Oregon delegates ponder and party in Twin Cities


By Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian
September 5, 2008

Article Excerpt:

MINNEAPOLIS-Oregon delegates gathered together for the first time Sunday evening when they posed for a group photo at the city's convention center. Nearby, folks mingled around buffet tables set up for a welcoming party for delegates.

In short, it felt like the normal beginning of a convention - but of course it isn't. The McCain-Palin campaign, believing it wouldn't look good to play normal politics in the Twin Cities while millions of people were fleeting Hurricane Gustav, has moved to pare back the convention.

Most of the Oregon delegates I talked to said they understood why the McCain campaign had to act.

"We have to show sensitivity to the storm and the impacts it could have on the Gulf Coast," said Greg Leo, a lobbyist and delegate from Wilsonville. "Mature people will understand, 'Hey, this is a natural calamity and we have to put first things first.'"

Still, not everyone agreed. Russ Walker, the vice chairman of the Oregon GOP and head of the Oregon chapter of Freedom Works, said he thought the convention should go on as normal.

Convention speakers could certainly express concern for victims of hurricane, but "I don't think you can put these things on hold. We're in the middle of an election cycle."

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