Charity takes over agenda for GOP

ST. PAUL, Minn. | Politics gave way to charity out of respect to those suffering from Hurricane Gustav when the Republican National Convention gaveled open Monday, but outside the Xcel Energy Center the parties rolled on.

With President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney canceling their speeches, the convention stuck mostly to official business, punctuated by brief appearances to appeal for charity by Laura Bush and Cindy McCain.

The bigger news among the delegates was the revelation that the 17-year-old daughter of their party’s presumptive vice-presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is pregnant. Mrs. Palin, who was out of view in the Twin Cities writing a speech to be delivered Wednesday, earned a big round of applause when Mrs. Bush mentioned her name.

“George and I were planning to come to enjoy this convention, to have a really good time, and we would have been here tonight speaking. But, of course, as we all know, events on the Gulf Coast region have changed the focus of our attention,” Mrs. Bush said. “Our first priority now today is to ensure the safety and the well-being of those living in the Gulf Coast region.”

She and Mrs. McCain also introduced videotaped comments from Republican Gulf state governors, who had canceled or delayed plans to attend. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who leads the hardest-hit state, was the only governor unable to send a message.

The exact content of Tuesday’s program was still up in the air, although Republican officials said they expect some sort of program to take place at night. The original schedule had called for speeches by governors, members of Congress and some of Mr. McCain’s former rivals for the Republican nomination.

Even as the official proceedings were put on hold, the money still rolled - not only for relief efforts, but also at the fundraisers and parties that characterize these conventions.

John McCain’s campaign told the Associated Press that he raised $47 million in contributions in August, the last month for which he will be collecting donations. After he accepts his party’s presidential nomination Thursday night, he will be tied to the public-financing system and receive taxpayer funds.

McCain campaign officials said with the hurricane weakening, they were optimistic that Mr. McCain would be able to accept the nomination in person. This weekend, they had said he might accept it from a remote location by video.

Mrs. Palin’s daughter Bristol’s pregnancy was announced in a statement from the McCain campaign. The vice-presidential candidate and her husband said their daughter would keep the child and would marry the father. She asked the press to respect her family’s privacy.

Coupled with an investigation into accusations that she wanted the state police to retaliate against a trooper involved in a custody battle with her sister, the revelation led critics to argue that Mr. McCain’s vetting effort was weak.

But a McCain campaign official said Mr. McCain learned of the pregnancy and decided that it didn’t matter. The official also said the trooper accusations were examined and deemed baseless.

The revelation hasn’t dented conservatives’ support for Mrs. Palin.

“Honestly, I think it has the opposite effect,” said Connie Mackey, senior vice president of Family Research Council Action. “Their daughter has a problem, they’re handling it within the family and they’ve made decisions that are best for both the mother and the baby.”

Still, she said the revelation is a distraction during a week when Mrs. Palin should be telling her powerful story and helping build the enthusiasm she has brought to the campaign.

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