Here's something we should all be able to agree is a good idea:

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said Sunday he will tap his huge political network of donors and volunteers to help U.S. victims of Hurricane Gustav after it comes inland. ... "I think we can activate an e-mail list of a couple of million people who want to give back," he said. Donations could include cash, goods and individual labor, he said.

Obama will wait until local officials make clear what sort of assistance is needed before asking volunteers to help. In the meantime, his website offers information for people in the area and links to relief agencies that need financial support.

Update: Obama says he is fine with McCain's visit to Mississippi because the response to a natural disaster should be bipartisan, but doesn't plan to travel to the disaster area himself until he can do so without diverting resources from first responders.

Maureen Dowd's Vice in Go-Go Boots spares no one. There's plenty of shots at Obama and Michelle and McCain as well. The least offensive snippet:

This chick flick, naturally, features a wild stroke of fate, when the two-year governor of an oversized igloo becomes commander in chief after the president-elect chokes on a pretzel on day one.

You want to complain about sexist treatment of Palin by the media? Here's your chance. It's not the blogs, or at least this one, that is writing this stuff.

For what it's worth:

Gov. Sarah Palin was for the so-called infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" before she was against it, a change of position the GOP vice presidential running mate conveniently ignored Saturday when she bragged about telling Congress "thanks but no thanks" to the pork barrel project. ...

After McCain introduced her as his choice for vice president on the Republican ticket, Palin talked about her reform credentials, and said she stopped the bridge project as part of an effort to end of earmarking in appropriations bills. ... She didn't talk that way when she was running for governor. The Anchorage Daily News quoted her on Oct. 22, 2006, as saying yes, she would continue state funding for the bridge because she wanted swift action on infrastructure projects. "The window is now while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist," she said.

More ...

Science Debate 2008 submitted 14 questions to both presidential candidates covering a broad range of topics. Barack Obama's answers are here. John McCain has not yet answered.

It will be interesting to see how McCain answers the question about stem cell research. McCain was against it before he was for it, but "National Right to Life Committee Executive Director David O’Steen said anti-abortion rights activists think they can turn McCain to their way of thinking on stem cells." Let's hope McCain answers the questions so voters can divine his current position on this important question.

Also noteworthy is Obama's specific plan to end governmental interference with the evaluations and recommendations made by scientists. The Bush administration has been notorious for cooking or suppressing any science that is at odds with Republican policies. Is McCain willing to make that same commitment? And if he does, should we believe he would adhere to it?

What if the Republicans gave a convention and nobody came?

Republicans canceled the program for the first day of the party’s convention in St. Paul, Minn., the first dramatic change caused by Hurricane Gustav. ... Headliners President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney both called off appearances slated for Monday, and Ohio Rep. John Boehner, the House minority leader and chairman of the convention, raised the possibility that John McCain, the Republican’s standard-bearer, would deliver his acceptance speech remotely.

Boehner said the legally required business – approving the rules, adopting the platform and nominating McCain–would take place but “there would not be much beyond that.”

If the country is spared speeches by Bush, Cheney, and Boehner, the GOP will have finally done something in the national interest.

Joe Conasen at Salon:

It is hard to think of a more cynical and contemptuous political act this year than John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate. Having served as governor of Alaska for less than two years -- and as mayor of a small town before that -- her qualifications for national office are minimal.

Palin is the epitome of tokenism, exactly what conservative Republicans have always claimed to scorn, until today, as the politics of quotas and political correctness.

John Kerry this morning on why women Hillary supporters won't flock to McCain/Palin: [More...]

Who knew Jimi Hendrix would be posing the seemingly seminal question of the election? (According to some folks anyway.)

This is an Open Thread.

John Kerry this morning:

STEPHANOPOULOS: You heard Senator Graham, though. He said that she has more experience than Senator Obama.

KERRY: That's just ridiculous on its face. I mean, John -- you know, Barack Obama has been in the United States Senate. . . . [Palin]'s been a governor for, what, the two years now, Barack Obama and the four years [in the Senate]? But, moreover, Barack Obama has traveled abroad.

(Emphasis supplied.) So Kerry's argument is Palin is unqualified because (1) She has been a Governor for 2 years, (2) was not a Washington politician (assuming the House of Representatives would have been acceptable) and (3) did not take a trip abroad like Obama did this summer. Whereas Obama IS qualified because (1) He has been a Senator in Washington, DC for 4 years (as opposed to 2) and (2) he traveled abroad this summer. This is NOT the argument Obama wants.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Here's an open thread for comments related to the Republican National Convention.

It also gives me another excuse to remind commenters that this site supports the Democratic ticket and comments expressing support for McCain/Palin or opposition to Obama/Biden are limited to four per 24 hour period. Our comment rules are here.

Also, personal attacks (and unsubstantiated rumors of a personal nature) on any of the candidates or other commenters or the authors of this site are not allowed period.

From Michael Chertoff's press conference today:

CHERTOFF: As you know if you followed the latest weather report, Hurricane Gustav is headed, I’d say at this point likely landfall somewhere between Vermilion Bay and New Orleans in Louisiana. Again, it’s possible this will change, but this is where most of the prediction seems to be centered. The storm is moving a little more quickly than we were seeing late yesterday, which means it will arrive within certainly 24 hours in terms of tropical storm winds. At the same time, that may benefit us a little bit by minimizing the strengthening.

We’re still looking, however, at what may be a low Category 4 or a high Category 3 storm.

This is a thread for hurricane related news and updates.

USA Today has released the results of its first poll on Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain's choice of a Republican vice-presidential running mate.

39% say she is ready to serve as president if needed, 33% say she isn't, and 29% have no opinion.

That's the lowest vote of confidence in a running mate since the elder George Bush chose then-Indiana senator Dan Quayle to join his ticket in 1988. In comparison, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden was seen as qualified by 57%-18% after Democrat Barack Obama chose him as a running mate last week.

There's other numbers in the poll that are favorable to the McCain-Palin ticket, particularly those related to the lack of importance of the VP candidate of both parties to their decision as to whom to vote for. And while Obama's speech was viewed favorably, it doesn't seem to have resulted in gaining him a lot of new voters.

Sarah Palin's mother-in-law hasn't decided who she will vote for in November.

Faye Palin admitted she enjoys hearing Barack Obama speak, and still hasn't decided which way she'll vote. "We don't agree on everything. But I respect her passion," she said. "Being pro-life is who Sarah is."

Faye Palin said the entire family was shocked by the news on Friday. "I'm not sure what she brings to the ticket other than she's a woman and a conservative.

One of the residents of Wasila told the News: [More...]