefferson (the bribed Democrat) and Stevens'' days are numbered. Those who get jail time, cannot serve--and Stevens may well be headed for jail--especially if he gets a jury trial instead of a bought judge or if the government moves the venue to say, Washington where Stevens does not own their verdict.

[donnie766]

You''re gonna chastise someone, not because they''re doing something illegal, but because they''re politicians. Because they''re governors, and congressman, and senators, and presidents. Thats why people are afraid of you liberals.. ''everybody''s guilty''.. it just only depends on your mood.

[donnie766]

Guess what.. hey, reporter.. dirt digger.. guess what: Yer trip was fer nothing. Yer story is about nothing..

[toldyouso12]

You''''re gonna chastise someone, not because they''''re doing something illegal, but because they''''re politicians. Because they''''re governors, and congressman, and senators, and presidents. Thats why people are afraid of you liberals.. ''''everybody''''s guilty''''.. it just only depends on your mood.

Posted by donnie766 at 08:55 AM : Sep 02, 2008


LOL. You may have a point--but at least the Liberals will allow a trial to PROVE the point--unlike the Republicans who torture and just kill then say that they are heroes to prove their point. And abuse of power is illegal and unethical--but the will to prosecute may not always be there. If Stevens did what they said he did--he will be a felon. If Palin did what they said she did she will not be a VP for long if McCain even is elected.

For elections--they are tried in the court of public opinion--first.

[donnie766]

"and Stevens may well be headed for jail"

Stevens ain''t going to jail. If Stevens goes to jail, you''ll be setting the precedent to send the entire congress to jail. And that ain''t gonna happen.

[donnie766]

Its not like he''s a murderer or something, ya know. Why don''t ya go after murderers and terrorists? Why is it always ''the basement refurbisher''s club''? Ya trying to make detective grade?

[donnie766]

''the will to prosecute''.. what is that? A hippy thing?

[donnie766]

''de spirit''a de will to prosecute is here.. can ya feel it?''

You''ve been smoking toothpaste..

[toldyouso12]

"and Stevens may well be headed for jail"

Stevens ain''''t going to jail. If Stevens goes to jail, you''''ll be setting the precedent to send the entire congress to jail. And that ain''''t gonna happen.

Posted by donnie766 at 08:59 AM : Sep 02, 2008


Part of Congress is already in jail. Stevens did the same kinds of things that Bob Ney did, that Cunningham did, that Jefferson did, that Abramoff was involved in. Cunningham got 5 years--Stevens did more than many and there is precedent. He will probably go to jail if he does not get acquitted and he will have the IRS after him since he never reported all those "gifts" or the increase in value of his home due to the gift of an entire floor. He will also be censored by the Senate and will, as time goes on, be stripped of his committees. (jefferson also was stripped) EArmarks are one thing--pedaling soft money is another and accepting monetary favors and gifts for votes (which is what he was indicted for) is still another. Politicians do go to jail for things like that--there is a reason Palin scrubbed Steven''s name and affiliations from her website just last week.

[donnie766]

I''ll tell ya whats going to really happen, toldyouso: People are going to stop listening to you guys.

[toldyouso12]

Its not like he''''s a murderer or something, ya know. Why don''''t ya go after murderers and terrorists? Why is it always ''''the basement refurbisher''''s club''''? Ya trying to make detective grade?

Posted by donnie766 at 09:00 AM : Sep 02, 2008


Same difference. It is EXACTLY like he is a murderer. He is paid to do the work of the public--and to vote to their benefit--but those who accept bribes are voting to appease the people who slip them money and gifts. Sometimes (as in the case of Cunningham) it is the awarding of defense contracts or the selling of arms to those he should not--but anytime a Politician pimps his office---he is taking jobs and money from legitimate and deserving Americans and funneling it to those who paid him off. "Basement refurbishers" or otherwise--hundreds of thousands that could have been put into our economy with jobs being created and the taxes from those enterprises instead went down the black hole of political corruption. And yes, Donnie--taking money in return for votes or taking favors in return for votes or earmarks IS illegal.

[donnie766]

No he''s not. He''s paid to do the work of his constituency. ''The bridge to nowhere'' is his constituency.

[donnie766]

What de ****** you talk''n about ''pimping''? Huh? Who''s the one wearing butttcheekless pants ''round here?

[gop_forever]

Shut up you liberals! We did not use the hurricane for political purposes!

[donnie766]

Taking earmarks is not illegal. The patriot act was 28 pages long given to the congress. By the time it got passed it was 400 pages long. Anybody who think earmarks are illegal is crazy, and doesn''t know how government works, or has been working for 232 years.

[toldyouso12]

I''''ll tell ya whats going to really happen, toldyouso: People are going to stop listening to you guys.

Posted by donnie766 at 09:05 AM : Sep 02, 2008


So what? LOL We are not PAID to hack on line so our "readership" or listening audience is not relevant. I''ll tell YOU what will happen. If the people of Alaska lack the fortitude and will to rid themselves of an unethical Senator, those on the Federal level may do it for them. The very fact that in Republican controlled Alaska, Stevens is indicted (and Palin stood by him even in July so she did not clean HIM and his corruption out) means that the cards are stacked against him.

Indictment carries such an ugly cloud--and for them to allow this means Steven''s fortunes are not what they used to be. Then there are those tapes that record some of those cosy meetings and back room deals with lobbyists and others. Then there is all the stuff the FBI has including wiretaps. Nope--the fact he was indicted means there were grounds for prosecution--now his fate will lie in who determines if that info can be used and how a judge or jury rules--but the proof is there--or there would be no indictment. All that is missing is the trial, the defense against that proof, and the verdict. And of course, waiting in the wings for Stevens is the good ol'' IRS who wants to know why they were cut out of that pie. LMAO

[toldyouso12]

No he''''s not. He''''s paid to do the work of his constituency. ''''The bridge to nowhere'''' is his constituency.

Posted by donnie766 at 09:09 AM : Sep 02, 2008


What did his constituents get when he got his new ground floor and basement put on his home for free from a lobbying group?

[donnie766]

Toldyou, this has been an ongoing thing about you people now for coming on 8 years. Accusation after accusation.. in the face of a war on terror. Thats not whats going to happen at all.. whats going to happen is that people are going to stop listening to you. And the really bad thing about all this stuff is, there are REAL criminals out there.. Criminals that do things that are REALLY illegal. But you''d rather watch the grandpa build his basement..

[donnie766]

"What did his constituents get when he got his new ground floor and basement put on his home for free from a lobbying group?"

Told themselves: "One day I''m gonna be a Senator too."

[donnie766]

Thats standard liberal philosophy: Mandated charity.

[donnie766]

Despite what chicks might think, men can represent privacy too ya know.

[donnie766]

And you ain''t got no right to know how many houses they own. How many cars.. What their tax records might be. What their medical records are. These aren''t things open to rhetoric. These are important things.. personal.. private things. Not up to yer raunchy interpretations.

[donnie766]

It was the liberal soph that crucified Christ, fer cripes sakes..

[donnie766]

Can we talk about pornos now?

[ckbgsb]

John McCain Harriet Myers 08

[ddaryl1]

The GOP got Back To Business today and are furthering their plans to continue the destruction of America, and primarily the working class.
While rewarding religous zealots, wallstreet, the welathy, and war mongering politcs.

a vote for republicans is a vote for the further dismantling of America

[richnj1]

Just remember, these delegates are the people who approve of the job Bush is doing, which hardly makes them representative of the people.

And didn''t Culvahouse sound convincing when he said that all the red flags about Palin have been revealed? I think the real bombshells are still waiting to be found.

[zorar-2009]

Typical righteous republican party full of gas bags & old f@rts trying to dictate their backward hypocritical attitudes on everyone ... America get off their rat infested ship of fools or sink with these mental midgets of the stone & dark ages!

[walt1944-2009]

Because Hurricane Gustav has missed New Orleans and is pounding small, "worthless" communities in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas, the neocon Fascist Nazi Republicans will now hold their FULL convention starting today.

Among the "celebrities" performing at the convention today will be Alberto "The Great Gonzo" Gonzales who will amaze convention goers with his ability to produce "sensitive" papers out of thin air. Karl Rove will conduct a two-part seminar on how to lose and /or destroy those same "sensitive" documents, including e-mails, quickly and leaving no trace, and how to evade jail-time by refusing to answer a subpeona by Congress. The Great Emperor Bush II will also address the crowd of fanatical neocon Fascist Nazis via satellite from some undisclosed location which will be as far away from Minnesota as he can get!!! Finally, John "SURRRRRGE" McCain''s pick for VP, Sarah Palin, will address the crowd concerning her "foreign affairs" experience dealing with Russian Eskimos, the importance of "ethics" in the executive branch while under invetigation, and the significance of "abstainence" among teenagers!!!!!

A great time finding excuses for everything is expected to be had by everyone in attendance!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
sig heil, THE GREAT "ALMOST" DECIDER, McCain!!!!!

[donnie766]

Ah, you liberals.. buncha whiners.

[jtdev1]

GOP Back To Business On RNC Day 2:

Does that mean:

Texting dirty messages to their pages?

Toe Tapping?

Getting massages by men while smoking meth?

[allurfears]

PALIN REPEATEDLY LAUGHS AS CANCER SURVIVOR OPPONENT CALLED NASTY NAMES

LISTEN TO HER LAUGH on YouTube Audio HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9AIDRGzUAw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKkydrUnBZE

-------



Early THIS year, an op-ed in the Anchorage Daily News ripped into Gov. Sarah Palin''s appearance (1/15/08) on a morning "shock jock" radio show ("The Bob and Mark Show") as "plain and simple one of the most unprofessional, childish and inexcusable performances I''ve ever seen from a politician."

Palin has feuded with State Senate president, Lyda Green, over a wide range of legislation.

Lester referred to Sen. Green as a jealous woman and a cancer.

PALIN knows full well Lyda Green is a CANCER SURVIVOR, but didn''t do what any decent person would do, say, "Bob, that''s going too far."

Lester questioned Green''s motherhood, asking Palin if Green cares about her own kids.

PALIN LAUGHS.

Then Lester says, "Lyda Green is a cancer and a b*tch."

PALIN LAUGHS for the second time.

What were teenage boys and girls thinking when they heard the governor laugh at someone being called a b*tch? How about the teenage girls who look up to Palin? What did they think as she laughed?

But there is more. Lester then describes Green''s chair as big and cushy. A clear reference to the senator''s weight.

PALIN LAUGHS a third time.

Palin clearly enjoyed Lester''s vicious attack on Lyda Green. Then she says she''s "honored" by Lester and invites him to her official State of Alaska speech.

[usclimey]

Can you imagine what the GOPigs would have been saying if Chelsea Clinton had shown up 17 and pregnant?

Personally I really think family matters should be family matters and hence off the press radar especially when it comes to kids.

Having said that, however, if Mc.Cain''s going to pick someone (male OR female) with such limited experience asa VEEP, who''s he going to pick for his cabinet - Snow White and the seven dwarfs?