GOP Weighs Delaying Convention For Gustav

Party Officials Say Storm's Potential Impact On Gulf Coast Being Considered

(Washingtonpost.com)  Republican officials said yesterday that they are considering delaying the start of the GOP convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul because of Tropical Storm Gustav, which is on track to hit the Gulf Coast, and possibly New Orleans, as a full-force hurricane early next week.

The threat is serious enough that White House officials are also debating whether President Bush should cancel his scheduled convention appearance on Monday, the first day of the convention, according to administration officials and others familiar with the discussion.

For Bush and Republican presidential candidate John McCain, Gustav threatens to provide an untimely reminder of Hurricane Katrina. A new major storm along the Gulf Coast would renew memories of one of the low points of the Bush administration, while pulling public attention away from McCain's formal coronation as the GOP presidential nominee.

Senior Republicans said images of political celebration in the Twin Cities while thousands of Americans flee a hurricane could be dubious. "Senator McCain has always been sensitive to national crisis," said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds, noting that the senator postponed announcing his presidential candidacy in 2000 because of the war in the Balkans. "We are monitoring the situation very closely."

Matt Burns, a spokesman for the convention, said that as of last night, it is scheduled to open on time. "We are planning for our convention to open on Monday," he said. "Like all Americans, we are monitoring the situation closely in the Gulf."

Staging a convention during a major natural disaster would be a public relations challenge for either political party. But GOP officials say the burden could be especially heavy for their party, whose reputation was tarred by the Bush administration's bungling of Katrina and its aftermath in 2005.

A hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico could also cast unwelcome attention on the offshore oil rigs that McCain has championed as a solution to rising gasoline prices -- they are now being evacuated in the face of the coming storm.

One senior GOP official said he does not anticipate a convention delay at this point, but he said the event would have to be reorganized if a large storm hit a major city on the coast.

"You would have to dramatically change the nature of what you do. Much less partisan. Much less political," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because internal discussions are ongoing. He added that all the speakers would have to retool their addresses to reflect the storm and its impact. "Otherwise, it's the elephant in the room."

Gustav is the first serious storm to threaten the Gulf Coast in three years, and it presents the most substantial challenge to the nation's homeland security apparatus since it was remade in the wake of Katrina, which hit three years ago today.

Gustav formed Monday and came ashore in Haiti on Tuesday as a Category 1 hurricane, trigging massive flooding and landslides that killed 23 people in the Caribbean. Forecasters said the storm could strengthen to a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 111 mph or higher in coming days, before hitting somewhere between the Florida Panhandle and Texas.

To make matters worse, another tropical storm, named Hanna, formed in the Atlantic Ocean yesterday and could turn toward Florida or elsewhere along the southeastern U.S. coast in coming days, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has raised the possibility of canceling his speech at the Republican convention because of the storm, while New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin cut short his visit to this week's Democratic convention in Denver.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said yesterday that it was "premature to say" whether the storm might have an impact on Bush's scheduled appearance Monday night. "These storms have a tendency to change, and so I don't have a scheduling update for you now," she told reporters. "Right now everything is on schedule."

Former White House spokesman Scott McClellan, who said in a recent book that Hurricane Katrina left "an indelible stain" on the Bush presidency, said Bush should be making plans to cancel his speech.

"If it's a major hurricane, I think that they certainly need to show they learned lessons from three years ago, both from a policy and perception standpoint," McClellan said.

He also suggested that McCain could benefit politically from such a scenario: It would allow Bush to mount an effective GOP response to a disaster, while removing the unpopular president from the convention roster. "It could be a two-fer," McClellan said.

Some Republicans bemoaned an apparent GOP curse when it comes to summer storms and noted the contrast between the approach of Gustav and the sunny weather in Denver for the Democrats. "The Republicans can't seem to catch a break when it comes to August and when it comes to the weather," said Karl Rove, a former Bush adviser, on Fox News yesterday.

Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida as a Category 5 storm in August 1992, and the sluggish federal response was castigated by state leaders as well as then-candidate Bill Clinton in his successful bid to defeat President George H.W. Bush that fall.

The current President Bush believed that the nation had dodged a bullet after Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005, only to realize belatedly that New Orleans had flooded and his administration's homeland security apparatus was overwhelmed.

Experts said that key for Bush and perhaps for McCain will be the ability of U.S. officials to respond quickly to unforeseen problems and stay ahead of the unfolding events, something they failed to do in the week after New Orleans flooded.

"This may be the October surprise in September," said George W. Foresman, former undersecretary of preparedness for the Department of Homeland Security. "Public messaging and attention to the public affairs part of the response is going to get added attention."

Michael D. Brown, who was forced out as chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency after Katrina, said all sides appear to have learned the importance of paying attention to disaster response.

"The American people want to know the people they elected are paying attention, care about them and are making decisions they need to make," Brown said. "The smart thing is not to poke their chests out and say what a great job they're doing or going to do, but just to do what needs to be done."

Staff writer Spencer S. Hsu contributed to this report.

[Torilin]

This is what the right-wing media is writting of her daughter''s pregancy:"And, until at least four months ago, Palin also had the ability to bear a child, which we''ve just learned is a talent she shares with her 17-year-old daughter"
WOW, WAHT A TALENT!

[obungler]

Posted by praiseallah1 at 10:59 AM : Sep 03, 2008

Standing beside you SISTAH!

[praiseallah1]

NOW will be calling for a National Boycott of US Magazine. Their continued sexist comments towards Sarah Palin is absolutely disgraceful! I have cancelled my subscription and have urged my corporate headquarters marketing department to cancel our advertising indefinitely in US Magazine and urge other clients to do the same.

I am a life-long democratic woman who supported Hillary Clinton along with 18 million others. I keep hearing Democratic strategists declaring that we "disgruntled Hillary supporters" will not vote for McCain simply because he chose a woman to be his VP. But this is NOT TRUE!

I along with thousands of other Hillary supporters WILL be voting for McCain and Sarah Palin because we WANT to see a woman as VP and voters like myself see it as a brilliant move by McCain to reach out to us women voters.

The TVangelists threaten us of Roe V Wade being overturn but fail to mention that both Bush administrations were Pro-Life and women still have the right to chose.

When Colorado Democratic Party leader Billy Compton intimidated Sacha Millstone asking her to resign as a Delegate because she had second thoughts on Obama was outrageous! When the sexist/racist Emil Jones called Delmarie Cobb who supported Hillary an "Uncle Tom" infuriates us women!

I am asking other Democratic women to join us in sending a message to our Democratic Party Leadership that THEY do not chose our Nominee by intimidating elected Delegates into voting for THEIR choice...

[obungler]

And I am a member of a community group that keeps an eye on our right to seceded SHOULD THE WINDS OF POLITICS CHANGE to something I DON''''T LIKE!!! JUST LIKE YOUR OBAMA!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by OBungler at 10:52 AM : Sep 03, 2008

Who has clearly stated he will stand with his Muslim brothers should the politics of America change to something he doesn''t like!

WHAT KIND OF HYPOCRITES ARE YOU PEOPLE!!!

[obungler]

I suspect McCain and his aides didn''''t know about any of this. Indeed, they couldn''''t have -- they didn''''t vet her. But now that this revelation has come to light, what''''s the defense?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by briannorwood at 09:27 AM : Sep 03, 2008

Oh I suspect they did, she was very frank with them about everything. And I don''t imagine they left a page unturned.

And I am a member of a community group that keeps an eye on our right to seceded SHOULD THE WINDS OF POLITICS CHANGE to something I DON''T LIKE!!! JUST LIKE YOUR OBAMA!

[logicrulez]

JUST WHAT WE NEED, A NUTJOB THAT YEARNS FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, SEES WAR AS GOD''S COMMAND, AND WITH ACCESS TO THE NATION''S NUCLEAR TRIGGERS. IF YOU PEOPLE ARE THAT STUPID TO VOTE FOR WW3 AND A NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST THEN YOU ARE BEYOND HELP!!! WAKE UP PEOPLE, YOU ARE VOTING IN A WACKO WITH A GLOBAL DEATH WISH!!!!!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/02/palins-church-may-have-sh_n_123205.html

QUOTES FROM HER PASTOR:
Jesus called us to die. You''re worried about getting hurt? He''s called us to die. Listen, you know we can''t even follow him unless you are willing to give up your life. ... I believe that Jesus himself operated from that position of war mode. Everyone say "war mode."

Kalnins has preached that the 9/11 attacks and the invasion of Iraq were part of a "world war" over the Christian faith, one in which Jesus Christ had called upon believers to be willing to sacrifice their lives.

He preaches repeatedly about the "end times" or "last days," an apocalyptic prophesy held by a small but vocal group of Christian leaders. During his appearance with Palin in June, he declared, "I believe Alaska is one of the refuge states in the last days, and hundreds of thousands of people are going to come to the state to seek refuge and the church has to be ready to minister to them."

[briannorwood]

Officials of the Alaskan Independence Party say that Palin was once a member of their party, which since the 1970s has been pushing for a legal vote for Alaskans to decide whether or not residents of the 49th state can secede from the United States.

Lynette Clark, the chairman of the AIP, tells ABC News that Palin and her husband Todd were members in 1994, even attending the 1994 statewide convention in Wasilla. Clark was AIP secretary at the time.

AIP founder, Joe Vogler man who said, "I''m an Alaskan, not an American. I''ve got no use for America or her damned institutions." Volger also said, "The fires of Hell are glaciers compared to my hate for the American government."

I suspect McCain and his aides didn''t know about any of this. Indeed, they couldn''t have -- they didn''t vet her. But now that this revelation has come to light, what''s the defense?

[kazoodan]

Instead of addressing the issues, you come up with some fuzzy interpretation about how I sound when I type? How I SOUND?


Posted by bullyforhim at 08:51 AM : Sep 03, 2008

I already addressed the issue. I just disagree with your spin on it.

[kazoodan]

Posted by bullyforhim at 08:33 AM : Sep 03, 2008

You don''t sound like YOU even believe the malarkey you just typed.

[oldsoftee]

More physicians and physicists, NOT more pastors, is what America needs to maintain its leadership in the face of intensive global competition. Science, engineering, technology...these are the disciplines that will keep the U.S. in the race. Unfortunately, pure science has been under attack for the last 8 years and will likely remain so under another Republican administration that is so beholden to the religious right of the party. It''s not likely that a Christian conservative will find a solution to global warming if they don''t even believe in the problem. Prayers won''t likely cause more domestic oil to flow and abstinence won''t resolve overpopulation. Hey GOP, keep your religion where the founding fathers wanted it to stay...OUT OF GOVERNMENT!

[kazoodan]

Citizens of that city wanted her as their mayor to improve the town. Whatever her salary was, if I lived there I would be ecstatic over the rate of return on my investment. It was her job and she did it really, really well. And at least 51% of congress must have agreed with her requests for funding.

Posted by bullyforhim at 08:20 AM : Sep 03, 2008

That''s great for those town folk. But how does that jibe with this quote from Palin:

''As governor, I''ve stood up to the old politics-as-usual, to the special interests, to the lobbyists, the big oil companies, and the good-ol''-boy network,'' she said Friday.

I guess her idea of standing up to lobbyists is by hiring them.

[kazoodan]

Duh, shows what a CEO does for a living, she''''s a great leader.

Posted by banders6 at 08:13 AM : Sep 03, 2008

Duh! Doesn''t have anything to do with my response to Stick''s comment.

[banders6]

DUH! She was the mayor of that podunk town when she lobbied for federal funds. DUH! It''''s in the first paragraph of the article DUH!
Posted by kazoodan

Duh, shows what a CEO does for a living, she''s a great leader.

[trrrorislamc]

BOUNCE HUSSEIN BOUNCE

hahaha

McCain/Palin at 47%, compared to 45% support for Obama/Biden.

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2071565/posts

[kazoodan]

No kidding, she''''s asking for money from the Fed''''s for projects. DUH!!! She''''s a Governor of Alaska. Don''''t states regularly ask for money for projects for the Government? How is she different than the rest of the states. This stupid article makes it sound like getting money for projects is out of the norm. Figures CBS wouldn''''t do a equal story about Biden or Obama and their money earmarks. Great reporting as usual.

Posted by stick1771 at 06:55 AM : Sep 03, 2008

DUH! She was the mayor of that podunk town when she lobbied for federal funds. DUH! It''s in the first paragraph of the article DUH!

[mcvet-1]

No kidding, she''''s asking for money from the Fed''''s for projects. DUH!!! She''''s a Governor of Alaska. Don''''t states regularly ask for money for projects for the Government? How is she different than the rest of the states. This stupid article makes it sound like getting money for projects is out of the norm. Figures CBS wouldn''''t do a equal story about Biden or Obama and their money earmarks. Great reporting as usual.

Posted by stick1771 at 06:55 AM : Sep 03, 2008

Now here is a nazi cow telling all of us that "Earmarks" are bad. She''s against them and they should not be. But hold on, those evil and bad "Earmarks" that should be wiped out... Well guess what NOT ONLY did this fascist loser take them for her OWN town, she HIRED the best in the business to lobby her OWN party to get them!! So what does this pathetic bootlicker do? He blames the press for exposing this LIE!! I guess the Party of Bush hasn''t changed at all. SIEG HEIL MCBUSH

[itgranny]

stick1771: getting federal money isn''t out of the norm except when it''s for sewer systems and youth centers. If we want that stuff in my community, we get charged additional local taxes.

[skeedah-2009]

What about the Credit Card King Biden and his relationship with MBNA a discussion on this would be nice.

[ahrats]

McCain you hipocrate, she (Palin) stands for everthing Republican, Big money, Big Oil, and not enforcing the Laws of the land. All you say is you want change but the change is the same old thing follow Bushes policies to the letter because thats the Republican way

[neoconrcrazy]

one thing''s for sure -

Americans will never put an ex-alaskan mayor and 2yr governor of a state whose poplation is the size of Cinncinati a heartbeat away from the nuclear button.

obama/bilden with a 60% landslide!