McCain: I May Postpone Convention Due To Gustav

John McCain said the Republican National Convention may be postponed as federal officials said Hurricane 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."

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[idyl]

A second hurricane now looms large in the Atlantic. Six days after Gustav, Hurricane Ike is a category four storm heading directly for Guantanamo Bay. The press has not covered the story yet, but Guantanamo Bay is U.S. Territory, and we have heard nothing about preparations at the military base?

[thinkagain2]

As the presumptive (not official) nominee, does McCain have the authority to postpone convention events? Wouldn't that directive come from the RNC or the Convention committee?

[starrianna]

NO HE WON'T -- not if they can take advantage of the DRAMA.

[isis]

It might be weakening some. I hope so because I don't want the people to suffer and I don't want to pay for Blackwater to strut around.

[lvogt]

Go there for your own political benefit and be a big distraction to the relief effort.
Well done.

[janmarie]

I wonder if any of those evangelists will say this is God's wrath?

[ObamAtomic]

McPow,please retirement is better option,anyways three years ago,you were with Bushey
celebrating your birthday,why is the change of heart NOW?
Do you believe we are a bunch of fools,,,even nature is spoiling your plans,haha!

[duy26]

While I am glad the GOP convention is partially disrupted, I am not glad that many lives could be lost in this hurricane. I hope everyone evacuates safely. The terrible events post Katrina must not happen again!

[inonoatama]

Postponing a big event like the Republican Convention would be no small task. You"re talking tens of thousands of hotel and air and rental car reservations getting shifted around (if even possible), staggering amounts of catering, overtime, late and revisions charges out the wazoo for everything from stagehands to security guards to trucking to equipment rentals. The Republicans will have an already stressful logistical problem strained to horror-show proportions; it will put a big, painful bloody gash in their campaign budget ... one huge demoralizing mess. This omnipotent being conservatives incessantly talk about must indeed work in mysterious ways ...

[SheriChardonnay]

why would they do that? b/c they cant TOP THE DEMS.....MN is no where near the gulf coast.

[Lion24]

Terry Gilliam's movie, "Brazil," keeps coming to mind.

[FaceYourFears]

What a joke

[BabsfromKansas]

So it"s not ok to celebrate during a disaster, but it is ok to use it for political advantage???

[Gary47]

He's not going to postpone the convention. Sheesh. This is just a headline ploy to fool a couple people in to thinking he's compassionate. What a complete fraud.

[DRaymond]

that is way easier said than done, Are the hotels, convention halls, etc all available next week? Can the networks afford to have their full crews hang around idle, essentially doubling their costs? How about the whole after-convention schedule? Which two weeks of campaign appearances get dropped?

[formerprosecutor]

Just the thought of having to be-book all those air tickets is overwhelming; if it could even be done

[formerprosecutor]

If the RNC is postponed, they may as well cancel it all together, because I predict (let's see, where is my crystal ball) that this will be the smallest National Convention in modern history.

[Lion24]

The GOP corporate titans are probably glad the convention may be postponed.

Do you think they want to watch Palin come out to the podium and exclaim gleefully: "Hi, everybody!"