John McCain said the Republican National Convention may be postponed Hurricane Gustav approaches New Orleans, Politico reports.
“It just wouldn’t be appropriate to have a festive occasion while a near-tragedy or a terrible challenge is presented in the form of a natural disaster,” McCain told Chris Wallace of “Fox News Sunday,” in an interview taped for tomorrow. “So we’re monitoring it from day to day and I’m saying a few prayers, too.”
President Bush, first lady Laura Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are scheduled to speak on Monday, the convention’s opening day. Just three years ago, McCain was celebrating his birthday with Bush when floods were hitting New Orleans.
Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, told the San Antonio Express-News that there’s too much time, money, and energy tied into the event to change it.
“Only the toughest partisan would criticize a convention for going on as scheduled. It’s not like people can change a hurricane,” Sabato told Peggy Fikac. “Maybe they should put Pat Robertson to work to pray it away.”
