Hurricane Gustav is throwing off the Republican National Convention as the GOP scrambles to schedule, bloggers write. President Bush and Vice President Cheney will not be with the rest of the GOP in St. Paul and liberal bloggers say Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was for the so-called "bridge to nowhere" before she was against it.

Rather than deliver his acceptance speech from the floor of the Republican National Convention, McCain may be heading down to Louisiana to deliver his speech from the disaster zone, Faiz from Think Progress writes. Michelle Malkin meanwhile blasts liberals for using Gustav to hit the GOP over the Bush administration's failed response to Hurricane Katrina.

The GOP is planning a "business only" first day of the convention, which means Bush and Cheney won't be in St. Paul on Monday, The Caucus writes. MyDD's Todd Beeton points out that Bush will be in Houston instead, close enough to seem active in relief efforts but still not getting in the way.

And the Barack Obama campaign and liberal bloggers are circulating an Anchorage Daily News story saying Palin ran on a build-the-bridge platform in 2006 despite her said opposition to the bridge, The Page writes. TPM's Will Thomas says that Palin's shift on the bridge only seems consistent with her desire to join the national political stage.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Palin Attacks Counterproductive - Michelle Malkin
Bush & Cheney Will Miss Too -Todd Beeton, MyDD
Probe May Spell Problem for Palin - TPM
Obama: Compete with China, Turn off TV - The Swamp
Experience & Performance - Jim Manzi, The Corner
McCain Camp Sending Investigators to Alaska - Firedoglake
McCain: I Wish I'd Picked Her Months Ago - Hot Air
Primetime Monday off - The Page

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
GOP to Hold 'Business Only' First Day - The Hill
Gustav Closing in - Washington Post
New Hurrican Brings Opportunity for GOP - AP

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) will hurt John McCain's argument of foreign policy experience, given that she has only traveled abroad twice, liberal bloggers say. Barack Obama describes Palin as"up-and-coming" in a 60 Minutes interview that will air Sunday and Cindy McCain says she was "offended" by Obama's acceptance speech Thursday.

After scolding Obama for only visiting Iraq once during his Senate term, McCain picked a VP that first got a passport in 2007 and has yet to be to Iraq, Satyam at Think Progress writes. Eric Kleefeld at TPM mocks the McCain camp for saying that Palin will "learn national security" over "the next four years."

Obama dissed Palin as little more than a small-town mayor and mother, Townhall's Amanda Carpenter says. But TNR's Noam Scheiber is worried that Obama will overplay his skepticism of Palin, making him look arrogant and creating sympathy for her.

Cindy McCain said she took offense when Obama made fun of her wealth by saying she and her husband don't get ordinary Americans during his acceptance speech, The Page reports. Politcal Radar points out that despite McCain's hurt feelings, the Obama campaign isn't backing down, hitting the couple again for John McCain's houses gaffe.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Pullin' for Palin - Scott Johnson, Power Line
A Bar Ready for Prime Time - TalkLeft
Worse than Quayle - Trapper John, Daily Kos
Gustav Likely to Force Convention Change - Political Ticker
Thanks for Destroying the GOP with Identity Politics - Hot Air
McCain Camp Sending Investigators to Alaska - Firedoglake
Former Mayor - Jonah Goldberg, The Corner
How We Missed Palin - The Fix

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama Memo Takes Shot at Palin - The Hill
Romney Readies for 2012 - AP
Campaigns Shift as McCain Choice Alters Race - New York Times

Announcing that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) would be John McCain vice presidential pick, the McCain campaign touted her "record of delivering on the change and reform that we need in Washington" and her challenge to a "corrupt system" in Alaska.

But during her run for Governor in 2006, one of Palin's ads highlighted the support of now indicted Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).

Stevens, who won his GOP primary this week, was indicted in July for allegedly receiving improper gifts after an federal investigation into his relationship with the VECO Corp.

"We have a state that needs new management," the 84-year-old senator says in the ad.  Stevens says Palin represents "a new generation" adding that she is the "kind of people that should come long and take our places."

Palin is seen in the ad standing next to Stevens as the longest serving GOP senator endorses her and Alaska Lieutenant Gov. Sean Parnell.

In a statement Friday, Stevens applauded the Palin pick, saying, "I have known and worked with Sarah for over a decade – from her service as Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, in her role as president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors, and most recently as our Governor. She is attentive to her job and family, brings people together, and is able to make tough decisions."

The ad no longer appears on her 2006 gubernatorial campaign site, which now redirects visitors to John McCain's presidential site. The liberal blog TalkingPointsMemo reports that the video was still available on Palin's site as of Friday.

But the ad is still widely available on YouTube.

Wireless Internet access will be available free of charge throughout the Twin Cities Wednesday as the Republican convention reaches its third day there, thanks to a partnership between MySpace, the city of Minneapolis, and Internet provider US Internet.

Wireless access is already available throughout the Twin Cities for residents and visitors who pay to use it, but on Wednesday the service will be free to anyone who can pick up the signal, with no password or promotional code required.

The goal, organizers at MySpace say, is to get more people online and highlight the Internet as a political resource. > Read More

John McCain's new running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), could lead Democrats into a trap, according to bloggers on both sides. Barack Obama is getting a bounce in the polls from the Democratic convention, bloggers note. And the Associated Press's convention coverage comes in for more scrutiny from its liberal critics.

Obama's campaign was "whining" when it responded to the choice of Palin by knocking her lack of experience, according to Michelle Malkin. The campaign tried to limit the "instant backfire" to their initial tough response by releasing another statement congratulating Palin for breaking barriers, writes Hot Air's Allahpundit, who also notes Palin's appeal to backers of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). Instead of mocking of Palin's qualifications, Democrats should point out her "phony maverick image" and her conservative ideology, writes Democratic Strategist Ed Kilgore.

The latest Gallup tracking poll, which includes responses taken after the start of the Democratic convention, shows Obama leading McCain 49 percent to 41 percent. The poll has yet to account for Obama's convention speech, but Open Left's Chris Bowers writes that he doesn't expect a bigger bounce due to the announcement of McCain's veep choice.

The Associated Press analysis suggesting that Obama's speech lacked details merely parrots Republican talking points, writes MyDD's Jonathan Singer. A closer look at the speech reveals that the speech was heavy on specifics of his policy proposals while the McCain campaign's response was vague, writes Greg Sargent at TPM Election Central.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Team Obama Whines, Clamors for Relevance - Michelle Malkin
Palin: Let's Shatter That Glass Ceiling - Allahpundit, Hot Air
Avoiding The McCain-Palin Trap - Ed Kilgore, Democratic Strategist
Palin Chosen to Pander - CityMama, MOMocrats
Obama Campaign Responds - Blue Texan, Firedoglake
Biden's Girl Trouble - Michelle Cottle, The Plank
Friday's Tracking Polls - Chris Bowers, Open Left
Obama Stretches Lead to Eight Points - Gallup Daily
Obama's Speech Heavy in Specifics - Greg Sargent, TPM EC
AP Keeps Up War Against Obama - Jonathan Singer, MyDD

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Palin Bursts Onto Stage With Praise for Hillary - The Hill
Obama Speech TV Ratings Far Exceed Past - Reuters

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) congratulated Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and John McCain on the selection of Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate. In a statement, Clinton referenced the policy disagreements she had with the GOP ticket, but also alluded to the historic nature of Palin's veep bid. Palin will become the first female member of a Republican ticket next week at the GOP convention.

Here's Clinton's statement:

"We should all be proud of Governor Sarah Palin's historic nomination, and I congratulate her and Senator McCain. While their policies would take America in the wrong direction, Governor Palin will add an important new voice to the debate."

James Dobson, the influential leader of the religious right, has yet to become a full-throated supporter of John McCain's presidential bid. But in a sign that the Republican presidential candidate is shoring up his conservative base, the Focus on the Family founder issued a resounding endorsement of McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Here's Dobson's full statement.

"Sen. McCain’s selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is an outstanding choice that should be extremely reassuring to the conservative base of his party. She is a strong executive who hates corruption and puts principle above politics. After floating the names of Tom Ridge and Sen. Joe Lieberman in recent weeks – selections that would have created consternation among pro-family Republicans – Sen. McCain has chosen a solid conservative who has a reputation for espousing common sense."

-Manu Raju

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) is looking at a run for California governor in 2010, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

"I can't say that since this [convention] started I haven't thought about it, because I have," Feinstein told the newspaper. "I want to see how close to 60 votes we can get in the Senate, what the committee structure is, and how best I can use my time."

Feinstein, 75, is the chairwoman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and the second-ranking Democrat on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee.

She suggested that she could wait to decide on the race, unlike other possible candidates, such as San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D), who have less experience.

"I have run statewide four times now," she said. "I have a base. It's up and down the state. The state is so big. I think candidates misjudge California. They think they can get in a bus and go around and see enough people. You can't. You need to be known. You need to raise the money. You need to have a combination of campaign organization, support and programs."

She added: "This isn't 2010. I don't need to build an organization to run. I don't need to do an exploratory committee to run. That is all out there if I want to do it. Therefore, at the appropriate time, I will make a decision."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) slammed John McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, saying that it raises questions about his judgment.

Here's her statement:

"The selection of a vice presidential candidate is one of the most significant and telling decisions a presidential candidate can make. John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin raises serious questions about his judgment. Why, when the country is fighting two wars, facing an uncertain economy and an energy crisis, did Senator McCain make the choice that he did? Why, with so many other qualified women and men in his party, did John McCain choose Sarah Palin? Sarah Palin is not the right choice. She shares John McCain’s commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade and continuing George Bush’s failed economic policies."

"John McCain and Sarah Palin will not bring the American people the New Direction they need."