McCain puts convention on hold as Gustav roars in

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain urged his party “to act as Americans, not as Republicans” and suspended most of his party’s national convention as Hurricane Gustav approached the US Gulf coast.

The Arizona senator, who will accept his party’s presidential nomination on Thursday night, said only those portions of the programme that were absolutely necessary to fulfil requirements would be held when it starts today.

“This is a time when we have to do away with our party politics and we have to act as Americans,” Mr McCain said.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama also turned his attention to Gustav and offered to tap his huge network of donors and volunteers to help any victims.

The last-minute changes to the convention in St Paul, Minnesota, reflected an intense desire by Mr McCain and the Republicans to avoid the political damage that President George Bush suffered from his widely-criticised response to Hurricane Katrina three years ago.

“Throughout our convention, we will act as Americans, not as Republicans,” Mr McCain said.

He was speaking to reporters after addressing the convention delegates via satellite from St Louis. He and his vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin had just received a briefing on hurricane preparations in Jackson, Mississippi.

“I’m happy to report to you that the co-ordination and the work that’s being done at all levels appears to be excellent,” he said.

He cited remaining challenges in communications and search and rescue operations, but emphasised that the response seemed to be going more smoothly than the one three years ago.

“I have every expectation that we will not see the mistakes of Katrina repeated,” he said.

The Bush administration’s handling of that storm contributed to a plunge in the president’s approval ratings that helped the Democrats win control of the US Congress in 2006.

McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said today’s programme will be business only, adding: “We will refrain from any political rhetoric that would be traditional at an opening session of a convention.”

The convention is expected to convene at around 3pm CT today (9pm Irish time) and last for about two and a half hours.

Plans for the rest of the week will be announced on a day-by-day basis as the situation with Gustav develops.

Mr Davis added: “We are working with the delegations, financial people, finance committees, many other concerned individuals to do what we can to raise money for various charities that operate in the Gulf Coast region.”

President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney scrapped plans to address the convention today, and Mr McCain’s campaign chartered a jet to fly delegates back to their hurricane-threatened states along the Gulf Coast.

It is not known when Mr McCain will arrive in St Paul for the convention.

The uncertainty contrasted with a state of readiness inside the Xcel Centre, a hockey arena transformed into a made-for-television red-carpeted convention hall.

Thousands of red, white and blue balloons were nestled in netting high above the floor – to be released during the final-night festivities if the Republicans decide to go ahead with them.

Outside, police took nine people into custody for crossing a security barrier in an anti-war march.

On the Democratic side, Mr Obama said: “I think we can get tons of volunteers to travel down there if it becomes necessary.

“I think we can activate an email list of a couple of million people who want to give back.”

Donations could include cash, goods and individual labour, he said.

But he added that he first intended to ask officials in the affected areas what is most needed, which may not be known for days.

Mr Obama said he might visit storm-damaged areas once “things have settled down” because he did not want to draw resources away from emergency workers, referring to the demands his travelling entourage makes on local police and other officials.