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.

[armydog2]

pork it up ,this is your "conservative" republican for ya.

[orenishi-2009]

Secessionist Sarah: VP pick Sarah Palin and the Alaska Independence Party

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/johnmccain/2667214/John-McCains-running-mate-Sarah-Palin-was-in-Alaskan-independence-party.html

[mytoosense]

Gov. Palin Hired Lobby Firm To Secure $27 Million For Town Of 6,700

That''s $4030 per citizen, not bad.
If she managed to funnel it all to 2% of the towns population, she''s just what the GOP is looking for.

[realpatriot1]

She also is on the record as having supported the Bridge To Nowhere until Congress cut the funding, in spite of the McCain camp''s reformer spin.

She ran indicted Senator Ted Stevens 527 organization for him.

As Mayor she fired the Police Chief and Library Director and publically admitted the reason was they opposed her Campaign for Mayor. That certainly spices up the charges being leveed against as Governor for allegedly firing the Public Safety Commissioner for not firing her sister''s ex-husband.

Her record is more that of an abuser of power and chaser of federal dollars than as a true reformer.

She wouldn''t been able to chase those federal dollars if she had gotten her wish back in the 1980s when she was involved with a group seeking the secession of Alaska from the United States.

[caliguy55]

The Republican spin machine is an amazing thing to watch, although anyone with a little common sense can readily discern the BS and lies pouring out of this propaganda device. Watching the pious G.O.P. Delegates on TV talking about prayer and respect for the Hurricane Victims and reading the stories about the behind the door parties being thrown by lobbyist and big corporations for the Delegates, one quickly gets a sense of the magnitude of the deranged thinking that fills their minds. Of course, the truth eventually comes out, but it doesn''t seem to bother them as they effortlessly move on to the next bigger and better lie. These people are so hypocritical and stupid that they begin to believe their own lies. And, so it goes from day-to-day that bright and cheerful gathering known as the G.O.P. convention. Obama/Biden 08!!!

[metroduck75]

The sad part is that.... Palin STILL has MORE excutive experience more than Obama does.

PLUS, she is an washington OUTSIDER, unlike Biden.

Democrats for McCain''08.

Party Unity My A$$

[metroduck75]

It''s sad that CBS, just like other Main Stream Media are working for Obama (with ZERO foreign policy experience).

Gee, I guess that makes Palin another sleazy liar.
Welcome to your Republican party.

[metroduck75]

Why are the Obama''s blind followers (including the Main Stream Media) soooo Panic about Palin??

Is it because she is More Qualified than Obama??

Democrats for NOOOOOObama.

P.U.M.A. = Party Unity My A$$

[metroduck75]

Obama is the choice of DNC, NOT the Majority of Democratic voters.

Tell your Messiah that he is going to H-E-L-L.

Party Unity My A$$

[barbaraf4]

If McCain wanted a female running mate, why didn''t he pick Condi Rice? Black vote and female vote in one package.

[metroduck75]

Check this out....

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/sarah_palin_vs_barack_obama.html

Comparison: Palin vs. Obama

[metroduck75]

McCain has picked a Washington OUTsider for reform.

As a registered Democrat, I think he has good judgement of that.

Obama "talks" so much about Change, then he picked Biden who has been in Washington LOOOONNGER than McCain.

What a Shame!

[orenishi-2009]

Screw yoyu PUMAS..

W.A.S.P.
Women. against. Sarah. Palin.

[shouterguy]

Hmmmmm. Reform?

With the advent of %u201Cblowhard%u201D Rove, %u201CLittle Black Manchild%u201D Limbuagh and %u201CNorthern Exposure%u201D Sarah Palin, The G.O. P. has proved itself to be the Party of name-calling, racism and utterly wacko judgment.

It shows:



RCP Average

Obama 49.0

McCain 43.0

Obama +6.0

Northern Exposure results in Baked Alaska

[metroduck75]

Obama''s Ego and Arrogance has destroyed DEM Party.....

Who with a clear mind would "hope" that he could "unite" the Country?????

[metroduck75]

Note:

Polls don''t always reflect the Electoral College.

Party Unity My A$$.

Democrats for NOOOOOObama.

[boatdocster]

n fiscal year 2002, Wasilla took in $6.1 million in earmarks -- about $1,000 in federal money for every resident. By contrast, Boise, Idaho -- which has more than 190,000 residents -- received $6.9 million in earmarks in fiscal 2008.

"She certainly wasn''t shy about putting the old-boy network to use to bring home millions of dollars," said Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense. "She''s a little more savvy to the ways of Washington than she''s let on."

MCSAME IS CLUELESS!!
"Palin has is a breath of fresh Alaska air!"

Bullcrap! When a town of 7000 people in the middle of no where gets the same earmarks as a town of 200,000, two things are clear-

Palin IS THE SAME OLD WASHINGTON DC politican.
The GOP backdoor, make your buddies rich system is alive and well...

[docpeter-2009]

From the above article, "In fiscal 2000, Wasilla received a $1 million earmark, tucked into a transportation appropriations bill, for a rail and bus project in the town."
_______
Now that was in 2005. According to the census bureau, Wasilla had a population of 5,469, but the 2005 estimate gave a population of 8,471. Now why would a town that small need a bus system? I can understand a rail system extending into anchorage for commuter to work, but a bus around town?

And she is opposed to wasteful govt. spending

[metroduck75]

Obama offers a Beautifully Packaged Lie to Liberal Wing of Dem Party.... and they bought it.

He is the choice of DNC, NOT the Democratic Voters.

He "claimed" Republicans will "cross-over" and "vote for him"......

Let''s see how many Democrats will cross-over and Vote for Centirst McCAin.

P.U.M.A. = Party Unity My A$$

[talkingham]

Palin is a living breathing perfect example of the republican mantra "Do as i say not as I do."
While railing against the Fed government she''s sitting there raking in the bucks from an inner political circle and then turns on the circle that fed her. Oh, but she and McCain are against earmarking, yeah right. Liars!

Why do I have to pay for rail projects in Alaska that serve so few people when my own roads and schools are crumbling? Because we have a bunch of liars and hypocrites running the republican party that''s why.

McCain''s choice of this woman to be potentially be president of the the United States is just sick.

[metroduck75]

Obama should have picked Hillary as VP.

His "bounce" in Polls is LESSS than all Prez Candidates since 1964.

[talkingham]

metroduck just what''s so outsider about this inner circle of incredibly rich republican politicians that have paved the way for this woman. Did you even read the article you are supposedly commenting on? Idiot.

[metroduck75]

Obama picks Biden highlights his OWN weakness.

McCain has made a Smart move.

As a registered Democrat, I have always believed... if Obama and Hillary are not running as "2-for-1" ticket.... DEM party is TOAST.

And if McCain is to pick a Woman Governor (Washington OUTsider) as VP..... he is going to win.

Well, Mark my Words.... Middle Class can relate to Palin MORE than Obama.

[metroduck75]

She is the Governor of Alaska... Of course she has the Obligation to Make Sure Alaska gets taken care of.

Unlike Obama who spends MOST of his time with REV WRIGHT and TOny REzko for his OWN benifits.

[allurfears]

"Shoot then aim McCain" really blew it on this pick. What a disaster.

No judgment McCain

Impulse addict McCain

[metroduck75]

She is the Governor of Alaska... Of course she has the Obligation to Make Sure Alaska gets taken care of.

Unlike Obama who spends MOST of his time with REV WRIGHT and TOny REzko for his OWN benifits.

[causeway_p]

Looks like Palin is a leech just like all hillbilly Alaskans

[talkingham]

Is Palin''s 5th child really her daughter''s. Sounds absurd but the evidence is mounting and requries scrutiny:
[Governor Palin%u2019s] oldest girl is rumored to have actually been the one who had the last baby, the one with Down%u2019s Syndrome. She was taken out of school the last 4 or 5 months of her mother%u2019s pregnancy.

On March 5th, 2008 Alaska%u2019s Republican Governor, Sarah Palin, announced to the media that she was 7 months pregnant with her 5th child. She is currently 44.

Palin%u2019s daughter Bristol is 16 and attends an Anchorage high school. Students who have attended class with her report that she has been out of school for months, claiming a prolonged case of mono.

Palin does not appear pregnant in any recent photographs. The announcement came as quite a shock to people who had worked closely with her, and have been quoted as saying that she did not appear pregnant whatsoever during the prior 7 months.

Add to this, that the baby was born in a remote rural hospital (for no reason?) - man this woman is weird!

[shouterguy]

Hmmmm. Palin got BIG money for her town. What did the people of N. Orleans get from McCain?

Not much:

''Though McCain issued a statement the next week (after Katrina) calling on Congress to make sacrifices in order to fund recovery efforts, he was quoted in The New Leader on September 1 [2005] cautioning against over-spending in support of Katrina''s victims. "We also have to be concerned about future generations of Americans," he said. "We''re going to end up with the highest deficit, probably, in the history of this country."''

[warmonger247]

AND MCCAIN IS STILL CHECKING OUT PALIN''S A$$

[jeffstersf]

From the Alaska Independent:

"Palin''s experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents. During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign. Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a %u201Cfiscal conservative%u201D. During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%."

[xmanborg]

Hey Sarah Palin your a bad mother. You did not teach your daughter ANYTHING. I am ashamed of you and your family. My teen daughter thinks your daughter is a HO.

[shouterguy]

Big ole earmarks! Meanime, in Louisiana:

McCain on Katrina (cont.):

Forty Senators and 100 members of Congress visited New Orleans before McCain did; he finally got there in March 2006. He voted against establishing a Congressional commission to examine the Federal, State, and local responses to Katrina in med-September 2005. He repeated that vote in 2006. He voted against allowing up to 52 weeks of unemployment benefits to people affected by the hurricane, and in 2006 voted against appropriating $109 billion in supplemental emergency funding, including $28 billion for hurricane relief.

[shouterguy]

A time for change!

BIG CHANGE!

But here''s how Katrina victims fared under McCain:

McCain on Katrina (cont.):

"Forty Senators and 100 members of Congress visited New Orleans before McCain did; he finally got there in March 2006. He voted against establishing a Congressional commission to examine the Federal, State, and local responses to Katrina in med-September 2005. He repeated that vote in 2006. He voted against allowing up to 52 weeks of unemployment benefits to people affected by the hurricane, and in 2006 voted against appropriating $109 billion in supplemental emergency funding, including $28 billion for hurricane relief."


GOP. Yeah. We care.

[moneymcbush]

Not a surprise, Palin a is not what she claimed. You can ever trust a republican though, and for your own safety dont sit next to one in the mens room.

She is a former member of the extremist Party the AIP who want to break Alaska away from the US and heaped praise on them as recently as earlier this year. She was for the bridge to nowhere before she pulled a Flip McFlop and she is under investigation for being a corrupt politician in AK.

Sarah is a nutcase plain and simple.

And a really lousy Mother for abandoning caring for her infant just to seek political fame and be part of a campaign gimmick.

[luvienne]

She should fit right in with Mccain. Crook +Crook=Crooks

[au_fait]

For those saying Mccain as well as the government should be giving money to NO. There is no way any money should be spent on a person/family/entity who is choosing to move back to an area that sits below mean sea level. If the money is to be used to move to an area above flooding that is fine. By giving money to repair something below sea level is not learning anything from a previous error!

[promaclaura]

Sounds to me like she was doing her job. Boy, I bet my town would have liked to have her for a cheerleader and a savy one at that.

[brianbwb-2009]

"In addition, Palin has reversed course on at least one major earmark: After initially supporting the $223 million bridge, which was to connect the town of Ketchikan with a remote island, she reversed course last year and canceled the project because of cost overruns."

For it before she was against it. Other reports say she skimmed off the top of the "bridge" earmark for other projects before she fell in line with the other Republicans.

[thickredhair]

lol this palin thing just gets funnier, making obama''s job easier

[hwy71so]

""""while she was its mayor"""""

What do you think the mayor''s job is?

[dnsallday]

%u2014 Mayoral performance. Palin, who portrays herself as a fiscal conservative, racked up nearly $20 million in long-term debt as mayor of the tiny town of Wasilla %u2014 that amounts to $3,000 per resident. She argues that the debt was needed to fund improvements

[jmurrieta1]

So Palin got federal pork barrel to the tune of over $4000 PER CITIZEN of Wasilla, then dares to talk about government waste.

The Republicans must think the American people are really stupid. And some are. But as George Bush put it so well, "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice----uh----shame, shame on you".

[mcvet-1]

If you really want to change America you have to change yourself, first- So what do you want to change? Silly to count on the government to change things, simply put, if they wanted to change things for the better, they would have already. Don''''t you think? They are trully incompetent as as whole. Perhaps McCain/Palin can do something. Having Obama do anything will be just disasterous.

Posted by peterp111 at 12:31 PM : Sep 02, 2008

Oh but where have you been? McCain and the Republican''s did PLENTY and they PROMISED even more! Go back to the year 2000 and pull up what George W. Bush, John McCain and the rest of the Republican''s SAID... READ what they PROMISED us if they and they alone were allowed to take the BALANCED BUDGET and SURPLUS we had at that time. LISTEN to the Video''s of the Speeches they made...
IF we do NOT hold them accountable for THAT, who do we really care about?? SIEG HEIL MCSlime

[mcvet-1]

I am very pleased that McCain has displayed exemplary judgement in picking his VP.
This is great! Keep going! Do more stupid things, very entertaining.
I think McCain''''s next Presidential type act should be to punch someone in the face.

Posted by johndevinejr at 12:11 PM : Sep 02, 2008

Uh Huh!! Just what we need! A 72 year old man who can''t remember who''s fighting who and a Nazi Bimbo! Right!! Maybe you should stop with the fascist bull sparky!! Sieg Heil McSlime

[mcvet-1]

What do you think the mayor''''s job is?

Posted by Hwy71So at 12:26 PM : Sep 02, 2008

LOL Of a town that size?? Get real!! ROFLMAO Now lets stand and let Shooter and the Gestapo know we care! Ready?? SIEG HEIL Shooter!!

[oldpilot954]

Everyone has been criticizing her for getting government funding to meet the needs of the city where she was mayor. That was her job for goodness sakes! When you take a state like Alaska which has a very small tax base but huge social needs it is impossible to fund the needs of the people from local taxes. We in the lower 48 try to prevent them from harvesting natural resources such as oil, mining, and timber (like we have over the last 200-300 years) crying "ecology destruction". Then we federalize large areas as National Parks, Wildlife refuges, Wilderness Area, etc. Meanwhile the cost of living is quite high there but there is not an industrial base to support the population. With high substance abuse and high suicide rates, an Alaskan politician is not doing his/her job if they are not trying to obtain every dollar that they can legally and ethically grab to help the population. They just can''t make enough off us tourists during the summer to support schools, health care, etc. We in the lower 48 need to face the fact that if we are going to keep Alaska a wilderness area playground we have to pay the bills.

[mcvet-1]

I don''''''''t enjoy watching people go Daffy Duck-style mad with rage -- but given the track record, who deserves it more than our buds on the Left? But watch your step, or they''''''''ll chew up your nice new carpet.


Posted by peterp111 at 12:43 PM : Sep 02, 2008

Okay! Now would you let me know were you live?? I have some land and a LOT for sand to sell.... YOU sound just like the person I''d like to find!! ROFLMAO Drink any Koolaid lately!! ROFLMAO

[mcvet-1]

Sounds like an excelent reason to vote for him!!!!!!

Posted by angryman55 at 12:35 PM : Sep 02, 2008

Well yeah if your a rich Nazi! Otherwise, if your an American, it shows he doesn''t care about people who need help, which happens to be the vast majority of us at one time or another. Sieg Heil McSlime