McCain, Republicans Turn Convention Focus to Hurricane Aid


By Christopher Stern and Lorraine Woellert, Bloomberg
September 1, 2008

Article Excerpts:

Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain helped pack relief supplies for Hurricane Gustav victims as the party focused the opening day of its convention into an appeal for aid.

Republican Party and McCain campaign officials continued revising the convention schedule as Gustav hit the Gulf Coast west of New Orleans. McCain plans to accept the party's nomination in St. Paul, Minnesota, they said, as will his running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

McCain, 72, was in Waterville, Ohio, this morning helping volunteers pack up relief packages at a Christian charity organization.

"I hope it's not too bad. We're going to know in a few hours," the Arizona senator said as he packed toiletries and cleaning supplies at the International Services of Hope/IMPACT facility.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama was planning to keep his schedule of campaign events in Michigan and Wisconsin and to focus more on assisting Gustav's victims than the political campaign, aides said. The campaign will use its e-mail list of supporters to solicit donations for hurricane relief.

Gustav weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with winds of about 110 mph (177 kph) as the eye of the storm hit land along the Gulf Coast southwest of New Orleans, the National Hurricane Center said.

Evacuations

About 1.9 million people have fled the coastal areas of Louisiana, including New Orleans, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina three years ago.

President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney already have scrapped plans to address the convention today as it opens. Bush was heading to Texas, where shelters have been set up and relief supplies have been positioned. . . .

McCain decided yesterday to cancel all but a bare bones agenda for today, the convention's opening day. The rest of the week will be concentrated on the legally required actions to qualify McCain as the party's candidate to get on the ballot in all 50 states and receive federal campaign funds.

Aid Appeal

McCain's wife, Cindy McCain, and first lady Laura Bush will address the Republican delegates tonight.

Trying to keep true to McCain's admonition to approach the disasters as "Americans" rather than "Republicans," Cindy McCain's speech will be focused on charitable efforts for those affected by the storm. . . .

Monitoring Storm

Decisions about the convention's program will be continue to be made on a day-by-day basis as party officials monitor the impact of the storm, Davis said. Delegates are being kept informed of plans through a text-message alert system. . . .

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