Hurricane Gustav hot on the heels of Republican convention

New forecasts Friday made it increasingly clear that New Orleans will get some kind of hit –
direct or indirect – by early next week. That raised the likelihood people would have to flee,
and the city suggested a full-scale evacuation call could come as soon as Sunday.

GDO Report

McCain has made a last minute trip to Mississippi with running mate Sarah Palin in an attempt to separate himself from the mistakes of the Bush administration three years ago in response to the tragedy of Katrina, also hinting that the convention could be postponed or pared back even as the first guests were arriving in St. Paul.

Gustav tears toward Gulf Coast

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - The storm is headed straight for the state of Louisiana, the state devastated only three years ago by Hurricane Katrina. Yesterday Gustav passed over the western tip of Cuba, causing damage that Reuters reported could take months to gauge and losing only 24 km/h (15 mph).

New Orleans is already in process of a large scale mandatory evacuation and hurricane warnings have been issued from the Louisiana/Texas border to the southern tip of Alabama.

More than one million residents of New Orleans and other coastal cities made their way out of the hurricane's path by means of planes, buses and cars. New Orleans Mayor Nagin has warned that Gustav could be the "storm of the century."

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - McCain and Palin are flying to Mississippi Sunday to supervise the preparations for Gustav in an attempt to make a clear divide between McCain's candidacy and the mistakes of the deeply unpopular Bush Administration, who reacted slowly and with poor organisation to 2005's tragedy in the region.

New Orleans residents flee potential hurricane Deadly Gustav threatens Caymans after swamping Jamaica Obama accepts historic nomination at the DNC McCain picks Alaska governor for running mate Gulf prepares for deadly Gustav No decision has been made thus far regarding the GOP convention proceedings. However governors from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi have announced they will not attend.

George Bush's appearance may also be cancelled, with the president appearing by video feed from the crisis region. The convention itself, where McCain is set to accept the official nomination as candidate, looks like it will be at least pared down and quite likely postponed. Republicans fear that a celebration during what could turn into another humanitarian crisis could affect the party's popularity.

"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 told Fox news.

The two presidential hopefuls take a different stance on a number of issues. Here we take a brief glimpse into the men's backgrounds...

Obama McCain abortion education housing trade Iraq Iran immigration energy social security health care gun control gay marriage McCain: Opposes abortion rights. Has voted for abortion restrictions permissible under Roe v. Wade, and now says he would seek to overturn that guarantee of abortion rights while being open to a running mate who supports abortion rights.

Obama: Would add about 7,000 troops to the U.S. force of 36,000, bringing the reinforcements from Iraq. Has threatened unilateral attack on high-value terrorist targets in Pakistan as they become exposed, „if Pakistan cannot or will not act“ against them.

McCain: Co-authored the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. He plans to run his general campaign with public money and within its spending limits. He has urged Obama to do the same. He applied for federal matching funds for primaries but later turned them down so he could spend more than the limits. Federal Election Commission belatedly approved his decision to bypass the primary funds, but rejected McCain's claim that he needed no such approval. McCain accepts campaign contributions from lobbyists.

Obama: The presidential campaign's fundraising champion has brought in $390 million. He plans to raise private money for his general election, despite his proposal last year to accept public financing and its spending limits if the Republican nominee does, too. Obama refuses to accept money from federal lobbyists and has instructed the Democratic National Committee to do the same for its joint victory fund, an account that would benefit the nominee. Obama does accept money from state lobbyists and from family members of federal lobbyists.

McCain: Ease restrictions on Cuba once U.S. is „confident that the transition to a free and open democracy is being made.“

Obama: Ease restrictions on family-related travel and on money Cuban-Americans want to send to their families in Cuba. Open to meeting new Cuban leader Raul Castro without preconditions. Ease trade embargo if Havana „begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change.“

McCain: Has supported expansion of the federal death penalty and limits on appeals.

Obama: Supports death penalty for crimes for which the „community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage.“ As Illinois lawmaker, wrote bill mandating videotaping of interrogations and confessions in capital cases and sought other changes in system that had produced wrongful convictions.

McCain: Favors parental choice of schools, including vouchers for private schools when approved by local officials, and right of parents to choose home schooling. More money for community college education.

Obama: Encourage but not require universal pre-kindergarten programs, expand teacher-mentoring programs and reward teachers with higher pay not tied to standardized test scores, in $18 billion plan. Change Bush's No Child Left Behind law „so that we're not just teaching to a test and crowding out programs like art and music.“ Tax credit to pay up to $4,000 of college expenses for students who perform 100 hours of community service a year.

McCain: Favors increased offshore drilling and federal money to help build 45 nuclear power reactors by 2030. Opposes drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Proposed suspending the federal gasoline tax but idea got no traction. Global warming plan would increase energy costs.

Obama: Now would consider limited increase in offshore drilling. Opposes drilling in Arctic reserve. Proposes windfall-profits tax on largest oil companies to pay for energy rebate of up to $1,000. Opposed suspension of the gas tax. Open to tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for short-term relief from high energy costs. Global warming plan would increase energy costs.

McCain: Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it. Says same-sex couples should be allowed to enter into legal agreements for insurance and similar benefits, and states should decide about marriage.

Obama: Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it. Supports civil unions, says states should decide about marriage.

McCain: Broke with President George W. Bush on global warming. Led Senate effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions; favors tougher fuel efficiency. Favors plan that would see greenhouse gas emissions cut by 60 percent by 2050.

Obama: Ten-year, $150 billion program to produce „climate friendly“ energy supplies that he'd pay for with a carbon auction requiring businesses to bid competitively for the right to pollute and aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. Joined McCain in sponsoring earlier legislation that would set mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions. Supports tougher fuel-efficiency standards.

McCain: Voted against ban on assault-type weapons but in favor of requiring background checks at gun shows. Voted to shield gun-makers and dealers from civil suits. „I believe the Second Amendment ought to be preserved – which means no gun control.“

Obama: Voted to leave gun-makers and dealers open to suit. Also, as Illinois state lawmaker, supported ban on all forms of semiautomatic weapons and tighter state restrictions generally on firearms.

McCain: $2,500 refundable tax credit for individuals, $5,000 for families, to make health insurance more affordable. No mandate for universal coverage. In gaining the tax credit, workers could not deduct the portion of their workplace health insurance paid by their employers.

Obama: Mandatory coverage for children, no mandate for adults. Aim for universal coverage by requiring employers to share costs of insuring workers and by offering coverage similar to that in plan for federal employees. Says package would cost up to $65 billion a year after unspecified savings from making system more efficient. Raise taxes on wealthier families to pay the cost.

McCain: Open to helping homeowners facing foreclosure if they are „legitimate borrowers“ and not speculators.

Obama: Tax credit covering 10 percent of annual mortgage-interest payments for „struggling homeowners,“ scoring system for consumers to compare mortgages, a fund for mortgage-fraud victims, new penalties for mortgage fraud, aid to state and local governments stung by housing crisis, in $20 billion plan geared to „responsible homeowners.“

McCain: Sponsored 2006 bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S., work and apply to become legal residents after learning English, paying fines and back taxes and clearing a background check. Now says he would secure the border first. Supports border fence.

Obama: Voted for 2006 bill offering legal status to illegal immigrants subject to conditions, including English proficiency and payment of back taxes and fines. Voted for border fence.

McCain: Favors tougher sanctions, opposes direct high-level talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Obama: Initially said he would meet Ahmadinejad without preconditions, now says he's not sure „Ahmadinejad is the right person to meet with right now.“ But says direct diplomacy with Iranian leaders would give U.S. more credibility to press for tougher international sanctions.

McCain: Opposes scheduling a troop withdrawal, saying latest strategy is succeeding. Supported decision to go to war, but was early critic of the manner in which administration prosecuted it. Was key backer of the troop increase. Willing to have permanent U.S. peacekeeping forces in Iraq.

Obama: Spoke against war at start, opposed troop increase. Voted against one major military spending bill in May 2007; otherwise voted in favor of money to support the war. Says his plan would complete withdrawal of combat troops in 16 months. Initially had said a timetable for completing withdrawal would be irresponsible without knowing what facts he'd face in office.

Obama: Would raise payroll tax on wealthiest by applying it to portion of income over $250,000. Now, payroll tax is applied to income up to $102,000. Rules out raising the retirement age for benefits.

McCain: Pledged not to raise taxes, then equivocated, saying nothing can be ruled out in negotiating compromises to keep Social Security solvent. Twice opposed Bush's tax cuts, at first because he said they were tilted to the wealthiest and again because of the unknown costs of Iraq war. Now says those tax cuts, expiring in 2010, should be permanent. Proposes cutting corporate tax rate to 25 percent.

Obama: Raise income taxes on wealthiest and their capital gains and dividends taxes. Raise corporate taxes. $80 billion in tax breaks mainly for poor workers and elderly. Eliminate tax-filing requirement for older workers making under $50,000. A mortgage-interest credit could be used by lower-income homeowners who do not take the mortgage-interest deduction because they do not itemize their taxes.

Obama: Seeks to reopen North American Free Trade Agreement to strengthen enforcement of labor and environmental standards.

Hurricane Gustav hot on the heels of Republican convention

Mandatory Evacuation...New Orleans residents flee potential hurricane

Mandatory Evacuation...
New Orleans residents flee potential hurricane