McCain may postpone convention

John McCain said the Republican National Convention may be postponed, after federal officials said Hurricane Gustav was gathering to a devastating Category 5 as it headed toward star-crossed New Orleans.

“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 Sunday. “So we're monitoring it from day to day and I'm saying a few prayers, too.”


McCain also said: “I'm afraid, Chris, that we may have to look at that situation and we'll try to monitor it. I've been talking to Govs. Jindal, Barbour, Riley. Chris, I've been talking to all of them.”

Officials at the convention, which is to open Monday in St. Paul, Minn., tell Politico they are figuring out how to handle the formal business of nominating McCain even if some delegations are not able to attend.

The officials also are preparing program contingencies in case speakers such as Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal have to cancel.

Maria Cino, the convention’s president and chief executive officer, said in a statement to Politico: "Like all Americans, our prayers are with those who will be affected by Hurricane Gustav. We continue to closely monitor the movement of the storm and are considering necessary contingencies.

“We are in communication with the Gulf state governors to make sure the convention is taking all the appropriate steps as the hurricane progresses. The safety of our affected delegations is our first priority, and preparing for Gustav comes before anything else."

On Friday, Cino vowed on C-SPAN, in a quote picked up by the Drudge Report, that the gavel will come down.

President Bush, first lady Laura Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are scheduled to speak Monday. The government’s botched response to Hurricane Katrina still stings, and Republicans said they doubt the president would come to a political bash if New Orleans were facing a threat.

White House officials were considering a range of alternatives, including a Bush satellite appearance from the Gulf, according to Republican officials. They would not say what the other possibilities were.

Press Secretary Dana Perino told reporters on a conference call Saturday that the government is preparing for a devastating storm of historic proportions.

"We are making contingency plans should the president decide against traveling to Minnesota for the RNC convention," Perino said on the call.

New Orleans officials said they might begin a full evacuation Monday.