Cops Nab 100 as RNC Protest Turns Violent

First Lady takes up campaign as Gustav idles delegates

(NEWSER) - With most Republican convention events postponed due to Gustav, Laura Bush and Cindy McCain made the case for the Republican ticket, the Chicago Tribune reports. At a breakfast meeting for the Louisiana delegation today, the first lady praised John McCain’s experience and engagement with foreign policy, and Cindy McCain said she was "extremely proud of his pick for vice president." More»

(NEWSER) - Nearly 400 anti-war demonstrators were arrested last night in clashes with police near the Republican convention, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. Officers in riot gear with snowplows, horses, and dump trucks blocked bridges and used tear gas and pepper spray when the protesters attempted to march from the Capitol, the site of an afternoon demonstration, to the Xcel Center. More»

Assuming Palin's shadow doesn't obscure everything, that is

(NEWSER) - With the Republicans set to turn on all the lights at their convention tonight, Martin Kady II of Politico runs down five things to watch for:

• Palin’s shadow: “The theme of tonight’s convention is ‘service,’” Kady notes, “and the trick for the GOP is to focus voters’ attention on the question ‘Who is John McCain?’ when everyone is still asking, ‘Who is Sarah Palin?’”

Storms keeping Gov. Crist from Republican convention, to boot

(NEWSER) - Gov. Charlie Crist called a state of emergency today for Florida as Tropical Storm Hanna, currently over the Bahamas, bears down on his state, the St. Petersburg Times reports. With Gustav’s fringe still causing flooding on Florida’s east coast, officials worry even a miss from Hanna—expected to grow into a Category 2 hurricane by Thursday—could exacerbate the situation. More»

Focus on Gustav keeps mood subdued, 'party free'

(NEWSER) - The GOP convention kicked off yesterday with the most subdued opening anybody can remember, Wayne Slater writes in the Dallas Morning News. The focus was firmly on Hurricane Gustav, Politico reports, and Cindy McCain and Laura Bush stepped in to appeal for aid for storm victims—in lieu of canceled appearances by George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. More»