Hurricane Gustav shook up Republican John McCain's convention today with President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney opting out of attending and Republicans considered shortening the event.
Mr Bush, visiting the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington, called the storm "very dangerous" and urged people in the storm zone to heed evacuation orders. He was headed to Texas to oversee the hurricane response.
Mr McCain, who has been harshly critical of Mr Bush's performance during the Katrina hurricane three years ago as a way of distancing himself from the unpopular president, arrived in the Gulf region to survey emergency preparations.
Mr McCain was in Jackson, Miss., touring a command centre.
By contrast, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said he would avoid visiting the area immediately because he did not want to divert resources away from the preparations and relief efforts. He declined to criticize McCain.
"I'm assuming that where he (McCain) went that wasn't an issue," Mr Obama said in Lima, Ohio.
Mr Obama said if Hurricane Gustav wreaks havoc on the Gulf, he would tap his e-mail network of 2 million donors to seek help for the storm victims.
Republicans were gathering in St. Paul for their four-day convention to formally nominate McCain as their candidate to face Obama in the November 4th election. Mr McCain is scheduled to close their event on Thursday night.
The hurricane brewing in the Gulf of Mexico and apparently bearing down on New Orleans overshadowed the celebrations. Republican officials were working on making some changes to the convention, possibly shortening the event.
Republican leaders, including Mr McCain himself, say it would be unseemly to be seen celebrating while a natural disaster unfolds 1,100 miles (1,700 kms) away.
"It just wouldn't be appropriate to have a festive occasion while a near-tragedy or a terrible challenge is presented in the form of a natural disaster," Mr McCain told "Fox News Sunday."
Republican governors from the affected area, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, were unable to attend the St. Paul party.
Mr Bush, whose handling of the 2005 Katrina hurricane was considered miserable by many Americans, was working hard to avoid any repeat of that fiasco.
Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuating the New Orleans area to get away from the storm's predicted impact zone.
The White House both Mr Bush and Mr Cheney would be unable to attend the convention in order to oversee the federal response to the storm but that Mr Bush will address the delegates via satellite video.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said first lady Laura Bush would attend the convention.
Mr McCain was accompanied by his newly minted vice presidential running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the Washington outsider whose surprising selection on Friday stunned the political world.
In an interview on the Fox News Channel, Mr McCain defended Ms Palin against criticism she lacks experience, especially on foreign policy, and should not be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Mr McCain said Ms Palin, governor less than two years, had been to Kuwait to see her state's National Guard troops.
"She's had 12 years of elected office experience including traveling to Kuwait, including being involved in these issues. I'm so proud that she has displayed the kind of judgment and she has the experience and judgment as an executive," he said.
Mr McCain's wife Cindy McCain said on ABC's "This Week" program that Ms Palin had knowledge about Russia because her state is the closest US state to Russia.
"Remember, Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia. So it's not as if she doesn't understand what's at stake here," she said.