McCain, Palin stump; GOP warily eyes Gustav

updated 11:05 p.m. ET Aug. 30, 2008

WASHINGTON, Pa. - John McCain voiced concern for Gulf Coast residents fleeing the path of Hurricane Gustav on Saturday and made plans to visit Mississippi even as he reintroduced running mate Sarah Palin to a raucous crowd in a key battleground state.

"I would like, obviously, to keep in our thoughts and prayers the people on the Gulf Coast, especially in New Orleans, that are threatened by this terrible natural disaster of a hurricane," McCain said, recalling the devastation New Orleans suffered after Hurricane Katrina flooded the city three years ago.

Aides said McCain and his wife, Cindy, planned to join Palin in traveling to Jackson, Miss., Sunday at the invitation of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour because of concerns about people threatened by the storm. Gustav was heading into the Gulf of Mexico and menacing the same area ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The storm could hit the U.S. as early as Monday afternoon.

The McCains and Palin will receive a briefing at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency — a permanent operations center monitoring hurricane response.

On Saturday, the Arizona senator appeared onstage with Palin at a baseball park rally under a hot sun outside Pittsburgh. To shouts of "Sa-rah! Sa-rah!" the Alaska governor thanked the crowd for the warm welcome.

"And it is warm! Not something I'm really used to," Palin said, laughing.

McCain aides say that the campaign has brought in $7 million online since Palin's selection was announced Friday and that her strong anti-abortion credentials have helped energize conservatives, especially conservative women.

A blow to the convention?
But the Palin rollout threatened to be overshadowed by Gustav, with it likely to change the course of the Republican convention, scheduled to open Monday in St. Paul.

If the storm's landfall is serious, McCain said he probably would rethink allowing the four-day political gathering to continue.

"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," McCain said in an interview taped Saturday with "Fox News Sunday." "So we're monitoring it from day to day, and I'm saying a few prayers, too."

Gulf state governors could decide to remain at home if the storm threatens to bring serious damage. It could also affect Monday's opening-night address by President Bush. Gustav's projected path suggests it will make landfall late Monday or early Tuesday on Louisiana's central coast.

A top McCain aide, Mark Salter, said the campaign is drawing up contingency plans for what to do about the convention depending on when and where the storm hits. But he cautioned that it didn't mean the gathering would be canceled outright.

"It might change what we do at the convention" but wouldn't necessarily mean calling it off, Salter said.

Obama wishes Palin luck
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, in his first direct comment on McCain's unexpected running-mate choice, said he had called her on Friday to wish her luck "but not too much."

McCain and Palin made a morning stop at Tom's Diner in Pittsburgh's trendy Southside neighborhood. The running mates, with spouses in tow, greeted patrons and posed for pictures. Palin's daughters Willow and Piper were also on hand, with Willow carrying Palin's 4-month old son, Trig.

The first-term Alaska governor told reporters she was having fun in her new role. "It's great to see another part of the country," she said. She also said she'd managed to get a little sleep during the night.

"We're used to not getting too much sleep," she said, nodding her head toward the sleeping infant.

Palin also issued her first fundraising appeal, saying in an e-mail, "Some of life's greatest opportunities come unexpectedly, and this is certainly the case for me."

A day after his surprise selection of Palin, McCain planned to work part of the day on his convention acceptance speech.

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