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Republican convention opens with focus on hurricane efforts
Published on Tuesday, Sep 02, 2008
Associated Press
ST. PAUL, MINN.: Republicans, determined to propel John McCain to the White House, opened their storm-shortened national convention Monday amid distractions involving running mate Sarah Palin.
Delegates had scarcely settled into their seats when it was disclosed a lawyer had been hired to represent the Alaska governor in an investigation of her firing of the state's public safety commissioner. The other disclosure was personal, not political — the pregnancy of her 17-year-old unmarried daughter.
The convention's opening session was abbreviated as Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast. President Bush skipped his planned speech to go to disaster and relief centers.
McCain was in Waterville, Ohio, where he helped pack supplies to be sent to the Gulf Coast.
Both men's wives sparked cheers when they appeared before the delegates, shunning politics to urge contributions to help storm victims.
Virtually the only political business of the convention's 21/2-hour session was approval of a platform that sidestepped the Iraq war.
''The waging of war — and the achieving of peace — should never be micromanaged in a party platform. . . . In dealing with present conflicts or future crises, our next president must preserve all options,'' it said.
The platform also declares the party's opposition to abortion. The GOP document, which is nonbinding, does not provide exceptions allowing abortion in cases of rape, incest or where a mother's life would be in danger — all favored by McCain. Palin opposes abortion in all cases, consistent with the platform.
The votes came the same day that Palin and her husband, Todd, revealed that their daughter, Bristol, was five months pregnant.
The couple said their daughter planned to marry the baby's father and keep the child.
It was also revealed Monday that an attorney was hired to defend Palin in a probe into the firing of Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. A Republican-dominated legislative committee is investigating whether Palin dismissed Monegan after he refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palin's sister.
The state's attorney general, Talis Colberg, hired Thomas V. Van Flein more than two weeks ago to represent Palin and members of her staff, according to Van Flein.
With their plans for opening day of the convention dashed by Hurricane Gustav, first lady Laura Bush and Cindy McCain instead appealed to GOP faithful to donate time and money to those caught in the storm.
The first lady said, ''Our first priority for today and in the coming days is to ensure the safety and well-being of those living in the Gulf Coast region.''
Matt Riehl, a Stow councilman who is among the Akron-area delegates, said the event has been transformed from ''a political rally to a volunteer call to action.''
Riehl, who is attending his first convention, said delegates Monday night were scheduled to participate in phone banks and pack supplies for the Gulf Coast.
Riehl attended a river boat cruise Sunday night — hosted by Sen. George Voinovich — that became a fundraiser for the relief effort. The Ohio delegation raised $20,000, with Riehl kicking in $50.
Riehl said spirits remain high.
''Everybody's happy to pitch in and help out,'' he said.
There was money news of a more conventional type, when John McCain's aides announced he had raised at least $47 million last month for the fall campaign against Democratic rival Barack Obama. It was the largest monthly amount to date for the GOP candidate.
Aides said McCain was likely to deliver his nomination acceptance speech as scheduled on Thursday. They added they would determine the podium schedule for the balance of the week on a day-to-day basis.
Beacon Journal staff writer Stephanie Warsmith contributed to this report.
Associated Press
Get the full article here.
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