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The weather in Denver is expected to be pleasant for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Thursday, while storm clouds brewing over the Gulf of Mexico could spell trouble for Republicans, who begin their convention in Minneapolis next week. Convention weather is not normally much of a concern, but this year is different. A conservative group has called on its supporters to pray for rain during Obama's outdoor acceptance speech at Invesco Field. “I’m talking-umbrellas-ain't-gonna-help-you rain,” Focus on the Family’s Stuart Shepard said in a video posted on the Internet. “Not flood-people-out-of-their-houses rain, just good ol' swamp-the-intersection rain...network-cameras-can’t-see-the podium rain.” The video, which Shepard reportedly said was “mildly” funny, has been pulled after the group received complaints about it and the fact the group's prayers haven't been answered. According to weather.com, there is a zero percent chance of rain Thursday night. However, Republicans might have their own weather problems. Tropical Storm Gustav is gathering strength and is predicted to soon become a hurricane. As it moves over warm water, it is expected to gather strength quickly over the coming days and it could become the first major hurricane in the Gulf since 2005. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts that Gustav will make landfall at some time Monday, the day Republicans begin their convention in Minneapolis. Furthermore, the NHC projects that the hurricane will hit Louisiana, not far from where Hurricane Katrina slammed into the coast. President Bush is scheduled to address the GOP convention on Monday and the hurricane hitting the coast that day will likely highlight a major blunder of Bush’s administration –- the botched response to Katrina. Following the disaster, which claimed the lives of nearly 1,500 people, displaced a million residents and caused tens of billions in damages, Bush said that “to the extent the federal government didn’t fully do its job right, I take responsibility.” Democrats have often pointed to the federal response to Katrina to highlight what they believe was the Bush administration’s incompetence, and it is likely that they will do so again next week. Margie Perez, a New Orleans jazz singer, addressed the convention on Monday while former President Jimmy Carter, instead of speaking, filmed a video about the hurricane recovery efforts. |
