GUSTAV & PUTTING AMERICA FIRST

Dear Senator McCain:



You have constantly told the American people that the reason we need to vote for you is because you (unlike Sen. Obama) put America First....Always.



Now with Hurricane Gustav making landfall (and Hurricane Hannah right behind) you have the opportunity to show us that you mean what you say. The safety and needs of the people living on the Gulf Coast override the needs of either campaign.

I applauded your decision to alter your convention schedule to "take care of necessary business" only. That is a wise move. I love the idea of turning the Republican Convention into a "telethon for Hurricane Victims". That is a wonderful idea that helps people.

My only question about your handling this is your insistence upon traveling to the area. DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU AND YOUR ENTOURAGE ARE NEEDED IN THE GULF AREA?

Seriously, I was horrified to see that less than 24 hours before a major storm hits, you & your VP are touring the disaster relief coordination center. Did it ever occur to you that the line of people standing around to shake your hand might have something more important to be doing during the 24 hour countdown to landfall? Did some poor nurse in a local hospital start muttering obscenities when she was told that she not only had to prepare for possible hurricane refugees that she must also meet the protocols that are required of hospitals when a president or candidate are in the area? Was there a cop who had to pull an extra 5 hours of duty to make sure you were safe when he had no idea if his own family was taken care of?

I realize as a candidate you have to be aware of what is going on. But for the love of God, country and every individual that had to make time during their preparation for the storm....send a trusted advisor with a cell phone! It's a great device. It gives you instant communication with a trusted set of eyes to report back to you. If there is a problem, you can respond....without the interruption of Emergency Service Personnel. All of whom, have thier hands full right now. Call a governor on the phone. If Bobby Jindal was good enough to be on your short list for VP, surely he can give an accurate report of the facts on the ground.

On Thursday, BE IN ST. PAUL for your speech, not the Gulf. They need to clean up. They need to get Americans back in their homes. They need to get electricity back to those homes. THEY DON'T NEED TO BE CARING FOR YOU! Seventy two hours after a hurricane, the personnel needed to watch you are needed for other things...and if not, there is always SLEEP. (Which no disaster relief worker ever gets enough of)

Remember how insulting it was that during Bush's great speech from the center of New Orleans that he was the only person for miles that had access to electricity? Wouldn't he have been thought better of if he had put the crews that set up his speech to providing generators for those that lived there & had no electricity?

There is nothing you can say from the Gulf that can't be said from the Convention Stage. (Put a damn picture of the damage behind you on a screen & say you're there for all I care. But stay away! Leave the workers in peace to do thier job.)

The only real advantage for you in being in the Gulf is that of the Photo Op! Photo Ops do not show you putting America First! Maybe you are concerned about photo ops this time around. Remember the photo op you had with Bush during Katrina? That great picture of you & W. eating Birthday cake as Katrina roared ashore?

I have news for you. That photo is no reflection upon you. You were at the time the Senator from Arizona. You are responsible for disasters in Arizona...not the Gulf. George Bush should be ashamed of it, but it's no reflection on you. You are still only the Senator from Arizona, so stop trying so hard and think about the people in the path of the Hurricane. Stay out of the way of the rescue effort and spend time in St. Paul raising money to help.