U.S. & World

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) ― The suspension of most of Monday's opening activities at the Republican National Convention left Arkansas' delegates confused over how to proceed with the business of nominating John McCain as thousands of evacuees were expected to pour into their state to escape Hurricane Gustav.

Delegates arrived over the weekend prepared to nominate McCain as the Republican pick for president, but instead focused on a scaled-back convention as the hurricane churned toward New Orleans. Arkansas Republican Party Chairman Karen Ray said she didn't know how the hurricane would affect the delegation's activities for the week, which included a speech planned Monday morning before the delegation by former Gov. Mike Huckabee.

"Right now, everything stands as it is," Ray said.

Delegates said they hoped the hurricane would not be a repeat of Hurricane Katrina and the federal government's botched response three years ago.

"There's obvious comparisons, and depending on how it goes and how it's handled, it could be problematic or it could be a blessing," said state Rep. Mark Martin of Prairie Grove, a delegate to the convention. "I think it's a real opportunity to demonstrate how much we've learned and how we've adjusted."

President Bush and Vice President Cheney scrapped plans to address the convention Monday, and McCain's campaign chartered a jet to fly delegates back to their hurricane-threatened states along the Gulf Coast. McCain's campaign said the first-night program was being cut from seven hours to two and a half.

Jim Harris, a delegate and Huckabee's brother-in-law, said he thought suspending most of the first day's activities was the right call.

"A convention is important, but we know the bottom line that John McCain and his vice president are going to be nominated," Harris said. "It's not going to be nearly as important as helping those people who need it because of that hurricane right now. That has an immediate threat to life so that has to take priority."

U.S. Rep. John Boozman, Arkansas' sole Republican congressman, said he had spent much of the day checking with his staff on preparations for evacuees expected in Arkansas. The state is expecting to handle 4,000 evacuees unable to make arrangements for temporary quarters, who would be housed at Fort Chaffee, in Boozman's congressional district.

"The storm is a very serious situation so the schedule needs to be flexible in terms of what's going on," Boozman said. "The president's primary duty is to the country, and they're going to make sure this is a very orderly process and that should be our first duty."

Anne Britton, a delegate from Fayetteville, said she believed it was important to keep the convention going despite the storm.

"We're capable of doing two things at once," Britton said. "It's business. It's not just a party here."

Barbara Deuschele, a delegate from Hot Springs, said she doesn't think Bush's absence from the convention helps or hurts McCain.

"Yeah, it would be great if Bush could be here, but we're electing McCain," she said.

Julie Harris, a delegate from Springdale, said she was disappointed the president would not be at the convention, but said she thinks it would have hurt McCain if the president spoke during the hurricane.

"It would hurt us as a party if he did come because he's needed where he's at right now," Harris said.

State party officials were expected to meet with delegates later Sunday to talk about how the hurricane will affect convention plans.

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According to GOP.com, the Republican Party was born in the early 1850's by anti-slavery activists and individuals who believed that government should grant western lands to settlers free of charge. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected as the first Republican Party president.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)