McCain says RNC could be postponed due to Gustav
Politico and Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 08/30/2008 06:15:45 PM CDT
Despite an overture from John McCain that Hurricane Gustav might postpone the Republican National Convention, delegates from the most vulnerable state are here in the Twin Cities, and they're planning on staying.
Louisiana state Sen. Almond Crowe, said neither his state's delegation nor it's Republican party have requested any scheduling alterations from RNC organizers.
"From talking with State Party Chairman Roger Villere, some of the people might not be able to make it, but I think everything's still a go," Villere said told the Pioneer Press this evening as he navigated the Minneapolis streets.
McCain said the Republican National Convention may be postponed as federal officials said Gustav was gathering to a devastating Category 5 as it headed toward star-crossed New Orleans.
"It just wouldn't be appropriate to have a festive occasion while a near-tragedy or a terrible challenge is presented in the form of a natural disaster," McCain told Chris Wallace of "Fox News Sunday," in an interview taped for tomorrow. "So we're monitoring it from day to day and I'm saying a few prayers, too."
McCain also said: "I'm afraid, Chris, that we may have to look at that situation and we'll try to monitor it. I've been talking to Govs. Jindal, Barbour, Riley. Chris, I've been talking to all of them."
Officials at the convention, to open Monday in St. Paul, tell Politico they are figuring out how to handle the formal business of nominating McCain even if some delegations are not able to attend.
The officials also are preparing program contingencies in case such speakers as Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal have to cancel.
Crowe said he doubts Jindal, who is scheduled to speak Wednesday will be able to make it to Minnesota, given that full-scale evacuations are in place across portions of the Gulf Coast. "At least at this point, it's not possible for him to come," Crowe said. "I know he is not going to leave the state unless he knows it's safe."
St. Paul City Hall, meanwhile, said no change of plans is being considered there.
"There is still no indication that a delay is on the table anywhere," Bob Hume, spokesman for Mayor Chris Coleman, told the Pioneer Press.
Maria Cino, the convention's president and chief executive officer, said in a statement to Politico: "Like all Americans, our prayers are with those who will be affected by Hurricane Gustav. We continue to closely monitor the movement of the storm and are considering necessary contingencies.
"We are in communication with the Gulf state governors to make sure the convention is taking all the appropriate steps as the hurricane progresses. The safety of our affected delegations is our first priority and preparing for
Gustav comes before anything else."
On Friday, Cino vowed on C-SPAN, in a quote picked up by the Drudge Report, that the gavel will come down. President Bush, First lady Laura Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are scheduled to speak Monday. The government's botched response to Hurricane Katrina still stings, and Republicans said they doubt the president would come to a political bash if New Orleans was facing a serious threat.
New Orleans officials said they might begin a full evacuation Monday. Like a bad summer rerun, Republican officials have been slow to acknowledge the importance of the storm, even after NBC's Chuck Todd had been saying for days that it could result in a "split-screen America" between the Republican shindig and a threatened Gulf coast.
Earlier this week, officials refused to entertain questions about it from Politico and one top official had not heard about the storm.
http://www.twincities.com/rnc/ci_10344638