Gustav May Delay GOP Convention

Michael 'heckuva job, Brownie' Brown says he just follows Colts

(NEWSER) - The Indianapolis Colts have perhaps taken over as public enemy No. 1 in New Orleans ahead of tomorrow’s Super Bowl matchup with the Saints, but that’s not stopping Michael Brown from trying to get the crown back. Brown, whose handling of Hurricane Katrina as head of the FEMA still gets Louisianans furious, couldn’t bring himself to play nice, or avoid the question entirely, when asked to pick a winner. More»

(NEWSER) - President Bush tonight praised the "courage and vision" of John McCain and invoked the "lessons" of the 9/11 attacks as he asked Americans to vote for him, CNN reports. Bush, who addressed the Republican convention via satellite, also praised McCain for backing the US military surge in Iraq when it was politically unpopular. The president said McCain's "independence and character helped change history." 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?’”

McCain appears presidential; Repubs, compassionate

(NEWSER) - For Republicans, the challenge of Hurricane Gustav's disruption of the party convention is to use it to their advantage without looking like political opportunists, writes Susan Page in USA Today. The cancellation of today's events offers risks and rewards—on the one hand, the loss of an evening of prime-time television; on the other, the chance to position McCain as presidential and the party as compassionate. More»

Bush unlikely to attend; McCain may speak from hurricane zone

(NEWSER) - Hurricane Gustav will likely remove President Bush from the Republican National Convention and see John McCain delivering his acceptance speech from amid the rubble, if the “storm of the century” hits the Gulf Coast as hard as predicted. Convention officials have created a five-state working group to update and assist delegates from the hurricane zone, reports Politico, and McCain is scheduled to be in Jackson, Miss. today. More»