RNC Activities Suspended Tmrw In Wake Of Storm
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL -- Sen. John McCain announced a few moments ago that he has asked the GOP to modify tomorrow's convention activities as the Gulf Coast braces for Hurricane Gustav.
Mike Duncan, chairman of the RNC, said the convention will convene tomorrow exclusively for official business: to adopt rules, elect officers and sign off on the party platform.
"Those are essentials for us to be able to constitute before we can nominate the president and the vice president," Duncan said.
Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager, said the convention will convene at 3 p.m. and adjourn after all "practical events occur." The roll call to nominate McCain and Sarah Palin for veep will not occur tomorrow.
He promised daily briefing sessions with the press to provide updates about how the convention will proceed, but cautioned that the situation in the wake of the storm will determine plans on a day-to-day basis.
"People should be more concerned about that than a political campaign, and I think that's the way we're going to let the chips fall," Davis said.
Davis said the campaign has chartered a flight to take Louisiana delegates back home. He said as well that the GOP is considering how to raise money for storm recovery efforts.
Though reporters pressed for information about McCain's arrival in Minneapolis, Davis said the senator would, of course, like to attend but that there are larger circumstances in play.
"We're not making any commitments past 5:30 tomorrow afternoon," Davis said.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Life should go on.
How much of the country was stopped because of the devistating floods in the heartland earlier this year? None.
Is it only because the New Orleans people have to have their hands held? None of the rest of us do!
Does anyone else find it interesting that right wing preachers publicly prayed for rain on the final day of the Democratic convention, but the convention had the most beautiful day anyone could have imagined ... now the GOP convention is running into major problems due to a hurricane?
Let me get this straight.
The deomcrats and/or the left wing, (Obama, Biden, Kennedy, Dean, DNC, Don Fowler, etal.) believe that god is punishing the people of Louisianna, Texas and Alabama because of the Republicans. Are you guys serious. What hipocrits. I'm going out first thing tuesday to change my affiliation and register as a republican. I can not believe you guys and I dont want to be associated with this type of nonsense. does anyone find it interresting that over ninty people have dies so far in hurrican gustav, or thats it will cause billions of dollars in damage and destroy millions of lives. NO I DONT!