Gustav to the Fore as the RNC Begins
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Republicans staged a subdued opening to their storm-shadowed national convention today, seeking aid for the Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Gustav as well as support to send Senator McCain to the White House.
Personal news blended with the political when Mr. McCain’s running mate announced that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter was pregnant. “We’re proud of Bristol’s decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents,” Governor Palin of Alaska said in a statement with her husband.
Outside the convention hall, an estimated between 8,000 and 10,000 anti-war protesters smashed windows, punctured tires, and threw bottles as they marched through nearby streets. Police used pepper spray on the demonstrators and made at least five arrests.
The convention was less than 15 minutes old when the chairman of the Republican National Committee, Robert “Mike” Duncan, asked delegates to take out their cell phones and text a five-digit code that would make a donation to the Red Cross to help victims of the hurricane.
