McCain Gustav Reaction

McCain packing relief supplies for Hurricane Gustav

Republican presidential candidate John McCain and his staff maintained a close watch on Hurricane Gustav as it gained speed and approached the gulf coast. In a Fox News Channel interview taped for airing Sunday, August 31, 2008, McCain said he was monitoring the situation and considering the postponement of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota¹. UPDATE: Most of the events for the first day of the convention have been postponed, but the convention will not be canceled.

Fast Facts

Republican convention dates: September 1 — September 4, 2008²
Gustav made landfall: September 1 2008, near Cocodrie, Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane³
Most of September 1 convention events were canceled or postponed due to Hurricane Gustav

Quotes

“Senator McCain has always been sensitive to national crises — in the 2000 race, he postponed his announcement because of the situation in the Balkans, and we are monitoring the situation very closely.”— Tucker Bounds, Spokesman to the John McCain campaign⁴

"We are monitoring the situation very closely. [Mr] McCain has always been sensitive to national crises." — Brian Rogers, Spokesman to the John McCain campaign⁵

"You know 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, so we're monitoring it from day to day and I'm saying a few prayers, too." — John McCain¹