The Republican Convention is segueing from Hurricane Gustav to John McCain today. As RNC Chairman Mike Duncan put it on a conference call currently underway with reporters, “We continue to monitor the situation along the Gulf Coast. … but we’ll be hearing a lot about John McCain.”
The decision to proceed with a full schedule today was made early this morning, according to campaign manager Rick Davis. Today’s theme, under the banner of “Country First” (which is emblazoned throughout the convention hall), is “Who is John McCain?”
President Bush will speak to delegates via a satellite hookup. Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN) will give a speech titled “The Courage and Service of John McCain.” The evening’s featured speaker is Sen. Joe Lieberman, whose speech is titled “The Original Maverick.”
That means Rudy Giuliani is getting bumped from his speaking slot tonight to make room for some of the events delayed from Monday, but Davis says they are trying to reschedule Rudy for Wednesday night.
