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A press conference was held on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET from the Republican National Convention to discuss changes to the week's schedule in response to the upcoming landfall and impact of Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf Coast.
Republican presumptive nominee John McCain began the press conference with remarks live via satellite from St. Louis.
"We are facing a great national challenge and the possibility of a great national natural disaster," McCain began.
"So, of course this is a time when we have to do away with our party politics, and we have to act as Americans, he continued. "We're going to suspend most of our activities for tomorrow except for those absolutely necessary."
Mike Duncan, Chairman of the Republican National Committee took to the podium at the press conference in St. Paul to lay out the revised schedule for the week.
"I'm taking my party hat off," Duncan said, "This is about the people who may be in harm's way."
Duncan went on to explain that under party rules, there are certain procedures that must be followed in order to bring the convention to order, and to nominate the president and vice president.
Abbreviated procedures for Monday now include:
- Constituting the convention by calling it to order
- Receiving the report of the credentials committee
- Adopting the rules
- Electing officers of the convention
- Adopting the party platform
McCain Campaign Manager was up next. He said that the convention will begin at its regularly scheduled time, 3 p.m. CT on Monday. The convention is then expected to adjourn at around 5 or 5:30 PM.
Monday's events will be of a business nature only, and will refrain from political rhetoric. As reported earlier, President Bush and Vice President Cheney will not be in attendance.
The Republican National Committee will be holding daily press briefings with updates to the convention's schedule.
You can check back here at convention.newsvine.com for updates as they become available.
What effect will this truncated schedule have on McCain's campaign? Will McCain's message of service become a bigger story than it might have been? At the end of the week, will this been a net gain or loss for the McCain camp?
(And please note, I ask these political questions today with the understanding that the most important question of all is how we can help our fellow Americans in the Gulf Coast.)
