St. Paul, Minn.–

With Hurricane Gustav about to slam into the Gulf Coast, the GOP is making drastic changes to the convention, which is slated to start here tomorrow.

John McCain addressed the press via satellite from St. Louis where he is campaigning today and was joined by RNC chairman Mike Duncan and McCain campaign manager Rick Davis. The convention will not be canceled or postponed, but there will be serious changes starting with Day One of the convention. Instead of a whole evening of speakers praising their almost-nominee and hitting Barack Obama tomorrow’s events will be abbreviated. McCain said it was “a time for action” and convention-goers should take off their “Republican hats” and put on their “American hats” to bring the country together while Gustav wreaks havoc on the Gulf coast, “This is a time when we have to do away with our party politics and we have to act as Americans. We have to join with 3 million other Americans on behalf of our fellow citizens. It’s a time for actions.”

Davis said that each day’s convention activities would be announced that day and he did not talk about specifics for later in the week. Tomorrow the convention will open at 3pm central time, but it will only consist of “essential business” which includes electing officers, adopting the Party rules and the Party platform and it is expected to conclude around 5:30pm.

McCain was briefed on the impending storm today in Jackson, Mississippi and he was clear that Gustav will not be another Katrina with regards to government mishandling of the tragedy, “I can also tell you the level of cooperation between the federal government, the state governments, the local governments in Louisiana and in the other effected states is excellent, is excellent. And I have every expectation that we will not see the mistakes of Katrina repeated, in fact I’m very optimistic that we will see a degree of cooperation and effort on behalf of any victims of any one who’s lives are touched by this great natural disaster that may be continue to do, as Governor Haley Barbour said the other day, he said today, ‘Pray for the best and prepare for the worst’ and I think that’s what we are doing as nation.”

Rick Davis, McCain campaign manager spoke next and said that they had hoped for a more traditional convention, but events have “conspired to do otherwise.” He pressed that no decisions have been made post 5:30 tomorrow.

The campaign is flying delegates from Gulf Coast states home and some may even return to the convention with their families. The first charter left today, but Davis said they would continue all week. They also have a committee of delegates from the Gulf Coast states that have been giving advice to the campaign on what changes should be made to the convention. There will be an information center set up to brief the delegates on those changes and the progression and damage of the storm.

He repeated that tomorrow will be business only with no political rhetoric and that they are working on fundraising for people who will be affected. They will tap delegates and others at the convention for donations and Davis pressed McCain’s commitment to raising funds for storm victims, “We are working with the delegations, the finance people who are here. Our own finance committee that is in attendance and many other concerned individuals to do what we can to raise money during the course of the week for various charities that operate in the Gulf Coast region,” Davis told reporters, “Something we have a late start on I would say but it’s something that the Senator is completely committed to by using all the generous people that are here for a political convention and see if we can turn them into charitable fundraisers on behalf of those who will be affected by the hurricane. “

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By Steve Fair, Oklahoma delegate

Debbie and I arrived in Minneapolis-St. Paul around 3pm this afternoon. Northwest was on time and while the Twin Cities airport is not the most user friendly in the country, it’s not the worst either.

We arrived at the Four Points Sheraton around 4pm. Ironically Gary Jones, the GOP State Party Chair was unloading luggage for some of the interns helping out as we drove up. We checked in and then changed clothes and then Debbie and I headed to Bethlehem Baptist Church. John Piper is the pastor. He is a very well known Christian writer and pastor. I had researched when he would be preaching this weekend and 5:30pm Saturday was the only time. We made it just in time- thanks to my Magellan GPS. The music was a little too contemporary for an old man, but the message was outstanding. Piper’s subject was “Spiritual Wisdom.”

His text was Philippians 2:4 which says LET EACH OF YOU LOOK OUT NOT ONLY FOR HIS OWN INTERESTS, BUT ALSO FOR THE INTEREST OF OTHERS. Here are some notes I jotted down from the message.

1.  Wisdom is the ability of of the soul to discern God glorifying, Christ exalting, Gospel spreading, and People serving ways to live with the knowledge we have.

2.  Until you are stunned by the grace of God, you will go through life with a sense of entitlement.

3.  Humility is the opposite of entitlement.

4.  Philippians 2:4 should be the Charter of a Christian’s life.

5.  Republicans & Democrats will all bow their knee to the King of Kings.

Piper is leaving tomorrow to travel to England to preach a four day series on the book of Ruth. The thousand plus crowd reflected a diversity of races and cultural backgrounds. Debbie and I introduced ourselves to Dr. Piper and congratulated him on his newest grandson. After a trip to the church bookstore which cost me close to a $100, we headed out to eat.

We have several receptions and meetings tomorrow. Getting to bed early so we can rest up for the rest of the week.

Battle Creek, Michigan, home to Kellogg’s cereal brand, hosted candidates Barack Obama and Joe Biden at a rally this evening, where Democratic candidate for congress, Mark Schauer showed off this special edition Frosted Flakes box to the 17,000+ crowd.

Don’t look for it at your local supermarket, however. Kellogg’s only printed two.

Gregg Harper, Mississippi Delegate

On behalf of the Mississippi delegation, let me say that we are all very concerned about the safety and well-being of the citizens of our state. I will remain in Mississippi and my staff and I will be in close contact with Mississippi’s elected officials and community leaders to be sure that all pertinent resources and assistance are available to the areas affected by Hurricane Gustav.

By Michael Cravens, Mississippi Delegate

We know that while the convention is extremely important to our nation there is nothing more important than the safety of the people of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana who may be affected by the storm.

As Democrats slam his new runningmate as unprepared for the Oval Office, Sen. McCain defended Palin’s experience and readiness during his interview with Fox News Sunday. Referring to her as a “soulmate,” McCain argued that her executive experience makes her more qualified for the presidency than Barack Obama.

Apart of the exchange below:

CHRIS WALLACE: Let’s start with your choice of a running mate. Of all the people you could have chosen, of all the Republican leaders you’ve known for years, great thought, can you honestly say that Sarah Palin is the best person to put a heartbeat away from the presidency?

MCCAIN: Oh, yes. She’s a — she’s a partner and a soul-mate. She — she’s a reformer. I don’t particularly enjoy the label “maverick,” but when somebody takes on the old bulls in her own party, runs against an incumbent governor of her own party, stands up against the oil and gas interests — I mean, they really are so vital to the economy of her — of the state of Alaska. I mean, it’s remarkable. It’s a remarkable person.

And I’ve watched her record, and I’ve watched her for many, many years as she — as she implemented ethics and lobbying reforms. And I mean, she led. She didn’t just vote for it. She led it. I’ve seen her take on her own party.

Look, one thing I know is that when you take on your own party in Washington, you pay a price for it. You do. You pay a price for it. And she’s taken on the party in her own state. She takes on — she took on a sitting governor and defeat him — defeated him.

And so I’ve — I’m so pleased and proud, because this — this is a person who will help me reform Washington and change the way they do business. And that’s what Americans want.

WALLACE: But let me ask you…

MCCAIN: Sure.

WALLACE: … about the concerns that a lot of voters, who haven’t heard of Sarah Palin before yesterday, are asking. Compared to, say, Tom Ridge or Joe Lieberman, why is Governor Palin superior in dealing with national security and foreign policy?

MCCAIN: Look, those people you talk about, Joe, Tom Ridge and Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, they’re wonderful people. And I’m grateful for the opportunity that I’ve had to know them and work with them.

But look, what this brings is — is a spirit of reform and change that is vital now in our nation’s capital. Eighty-four percent of the American people think the country’s on the wrong track. In our party, we have corruption. We have former members of Congress residing in federal prison. So it’s not surprising to me that — that we’ve seen an incredible invigoration around our party and around the nation. Not just Republicans, but Democrats.

And by the way, in the last day and a half, or whatever it’s been, we have raised $4 million on the Internet. I wish I’d have taken her a month ago.

WALLACE: But you have said that the existential threat we face…

MCCAIN: Sure.

WALLACE: … the threat to our existence is from Islamic terrorism. Foreign policy is Job 1 for the commander in chief.

MCCAIN: Sure.

WALLACE: You have criticized Obama as being, quote, “dangerously unprepared to be president.” In the sense of national security and foreign policy specifically, isn’t Sarah Palin even more dangerously unprepared?

MCCAIN: Oh, no. Look, she’s got — she’s got the right judgment. She’s got the right judgment. She doesn’t think, like Senator Obama does, that Iran is a minor irritant. She knows that the surge worked and succeeded, and she supported that. Senator Obama still — still to this day refuses to acknowledge that the surge has succeeded. She’s been commander in chief of the Alaska Guard, that has served back and back (ph). In fact, as you know, she’s got a son who’s — who’s getting ready to go.

But she’s had the judgment on these issues. And if Senator Obama has not had — he’s had all the wrong judgments. And Governor Palin understands these issues, and she understands the challenges that we face.

So she’s had 12 years of elective office experience, including traveling to Kuwait, including being involved in these issues. And look, I’m so proud that she has displayed the kind of judgment and she has the experience and judgment as an executive. She’s run a huge economy up there in the state of Alaska. Twenty percent of our energy comes from the state of Alaska, and energy is obviously one of the key issues for our nation — national security.

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done

PEARL, MS — Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin traveled to Pearl, Mississippi Sunday morning to receive a briefing at the MS Emergency Management Agency on the latest preps for Hurricane Gustav.

FNC’s Carl Cameron was apart of the small media pool who traveled with the GOP ticket. See Carl’s video from the trip above. (Note: Palin speaking with Senior Adviser Steve Schmidt on the tarmac in St. Louis and McCain’s sons Jimmy and Jack walking up the stairs to the plane with Sen. and Mrs. McCain.)

After a brief tour led by MS Governor Haley Barbour, McCain delivered a short statement. Palin did not address reporters.

McCain statement:

“Thank you very much Governor Barbour and, uh, calling hurricane Katrina, I want to thank you for you and your wife Marsha’s heroic efforts when that tragedy struck the Gulf and the state of Mississippi.

We just had, as governor Barbour mentioned, a national update with the president and the four governors whose states are most threatened. Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. It was a thorough briefing. There are still issues and challenges, but the fact is that there is no doubt that there has been, thank God, dramatic improvements since the last tragedy of hurricane Katrina.

The coordination between state, local and federal governments is dramatically improved. Governor Perry of Texas is dispatching C-130s to lakefront Louisiana. They are still in need for search-and-rescue capabilities as they try very hard in the short time remaining to make sure that every citizen is out of harm’s way. There is no doubt that the highway capacities are strained, and as Governor Barbour mentioned the coordination between federal, state and local authorities is dramatically improved.

That doesn’t mean that every thing is fine. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t still challenges and unfortunately some people have chosen foolishly to remain behind. But the communications capabilities are dramatically improved, but frankly, the communications capabilities are still not at the level that we want them to be. I am grateful for the coordination and the effort made these four governors, Louisiana itself obviously among many, many threats in New Orleans is the rising lake levels that could overtop some of the levees along with many other challenges that this almost so far unprecedented hurricane in both size and magnitude is threatening the people of this country as well as on the Gulf Coast.

And as in the past three times out four the hurricanes have made a shift east, and so that the predictability of exactly where this hurricane will hit is still not entirely clear.

We Americans, obviously, I am directing program changes for beginning on Monday night’s activities at our convention. We must redirect our efforts from the really celebratory event of the nomination of the president and vice president of our party to acting as all Americans. We’ll change our program and we’ll be announcing that and the details of it in the next few hours.

But there is very little doubt that we have to go from a party event to the call to the nation for action, action to help our fellow citizens in this time of tragedy and disaster, action in the form of volunteering, donations, reaching out our hands and our hearts and our wallets to the people who are under such great threat from this great natural disaster. I pledge that tomorrow night, and if necessary, throughout our convention if necessary, to act as Americans not Republicans, because America needs us now no matter whether we are Republican or Democrat.

And America needs all of us to do what American have always done in times of disaster and challenge, and that is join together and help our fellow citizens. So I want again, I want to thank Governor Barbour, Governor Perry, Governor Riley, and of course Governor Jindal of Louisiana.

I also want to thank the folks at FEMA and all of the organizations including the volunteer organizations of which there are already thousands that stand ready to assist our citizens. That’s what America is all about.”

TOLEDO, OH — Barack Obama brought up John McCain’s new Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin for the first time in a regular campaign speech at an economic town hall in this rust belt city, criticizing her for opposing equal pay.

But Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Joe Biden took a slightly different tack at the same event — praising the former beauty queen’s attractive appearance.

“There’s a gigantic difference between John McCain and Barack Obama, and between me and I suspect my Vice Presidential opponent,” Biden said, preparing to launch into a critique of the GOP — but stopping when the crowd chuckled at the line.

“Well, there’s obvious differences,” he said. “She’s good looking.”

Not everyone in the crowd agreed that the candidates’ respective appearances was a legitimate distinction. One woman yelled out that Biden himself is easy on the eyes.

“Where is that person. Who said that?” asked the senator. “Would you say that again for my wife?” The woman obliged. “You Are Gorgeous!” she shouted into Biden’s microphone.

“Oh, I tell you what,” Biden exlaimed. “Would you make sure Jill hears that? You know what I mean? I just want to make sure she hears that. I haven’t heard that in a long, long, long time, and hanging around this lean young looking guy is making me feel pretty old!”

“I thought I was in pretty good shape ’til I hung out with this guy,” he continued. “I’m looking good alright, I’ll tell you what.”

“Let me end on a serious note here,” Biden said, attempting — but unable — to get back on track. “On a serious note — I was a pretty good football player, man. We ought to talk a little bit after this.”

Yesterday Barack Obama told reporters that he would not go to the hurricane zone to avoid taking away resources needed to evacuate the region facing Gustav’s threat. “I think you all are aware of now that we have a very big, uh, tail,” Obama said, referring to the large entourage of press, staff, Secret Service, and local law enforcement that creates the “Obama bubble.” He continued, “Sometimes we can be a distraction in these kinds of situations…I will do whatever is required that is useful, but right now the main thing that’s useful us letting everyone evacuate out there now.”

This morning John McCain traveled to Mississippi - with his own “tail,” while Obama campaigned in Ohio - far from Gustav’s destination.

When asked if he thought the trip was appropriate, Obama gave him the benefit of the doubt. “A big storm like this raises bipartisan concerns and I think for John to want to find out what is going on is fine. The thing that I always is concerned about in the middle of the storm is whether we are drawing resources away from folks on the ground, because the Secret Service and various security requirements sometimes it pulls police and fire and other departments away from concentrating on the job. I am assuming that where he went that wasn’t an issue and we are going to try to stay clear of the area until things have settled down and then we will probably try to figure out how we can be as helpful as possible,” Obama told reporters in Lima.

At a rally in Dublin, Ohio, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown took the microphone prior to Senators Obama and Biden. During his brief introductory remarks, Ohio’s junior senator mentioned new-to-the-national-scene GOP candidate, Sarah Palin.

The crowd predictably booed. “Think about this,” Brown said. “Barack Obama, John McCain have each had one major task of their judgment. John McCain chose someone who was a mayor of a town of 7,000 people, then was elected governor, has been governor of a state for 18 months — governor of a state that’s half the population of Franklin County,” he said incredulously. “And yet she’s gonna be a heartbeat away from the president?”

Someone on the crowd of 18,000 yelled out, “No way!” Brown replied, “No way is right! Now on the other hand, in his first exercise of good judgment, Barack Obama chose Joe Biden.” **

Meanwhile, Obama has not mentioned Palin by name - or referenced McCain’s veep pick at all - at any campaign event, only answering questions about Palin from reporters. Today he alluded to the GOPer for the first time at the Dublin rally.  “After 19 months of traversing this country, traveling to every state except Alaska, which now that I think about it…” Obama began his stump speech. As the crowd laughed, he added, “I’m gonna have to go up there now.”

Obama later told reporters that Palin “seems to have a wonderful engaging personality” and that her election to the governorship “shows she’s got real political skills.” That said, Obama accused her of subscribing to the same policies as John McCain. “I don’t get a sense that the addition of this vice presidential choice is gonna change the fact that he wants to take the country in the wrong direction,” he said, treading the fine line between complimenting and attacking the GOP’s history-making candidate.

While Republicans counter Palin has more executive experience than either Obama or Biden, the Democratic nominee encouraged reporters to compare Biden’s experience with Palin’s. “I feel confident about my choice,” he said.

The debate, no doubt, will continue.

**In case you were curious, according to the 2006 census, 670,053 people live in Alaska, while 853,476 reside in Joe Biden’s home state of Delaware.