Republicans Cancel First Day of Convention Due to Hurricane
Update (8:11 p.m.): In the face of an impending storm, organizers for the Republican National Convention blinked on Saturday night, canceling the first day of events on Monday. USA Today's Alan Gomez has the details:
After watching Tropical Storm Isaac creep toward Florida for days, Republican National Convention officials decided late Saturday that it was too risky to start the event on Monday as planned. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said convention officials will only convene briefly on Monday and adjourn for the rest of the day.
"Our first priority is ensuring the safety of delegates, alternates, guests, members of the media attending the Republican National Convention, and citizens of the Tampa Bay area," Priebus said in a statement.
Original post: As Tropical Storm Isaac inches closer and closer to the Florida coast, Republican National Convention organizers are debating cancelling all of Monday's events and spreading them across the other four days.
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Politico's Alexander Burns and Maggie Haberman report organizers are feeling a little skittish about the approaching storm and they're thinking about delaying the start of the convention. No decision has been made, but we should know by Sunday morning if things will be delayed.
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Earlier Saturday afternoon, Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency. It's now being reported that Scott is pulling out of all of his convention commitments in order to attend to any damage Isaac may cause. Joe Biden also cancelled his scheduled trip to Tampa so authorities could better focus their efforts on recovery.
