John McCain
Republican convention off on a slow start
Tuesday 02 September 2008
Republicans are hoping to get their party's convention back on track after Hurricane Gustav forced organisers to reschedule events. President George W. Bush's absence did not deter a 10,000-strong protest against the war in Iraq.
Special Report Republicans gather in St. PaulTuesday 02 September 2008
By Reuters (text) / N. Rushworth (video)Read our special report on the Republican National Convention
Sarah Palin reveals teenage daughter is pregnant
ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept 2 (Reuters) - Not only did Gustav
slow Republican presidential hopeful John McCain's big
convention party, it also spared him from Democratic criticism
that his election would amount to a third Bush term.
Convention organizers held a truncated business-only
session on Monday and scrapped a planned speech by President
George W. Bush, who visited Texas instead to oversee Hurricane
Gustav relief effort.
The absence of the president, whose nationwide approval
ratings hover around 30 percent, did not deter a crowd of as
many as 10,000 protesters who marched to the convention hall,
chanting anti-war slogans and holding signs criticizing Bush
and the war in Iraq.
Police in riot gear used pepper spray and smoke bombs and
arrested at least 130 demonstrators.
As Hurricane Gustav slammed the Gulf coast on Monday before
being downgraded to a tropical storm, an unofficial bipartisan
cease-fire prevailed, with most Republicans and Democrats
pulling their punches while a major part of the country was
being battered by the storm.
Several television news channels reported that Bush may
address the convention remotely on Tuesday but the White House
would not confirm the reports. According to the White House,
Bush has no official engagements on Tuesday.
Normally, Republican speakers this week would be extolling
the virtues of McCain and trying to define his Democratic rival
Barack Obama as a liberal who would raise taxes.
Instead, the conclave in Minnesota has turned from
politicking to raising money for Gustav victims, with U.S.
first lady Laura Bush and McCain's wife, Cindy, leading the
charge.
Democrats arrived in St. Paul looking to attack McCain just
as the McCain team had lashed out at Obama all last week at
Obama's nominating convention in Denver. McCain is to be
formally nominated by the Republicans on Wednesday as the
party's candidate to face Obama in the Nov. 4 election.
The Democrats' message is that McCain offers "more of the
same" as Bush, whose handling of the Katrina hurricane three
years ago was widely criticized and contributed to his approval
rating of about 30 percent.
MIXED BLESSING
One person scheduled to address the convention was
independent Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who
has been traveling the country with his Republican friend
McCain.
"I'm not going to spend any time tonight attacking Senator
Obama," Lieberman told CNN. "I'm going to talk really to people
in the hall but, I hope, to independents and Democrats out
across America about why I, as an independent Democrat, am
voting for John McCain and hope they will too."
While McCain is missing out on a chance to define Obama for
the American people, he also is not having to endure criticism
about appearances by Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, who
both canceled trips to St. Paul to speak.
As Gustav stole St. Paul's thunder, McCain's vice
presidential running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, underwent
new scrutiny and paid some dividends for McCain.
Palin's surprise pick has injected some fresh energy into
the McCain campaign, leading to larger crowds at his rallies.
Since he made the announcement last Friday, his campaign has
raised $10 million, contributing to an August tally of $47
million.
But Palin also is bringing controversy to the ticket.
She and her husband Todd announced on Monday that their
unmarried 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, was pregnant, and said
the news was being released to counter Internet rumors that the
Alaska governor's 5-month-old son was actually her daughter's
baby.
Republicans, however, rallied around Palin following the
announcement and blamed liberal bloggers for creating a fuss.
"I just think she's remarkable," Cindy McCain told the Fox
News channel. "She truly is a great match for my husband."
McCain spokeswoman Nicolle Wallace criticized "hateful"
slurs and innuendoes in the liberal blogosphere.
"I think the private life of a 17-year-old child ... is
something that was being used as a political weapon by liberal
bloggers and advocates of democratic and liberal causes," she
said on Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show.
-
IN THE FIELD
"Female voters are beginning to wake up to the issue of Palin's daughter pregnancy," C. Galloway in St. Paul, 03/09 1am (GMT+2)
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03/09/2008 13:45:52 Alert a moderator
McCain ready to lead AMERICA?
By >enneth T. Tellis - Canada
If they take George W. Bush's advice that McCain is ready to lead America, then all hope is lost.
If you vote McCain you have to be insane and lack a brain, because America would soon go down the DRAIN.
They woul be going from Obama to a BUMMER if the choose John McCain.
03/09/2008 04:55:05 Alert a moderator
About the Bush Comment
By Anonyme - England
G.W. Bush for once it may be right McCain maybe it's the right man in his eye's to lead the country but not the world as most of the US persistent have tried to do for so may years or is a back up strategy so they would win the elections and there they gone again ?
02/09/2008 21:33:46 Alert a moderator
Sarah Palin
By K.V. Tellis - Canada, Mississauga
Thank God it was Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol that was pregnant. I was aghast when someone said the McCain was pregnant. After all we have never had a man get pregnant, or have we?
McCain could win the presidential election in November if he was pregnant. But that's now water under the bridge. Besides McCain is too old to get pregnant. Boy, how the news gets garbled. It's a pity though that the Republicans are on a losing streak,that is why McCain pulled out the RABBIT from out of the HAT. But since Bristol was pregnant the RABBIT had to die. Well that's life for you.
02/09/2008 20:33:57 Alert a moderator
Can you say "hypocrit?"
By Lee Fiore - USA
As a rational person living in a country run by the insane and ruthless...I find the revelations about Sarah Palin interesting and not at all surprising. I distrust instinctively anyone who postures themselves the way she has. I am a little surprised that all of this has come out already.
02/09/2008 19:05:15 Alert a moderator
Why Palin's announcement
By Sam Thornton - US/Burwell
Palin was forced by events to announce her daughter's pregnancy, specifically, the National Enquirer contacted her, told her they were breaking the story, and asked for her comments.
02/09/2008 09:10:47 Alert a moderator
How old is the daddy of Bristol's baby anyway?
By Eva - United States
This is too much, there were so many other potential GOP candidates with far more extensive and conservative resumes than Sarah Palin and her present soap box dilemmas.
I feel for her family and I wish the best for all concerned but sincerely feel this was a slap in the face to those other candidates that were passed by for a woman who apparently was not aware of what I vice president does.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk20IySDwhw
02/09/2008 06:39:14 Alert a moderator
Media Leakage
By ARR - USA
I think she wanted to tell the country before some random family member leaked it to the press. It looks better for her if she doesn't act as if this is some horrible family secret. Could you imagine if her daughter wasn't marrying the father of her child? Do we still hold the belief that people ONLY marry for love? Smooth move on Palin's part or McCain could kiss his campaign good-bye.
02/09/2008 02:35:28 Alert a moderator
news re: Sarah Palin's daughter
By Jo -
r esponding to what Eva wrote: Isn't it great Sarah has a strong, good man to help with "family issues"?! Many in Britain, Europe and America are not so fortunate. I think they'll manage just fine! A good example for others in same situation. God bless them for loving and supporting their daughter and for her young man planning to marry her and give their child legitimacy.
01/09/2008 23:39:57 Alert a moderator
GOP VP Pick---
By Eva - United States
I believe Sarah has enough on her plate regarding her family issues without piling the troubles of the free world on it….
Geesh….