From NBC's Aram Roston
ANCHORAGE, AK -- A key witness in the Alaska State Senate Ethics investigation of Gov. Palin has backed out of testifying today, the state senator in charge of the investigation tells NBC News. The senator -- Democrat Hollis French -- says Frank Bailey's decision not to testify will slow down the "Troopergate" investigation into the current candidate.

The investigation centers on whether Gov. Palin abused her power when firing her commissioner of Public Safety Walt Monegan in July 2008. Monegan maintains he was fired, for not firing another man in his command -- Alaska State Trooper Mike Wooten -- Gov. Palin's ex-brother in law who, years earlier, went through a messy divorce with her sister.

VIDEO:  Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is under investigation for the firing of a former Alaska public safety commissioner, Walt Monhegan. NBC's Lisa Myers reports.

Frank Bailey, a member of Palin's administration, was caught on tape in August 2008 on a phone call with another trooper in which he questioned why Wooten was still on staff, seemingly speaking on behalf of Palin. The release of this tape proved embarrassing for Palin, who was forced to backtrack on her earlier statements, in which she had maintained neither she, nor her family, nor staff, ever pressured Monegan or anyone else to fire Wooten.

Bailey was put on paid leave from the administration following the release of that tape.

Since becoming the VP nominee, Palin has challenged jurisdiction of the ethics investigation. Bailey cites that jurisdictional uncertainty as his reason for not testifying.

State Sen. French says no one in the investigation, including Bailey and Gov. Palin, was subpoenaed to testify because all had previously agreed to cooperate voluntarily.

From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
MINNEAPOLIS -- Former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee tells NBC/NJ that the recent wave of potentially damaging news stories about Sarah Palin -- including news that her teenager daughter is pregnant -- represents a "sexism that is really, really disgusting and embarrassing," and could ultimately galvanize support for the newly minted nominee.

Calling media critiques of Palin "unprecedented" ("they never did this to Chelsea Clinton," he insisted), Huckabee predicted that Palin's victimization would rouse support even from non-Republicans outraged by sexist sentiment.

"It's backfiring big time," said the governor. "And it's really giving, I think, the McCain-Palin ticket a great boost and a new level of support they would never have had otherwise."

"The American people are angry," about the microscope lens being focused on Palin's family, Huckabee said. "They know that these are questions that have never been asked of a male running for president. Never. Never would be."

Asked if he believed that Sarah Palin had been adequately vetted by the McCain campaign, the one-time presidential candidate said that he trusted the process described by his party's nominee.  And, he added, "She's already been vetted by the people of Alaska pretty faithfully and I think fairly."

NBC/NJ caught up with Huckabee this morning in the Minneapolis Convention Center, where he appeared at a panel discussion hosted by the ONE Campaign. He'll be preparing this afternoon for his 9:30 pm ET address to the Republican National Convention, which finally appears set on the schedule after a torturous rescheduling process.

"I've fluctuated from Monday to Tuesday to Thursday, to Wednesday," he said today. "Then back to Thursday and now Wednesday. And I think for sure I'll be on the program tonight."

From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell
McCain just arrived in Minneapolis-St. Paul for the GOP convention.

He was greeted by wife Cindy and all seven McCain children. I do not recall all seven together in public ever before during the campaign.

Gov. Palin and her family also were in attendance. It appeared that Levi Johnston joined Bristol Palin and the other members of the family -- Todd, Track, Willow, Piper, and Trig.

The McCain children are Doug, Andy and Sidney Meghan, Jack, Jimmy, and Bridget.

Doug is an airline pilot for American Airlines; Andy is CFO of Hensley and Co; Sidney lives in Toronto and is a music industry executive; Meghan is a Columbia University grad traveling on the trail; Jack is at the Naval Academy; Jimmy is a Lance Corporal in the Marines; and Bridget is a high school student.

From NBC's Mark Murray
The McCain camp is going up with a new TV ad touting Palin's credentials and attacking Obama's.

The campaign says the ad will air in "key states" (read: there probably isn't much money behind the ad).

[YouTube:AIn_fFWPaUU]

Script:
ANNCR: The Journal says: "Governor Palin's credentials as an agent of reform exceed Barack Obama's."
They're right.
She "has a record of bi-partisan reform."
He's the Senate's "most liberal."
She "took on the oil producers."
He gave big oil billions in subsidies and giveaways.
She's "earned a reputation as a reformer."
His reputation? Empty words.
JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.

It's important to note that there are a few misleading assertions in the ad. For one, the "Journal" that's cited is the conservative and partisan Wall Street Journal editorial page. Two, to call Obama the Senate's most liberal senator is dubious. (The charge comes from the National Journal ranking Obama as having the most liberal Senate voting record of 2007, but he was nowhere near the top in 2005 and 2006; it's also worth noting that Obama missed many Senate votes in 2007, so that ranking is a bit skewed.) And three, the charge that Obama "gave big oil billions in subsidies and giveaways" is misleading. (According to nonpartisan fact-checkers, the 2005 energy bill the McCain camp is referring to actual resulted in a net tax INCREASE on oil companies.)

From NBC's Luke Russert

I got back from Memphis, which was a tremendously moving experience. My first assignment back was to cover the Ron Paul counterconvention. For those of you who just got into the presidential race, Ron Paul is a congressman from Texas whose platform is essentially libertarian. Paul supports an end to government entitlement programs, an end to the war on drugs, and a complete withdrawal from Iraq. Needless to say, his candidacy galvanized many young people who took to his message of less government control and intervention into their lives. His followers can be described as "spirited" and "not your average politicos." Many treat the humble doctor from Texas as a kind of second-coming.

The 'Rally for the Republic' here in St. Paul was essentially a meeting of die-hard Paul supporters. They paid exactly $17.76 to get in. (I'll let you history majors figure that out.) Anyways, I got to interview Paul for the TODAY Show and it was pretty solid. He stayed on his talking points, but I think we were able to demonstrate to people what he was all about. 

Watch video of the TODAY Show report. 

A young Republican who I trust and have known for some time said to me, "Geez, with Lieberman and Thompson out there it looks like the Night of the Living Dead." That kind of sums up Night Two of the convention. While there is no doubt that Fred Thompson has a great voice and Joe Lieberman has a great story, at the end of the day they are not very inspiring speakers. However, tomorrow Sarah Palin (age 44) will (YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST) rock the house. Every GOP-er I know in St. Paul is waiting to see the "future of the party" and the one who has energized the base. I'm excited too because I am interested to see how my four aunts who are all moms aged 45-62 react to Palin. If they like her, then McCain has some good prospects in November. If they see her as a "phony"... watch out!

Well, I'm tired from my travels to Memphis but I'll be back tomorrow with a full Palin reaction.

REGISTER TO VOTE 18-year-olds.

See more of Luke Russert's reporting on the iCue Web site.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
ST. PAUL, MN -- And we thought Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton would give the most highly anticipated convention speech. Well, that was before McCain selected the first-term governor of Alaska to be his running mate and before the country found out about the Troopergate firing scandal (which NBC's Lisa Myers reported on TODAY), her past advocacy of earmarks and the Bridge to Nowhere (both of which McCain has railed against on the trail), her pregnant 17-year-old daughter, and now the Washington Post scoop that McCain's chief vetter only conducted a lengthy interview with her the day before Palin was selected. The McCain camp is pushing back hard against the notion that she wasn't vetted properly. "This vetting controversy is a faux media scandal designed to destroy the first female Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States who has never been a part of the old boys network that has come to dominate the news establishment in this country," chief strategist Steve Schmidt told First Read in a statement. "Sen. McCain picked his governing partner after a long and thorough search. Gov. Palin looks forward to addressing the nation and laying out the fundamental choice this election represents for the American people."

*** Whose party is this? Last night had the feel of a party that was still trying to find its groove. Tonight, that will change when the GOP rock star of St. Paul -- Palin -- takes the stage. And judging by the reception she gets, there could be a very real debate on the following question: Whose Republican Party is this -- John McCain's or Sarah Palin's? Talk to the GOP delegates here and it's no contest. This is Palin's party; McCain's just the surprisingly cool guy who "got it" more than these folks thought.

*** On the defensive: Early this morning, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds announced that the campaign today "will launch a forward leaning effort to counter the shameless smears that have prevailed during Governor Palin's introduction to the American voter." Those activities include: having Rudy Giuliani defend Palin on TODAY and the network morning shows, airing a new TV ad comparing Palin's executive experience versus Obama's (by the way, what's McCain's executive experience?), holding a press conference by Joe Lieberman and Eric Cantor to denounce an Obama campaign accusation that Palin was a Pat Buchanan supporter, and putting female McCain aides and surrogates out for interviews "to demand better treatment for Gov. Palin's family." It's been five days since McCain picked Palin and the campaign still appears to be playing catch up regarding all things Palin. So in its attempt to deal with all things Palin, the campaign is creating straw men regarding attacks on her. They want all attacks to be seen through the prism of "sexism" (see Laura Bush) or simply as "smears" (see above). This can be an effective strategy. Arguably, both the Clinton and Obama campaigns, at least via surrogates, would sometimes raise the issue of sexism or racism in order to deflect a specific line of attack. That said, the McCain campaign has to be frustrated that after five days, they are more on the defensive today than they were on Day One. It's become clearer and clearer that she was vetted at the last minute. Maybe the vet was thorough, but it was still done at the last minute -- which meant the campaign had no time to road test her, a la Tim Pawlenty or Mitt Romney, Meg Whitman, or Carly Fiorina.

*** Last night: In the hall, the big winner last night was Fred Thompson. He had the right mix of red meat and McCain biography that sold well. But did it come across as well on TV? (There were a lot of empty seats in the background.) It was a long speech by Thompson standards, but it also had more spark than he showed during his own campaign. As for Lieberman, his presence in network primetime was what the campaign wanted. While us Beltway types may know Lieberman has been a McCain guy for some time, it may have been a surprise for the casual observer to see Al Gore's running mate endorsing McCain and whacking Obama. (As NBC's Chris Donovan reminds us, Lieberman had promised not to attack Obama. ''I would not go to speak to attack Barack Obama,'' he told the New York Times in July. ''I would go to say why I'm supporting John McCain.'') The speech itself was flat in the hall. Then again, Joe's never been a great speaker, even as he enjoys trying to be a modern day Henny Youngman.

*** Rudy, Rudy, Rudy: Prior to Palin's speech tonight comes the keynote address from Rudy Giuliani. As it turns out, the former New York mayor spoke at Bush's convention in New York four years ago. It was a speech that focused almost exclusively on the 9/11 terrorist attacks. "[I]t was here in 2001," he said, "in the same lower Manhattan, that President George W. Bush stood amid the fallen towers of the World Trade Center, and he said to the barbaric terrorists who attacked us, 'They will hear from us.'" Of course, those remarks came just three years after 9/11; it's now been seven years since that tragic day. A lot else has transpired during that time, including Giuliani's own failed presidential bid, which was marred by Bernie Kerik (whom Rudy referred to in that '04 speech), his views on abortion, and his strategy to bypass Iowa and New Hampshire. Indeed, after spending more $60 million, Giuliani won just ONE delegate. No doubt Rudy will wow the crowd tonight, but his speech -- like Hillary's on Tuesday -- will also spur what-might-have-been thoughts for the former mayor.

*** The Democratic response: Obama strategist Robert Gibbs and DNC adviser Jamal Simmons hold a conference call with reporters at 9:30 am ET.

*** On the trail: McCain arrives here in St. Paul early in the afternoon and later attends a welcome rally in Minneapolis. Obama, in Ohio, holds an economic town hall in Philadelphia before stopping by a BBQ in Dillonvale. Biden remains in Florida, where he hits an economic roundtable in Ft. Myers and then a town hall in Sarasota. And Michelle Obama is in Los Angeles, where she addresses an LGBT reception and then raises money.

Countdown to the first presidential debate: 23 days
Countdown to the vice presidential debate: 29 days
Countdown to the second presidential debate 34 days
Countdown to the third presidential debate: 42 days
Countdown to Election Day 2008: 63 days
Countdown to Inauguration Day 2009: 140 days
 
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USA Today curtain-raises Palin's speech tonight with this story: "Call it McCain's Gamble. The Republican presidential candidate is pulling bigger crowds and a gusher of cash to his campaign since his unexpected pick Friday of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. But questions about how rigorously John McCain vetted Palin and fresh scrutiny of the governor's record are fueling a larger debate about McCain's shoot-from-the-hip style and Palin's qualifications, in a crisis, to be president.

The piece also previews the speech. Written by former White House speechwriter Matt Scully, it will combine autobiography and policy. 'She's going to talk to the delegates about the future of this country, about how to reform broken institutions of government,' says McCain strategist Steve Schmidt. 'People will hear about her reform-and-change message' and about energy and its links to national security. 'She'll also communicate directly to the American people who she is,' Schmidt says." 

The Washington Post adds, "In the speech, Palin is likely to emphasize her areas of policy expertise -- particularly energy and political reform -- rather than focusing on her biography or gender. An initial version of the address, which speechwriter Matthew Scully started crafting a week ago for an unnamed male vice-presidential pick, included plenty of attacks aimed at Democratic nominee Barack Obama along with ample praise for McCain, aides said. But they said Palin's speech will focus more on substantive matters."

"Palin took an early morning tour of the stage at the GOP convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, and stood at the lectern where she'll deliver her first major speech as John McCain's running mate."

Interestingly, Romney still doesn't know when or if he's speaking. He had been slated to speak tonight.

And with all that talk of Hillary 2012, check this out from the AP: "But even if his former GOP rival John McCain wins the presidency in November, Romney says he won't emulate his father by taking a Cabinet position -- apparently because he still has his eye on the presidency. … While Romney wished McCain and Palin well, his friends and advisers say if they fail in the general election, Romney is primed -- even anxious -- to mount a second bid for the White House."

The Los Angeles Times: "The day after Hurricane Gustav led to an abbreviated opening session of the Republican National Convention on Monday, the GOP's effort was two-pronged: to reintroduce McCain to the country after a rocky few days and to denigrate Democratic nominee Barack Obama."

The New York Times writes, "President Bush proclaimed Senator John McCain 'ready to lead this nation' in a farewell speech to the Republican convention here on Tuesday night. But far from being the kind of unifying send-off and baton pass engineered for Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, the evening only highlighted Mr. McCain's eagerness to get the president off the stage." More: "[O]n a night when Republicans gave top billing to other speakers, the president's physical distance from the gathering in St. Paul - his huge image was beamed out over an empty lectern to a crowd in the arena that cheered mostly at mentions of Mr. McCain - also underscored the gulf between the Bush camp and the McCain one."

Per NBC's Chris Donovan, last night was the first time in 40 years that a sitting president did not attend his party's national Convention. LBJ remained at his ranch for the Democrats' August 1968 Convention, after announcing that March that he would not seek re-election. And it was only the second time a sitting president was a no-show to his own party's convention in 64 years. According to the Washington Post back in 1968, you have to go back to 1944 when FDR did not attend the Democratic convention. Roosevelt was on a train traveling west for much of the convention. But he did end up accepting the nomination by radio address to the convention in Chicago from the San Diego naval base!

The Boston Globe: "President Bush last night inaugurated their truncated national convention by celebrating nominee John McCain's record of military service and political independence." And it calls Fred Thompson's address, the "most forceful speech of the evening."

Also, "Thompson accused Obama of delivering a 'Teleprompter speech designed to appeal to America's critics abroad'" - though Thompson, himself, was using a Teleprompter last night.

Meanwhile, Lieberman called Obama "gifted," "eloquent," and "young." "But my friends, eloquence is no substitute for a record -- not in these tough times for America."

"A new Gallup poll out yesterday says that the percentage of Clinton loyalists planning to vote for Obama in November jumped from 70 percent before last week's convention to 81 percent after, and the percentage saying they are certain to back Obama increased from 47 percent to 65 percent. … A Hotline/Diageo poll out yesterday gave Obama a 48 percent to 39 percent national lead over his Republican rival John McCain, up from 44 percent to 40 percent in the previous poll."

 

Last night's bombshell by the Washington Post's Dan Balz: "Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was not subjected to a lengthy in-person background interview with the head Sen. John McCain's vice presidential vetting team until last Wednesday in Arizona, the day before McCain asked her to be his running mate, and she did not disclose the fact that her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant until that meeting, two knowledgeable McCain officials acknowledged Tuesday."

The Atlantic's Josh Green writes about how Republicans could replace Palin on the ticket. "At any point before [tonight], McCain could simply replace Palin. But once she formally accepts her nomination, he'll no longer have the power to do so unilaterally. According to Ben Ginsberg, the former general council at the Republican National Committee, Republican rules stipulate that the 168 members of the national committee would need to ratify any replacement to make it official."

Salon's Mike Madden looks at some of the more interesting GOP responses given to questions about Palin's experience. "If you ask McCain's team, the skepticism about Palin's experience is totally unwarranted. 'She's more qualified than Obama,' senior advisor Mark Salter told Salon, citing her 13 years in elected office (including her time on the Wasilla, Ala., city council). 'He has no business being president.' Campaign aides seem unwilling to drop the line that Palin's command of the Alaska National Guard gives her an important credential, even though it sometimes sounds a little silly coming from Republican loyalists. 'She's run her own military,' said Joseph LeBlanc, 82, a delegate from Mountain Home, Ark. 'Alaska is the biggest land [area] state,' said Betty Kiene, an alternate from Piedmont, Okla. 'Her neighbors are Canada and Russia, which means she's dealt with international problems.'"

"McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has asked the state's personnel board to review allegations that she improperly ordered the firing of the former public safety commissioner. … The new filing was accompanied by a 13-page accounting of Palin's version of the events, denying any abuse of power. Palin's attorney has long contended that the investigation belonged in the personnel system and not the legislature."

Here's another piece on the earmarks Palin obtained, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times: "For much of his long career in Washington, John McCain has been throwing darts at the special spending system known as earmarking, through which powerful members of Congress can deliver federal cash for pet projects back home with little or no public scrutiny. He's even gone so far as to publish 'pork lists' detailing these financial favors."

But: "Three times in recent years, McCain's catalogs of 'objectionable' spending have included earmarks for this small Alaska town, requested by its mayor at the time -- Sarah Palin. Now, McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, has chosen Palin as his running mate, touting her as a reformer just like him."

"McCain's campaign hoped that the five days between the introduction of Sarah Palin as his running mate and her high-stakes speech tonight to the Republican National Convention would let it weave a narrative about the Alaska governor as a kindred maverick reformer who shares McCain's disdain for pork barrel projects and political corruption. But almost from the moment of her unveiling, one report after another has deconstructed that story line. Instead, voters are seeing reports that have questioned whether she really opposed the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" as she claimed, whether she abused her office's power in firing a state official, and why she hired a lobbying firm to land nearly $27 million in federal projects while she was mayor of Wasilla.

"These issues, going to the heart of her reputation as a reformer, are being raised as the campaign continued to deal with Monday's disclosure that Palin's 17-year-old unmarried daughter is five months pregnant. The issues have spurred questions about whether Palin's record and background were fully reviewed before she was put on the ticket."

Maureen Dowd has a scathing column on Palin and McCain. "When McCain gets in trouble, he pulls out the P.O.W. card. Now Republicans are pulling out the sexist card. Hillary cried sexism to cover up her incompetent management of her campaign, and now Republicans have picked up that trick. But when you use sexism as an across-the-board shield for any legitimate question, you only hurt women. And that's just another splash of reality."

So does Tom Friedman. Going into this election, I thought that - for the first time - we would have a choice between two 'green' candidates. That view is no longer operative… With his choice of Sarah Palin - the Alaska governor who has advocated drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and does not believe mankind is playing any role in climate change - for vice president, John McCain has completed his makeover from the greenest Republican to run for president to just another representative of big oil."

The New York Times profiles Palin's original bid for mayor. "The world arrived here more than a century ago with the gold rush and later the railroad. Yet one aspect of American life did not come to town until 1996, the year Sarah Palin ran for mayor and Wasilla got its first local lesson in wedge politics. The traditional turning points that had decided municipal elections in this town of less than 7,000 people - Should we pave the dirt roads? Put in sewers? Which candidate is your hunting buddy? - seemed all but obsolete the year Ms. Palin, then 32, challenged the three-term incumbent, John C. Stein. Anti-abortion fliers circulated. Ms. Palin played up her church work and her membership in the National Rifle Association. The state Republican Party, never involved before because city elections are nonpartisan, ran advertisements on Ms. Palin's behalf."

The Boston Globe went to Palin's home town: "As Palin prepares to accept the Republican nomination for vice president tonight, in a speech that will mark her sudden ascent to national fame, neighbors in her Alaskan town are responding with a mix of pride, amazement, and, in some cases, trepidation."

NEVADA: Per state political guru Jon Ralston, Democrats now have a 76,000-voter registration edge in Nevada, 565,855 Democrats to 489,802. Ralston asks, "Think John McCain should worry yet?"

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro and Ben Weltman
With President Bush speaking tonight by remote to the Republican National Convention and set to visit hurricane-stricken Louisiana tomorrow, it's worth pointing out the president's remarks this morning.

"We recognize that the pre-storm efforts were important and so are the follow-up efforts -- in other words, what happens after the storm passes is as important as what happens prior to the storm arriving," Bush said.

But that was one sentence. He made a hard pivot.

The next three paragraphs were devoted largely to the importance of energy by way of the Gulf region - and its importance to the United States -- gas prices, and taunting Congressional Democrats.

"And so our discussion today is about energy," Bush continued. "The Gulf Coast region produces a lot of energy for the United States. And we're now in the process of assessing any damage done to the infrastructure and what -- it's a little early right now to come up with a solid assessment. There are some encouraging signs. For example, during Katrina, rigs would be -- rigs moved because of the force of the storm and their anchors drug across pipelines, which caused there to be infrastructure damage. We didn't see much of that this time, although I will tell you that it's a little early to be making any forecasts."

And he went on. "It's not too early, however, for the federal government to continue to coordinate with state and local people. That's why Secretary Bodman was in touch with Gov. Jindal. We want to make sure that we're in touch with these energy-producing states, to help assess what took place and what needs to happen."

And then the naked politics: "One thing is for certain: When Congress comes back, they've got to understand that we need more domestic energy, not less; that -- and one place to find it is offshore America, lands that have been taken off the books, so to speak, by congressional law. And now they need to give us a chance to find more oil and gas here at home. I'd much rather American consumers be buying gasoline produced from American oil than from foreign oil. I'd rather our dollar stay at home than go overseas."

More still: "And I know the Congress has been on recess for a while, but this issue hasn't gone away. And this storm should not cause the members of Congress to say, well, we don't need to address our energy independence; it ought to cause the Congress to step up their need to address our dependence on foreign oil. And one place to do so is to give us a chance to explore in environmentally friendly ways on the Outer Continental Shelf."

Contrast that with Gov. Bobby Jindal at a news conference this morning, who didn't once mention the need for protecting oil rigs or the importance of the region to the country's energy.

He had more pressing matters.

Jindal did mention fuel -- fuel to power hospital generators and the potential lack of fuel and power at gas station. There certainly wasn't any mention of Congress. He did talk about reports of damage, pressing health-care needs and restoring power to various parts of the state.

"We are still being impacted by the eastern periphery of this storm," Jindal said, continuing later, "[N]ow you got a storm that's caused widespread damage through a wide geographic part of our state. … [O]ne of the things I want to emphasize is that this is still a very, very serious storm that has caused major damage in our state. …

"We still have a number of pressing, urgent issues when it comes to health care. I described the evacuation as the kind of the pre- game, the pre-season, if you will. And I warned people that even after days of evacuations and preparatory efforts they shouldn't be exhausted because this was a marathon. We're not quite yet at halftime. To use a sporting analogy, people need to understand there's a lot, lot more work ahead of us. A lot of damage has been caused by the storm."

And, politically does President Bush's hard pivot step on McCain's plea for compassion Sunday?

"It's time to open our hearts, our efforts, our wallets, our concern our care for those American citizens who are now under the shadow and the probability of the natural disaster," McCain said. "So I hope that all of us … will not only keep in our thoughts and our prayers the people of the Gulf Coast but we will act, we will act together, we will provide the necessary relief, the necessary comfort. We will open our arms as Americans always have in time of challenge to those in our society who are less fortunate …

"So ahead of time I wanna thank all of my fellow Republicans as we take off our Republican hats and put on our American hats and we say "America, we're with you. America, we're going to care for these people in their time of need" and we're gonna display it in every possible way as Americans always have and Americans always will."

Any wonder why this president's speech was conveniently set for 10 minutes before the networks go live with their coverage?

From NBC's Ken Strickland
FROM THE FLOOR
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Looking to compare and contrast the imagery of the Democratic convention vs the Republican convention... check out the signs.

During Obama's convention, young staffers methodically passed out hundreds -- if not thousands -- of professionally made signs prior to key speeches such as Michelle Obama's and Hillary Clinton's. Almost every delegate had a sign to wave each night.

Here at the Republican convention, the signs have a more homely feel. 

Prior to the convention's start today, young aides handed out and placed on empty seats That appear to be various hand-painted McCain signs.

"We Love McCain" ... "McCain 2008" ... McCain for President," etc.

Without seeing the GOP aides carrying the signs prior the convention start today, one could be left with the impression that delegates and supporters made the signs themselves and brought them into the convention hall.

Are Republican convention organizers trying to create a more homely, grassroots feel to the convention?

From NBC's Mark Murray
Tonight, Joe Lieberman will say this: "And that brings me directly to why I am here tonight. What, after all, is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention like this? The answer is simple. I'm here to support John McCain because country matters more than party. I'm here tonight because John McCain is the best choice to bring our country together and lead our country forward. I'm here because John McCain's whole life testifies to a great truth: being a Democrat or a Republican is important. But it is not more important than being an American."

And this: "John understands that it shouldn't take a natural disaster like Hurricane Gustav to get us to take off our partisan blinders and work together to get things done. It shouldn't take a natural disaster to teach us that the American people don't care much if you have an 'R' or a 'D' after your name. What they care about is: are we solving the problems they are up against every day?"

And this: "What you can expect from John McCain as President is precisely what he has done this week: which is to put country first. That is the code by which he has lived his entire life, and that is the code he will carry with him into the White House. I have personally seen John over and over again bring people together from both parties to tackle our toughest problems we face."

And this: "Especially at a time of war, we need a president we can count on to fight for what's right for our country - not only when it is easy, but when it is hard. When others were silent, John McCain had the judgment to sound the alarm about the mistakes we were making in Iraq. When others wanted to retreat in defeat from the field of battle, when Barack Obama was voting to cut off funding for our troops on the ground, John McCain had the courage to stand against the tide of public opinion and support the surge and because of that, today, our troops are at last beginning to come home, not in failure, but in honor!"

From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Ron Paul is no "disgruntled loser."

Texas Congressman and grassroots phenom Ron Paul told reporters this morning he is not likely to attend the Republican National Convention taking place this week at St. Paul's Xcel Center. Blaming the RNC Rules Committee for granting him only limited access to the convention floor, Paul said he would prefer to stay away from those who would try to "chaperone" his visit to the convention.

"They've given me a pass that is second class," Paul said. "It's a bit of a slight."

But a Republican in the know said of Paul, "He would have been provided the same pass every Member of Congress received if he had asked. My understanding is that he did not ask."

Earlier this week, John Tate, the executive director of Paul campaign spinoff Campaign for Liberty, said that Congressman Paul's staff hoped to coordinate a time for him to visit the convention floor at a time that would not be disruptive. Tate noted that an RNC liaison had recently been assigned to coordinate outreach to Paul's supporters.

But the one-time presidential candidate said today the RNC aimed to prevent him from coming and going freely on the floor, as congressional officeholders usually do. He added that organizers have also mandated that he cannot be accompanied by his staff to the convention. 

That, he said, might stem from suspicion that the renegade Republican candidate and his supporters could become a distraction to the convention's proceedings.

"I guess if you were a disgruntled loser you would try to do that, and try to disrupt and have people demonstrate and all those kind of things," he said. "Instead we've decided to have a grand and very positive rally."

That celebration, the "Rally for the Republic," taking place this afternoon at the cavernous Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, is a hybrid political speechfest and music concert that will be attended by throngs of Paul's supporters. Speakers will include former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist, and former congressman Barry Goldwater Jr.

Congressman Paul himself will speak to the group this evening. But despite access to the listening ears of his supporters tonight, the Galveston congressman said that he will not encourage backers to vote for or against any candidate. That includes Libertarian candidate Bob Barr, whom Paul calls a "good spokesman" for the ideals espoused by the third party group.

Paul has said that he does not intend to endorse John McCain.

"I don't foresee giving any marching orders to the supporters," he said today. "Mainly, it's just not in my nature."

Paul dismissed the notion that the splintering off of his enthusiastic voting bloc from this week's RNC could prove problematic for a Republican Party already under pressure to coalesce around its nominee.  "For every vote that leaves McCain because of what I've said, two will leave Obama," he predicted.

Noting the energetic youth that fuel the grassroots -- and often quirky -- Ron Paul "Revolution," the Congressman also bemoaned what he sees as a missed opportunity by the Republican Party. "I don't understand why they wouldn't welcome us with open arms," he said.

From NBC's Mark Murray
The main events for tonight's GOP convention are speeches by President Bush, Laura Bush, Fred Thompson, and finally Joe Lieberman. We've already noted President Bush's excerpts. Now here are Thompson's:

"This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders. Strength. Courage. Humility. Wisdom. Duty. Honor. It's pretty clear there are two questions we will never have to ask ourselves, 'Who is this man?' and 'Can we trust this man with the presidency?'"

"He has been to Iraq eight times since 2003. He went seeking truth, not publicity. When he travels abroad, he prefers quietly speaking to the troops amidst the heat and hardship of their daily lives. And the same character that marked John McCain's military career has also marked his political career. This man, John McCain, is not intimidated by what the polls say or by what is politically safe or popular."

"But while others were talking reform, John McCain led the effort to make reform happen -- always pressing, always moving for what he believed was right and necessary to restore the people's faith in their government. Confronting when necessary, reaching across the aisle when possible, John personified why we came to Washington in the first place."

"My role is to help remind you of the man behind the vision. Because tonight our country is calling to all of us to step up, stand up, and put 'Country First' with John McCain. Tonight we are being called upon to do what is right for our country."

The Weekly Standard's Steve Hayes also says that Thompson is expected to whack the media and Obama's recent above-my-pay-grade answer on abortion.

From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Ron Paul supporters may have found a new champion.

In boisterous remarks at today's Rally for the Republic, former Minnesota governor and professional wrestling personality Jesse Ventura suggested that he is open to a presidential run in 2012 if enthusiasm for "The Revolution" stays strong.

"If I see it over the next two to three years," thundered Ventura at the conclusion of a speech to several thousand Ron Paul supporters in the Target Center in Minneapolis. "If I see it start to rise up and if this country shows me that it's worth it for me, then maybe in 2012… ."

The crowd -- which has raucously booed allusions to this year's presidential candidates and cheered Paul's hands-off ideals at the all-day rally today -- burst into deafening applause at Ventura's suggestion. 

"I will be watching," Ventura shouted over the ruckus. "If I see it, in 2012, we'll  give them a race they'll never forget."
 
Ventura's prediction came at the end of remarks in which he questioned the U.S. government's involvement in a 9/11 plot, lambasted the Patriot Act, and advocated for gun rights so that "if our government gets out of control, we have the ability to rise up and change it." (He also prophesied success if such a citizen uprising against the U.S. government were to occur, saying  "We threw everything we had at Vietnam, and they withstood it all.")

Ventura, a third party candidate who unexpectedly catapulted to victory in the 1998 gubernatorial election, hopes to be a political figure in the mold of Rep. Ron Paul, whose grassroots movement garnered surprising support during the primary season.
 
The former Minnesota governor toyed with a run for U.S. Senate  this year but chose not to at the eleventh hour; before his remarks today, he told reporters backstage that he made that decision by coin toss.

"I wrote the book "Don't Start the Revolution Without Me," Ventura told fans today, shortly before declaring his possible run in four years.

"Well, I'm here."

Barr in attendance
For what it's worth, per Steve Sinton, communications director for Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr, Barr was in the crowd this morning at the Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic. He has left the building and will not be speaking.

That -- says another spokesman for Barr -- is at the request of the Paul campaign, who didn't want "any presidential candidates" on the podium today.

Paul's not endorsing Barr but this morning lauded the Libertarian candidate's ideals and called him a "good spokesman."

From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. -- Biden offered a vigorous defense of Barack Obama's credibility when it comes to Israel, saying he would not have accepted his invitation to join the ticket if they were not on the same page.

"I want to remind those of you … who don't know me and those of you who do know me what my record has been. It has been unstinting in the defense and support of Israel," he said at a community center, having discussed at length his travels there and work as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "I give you my word as a Biden, I would not have given up that job to be Barack Obama's vice president if I didn't -- in my gut, and in my heart, and in my head -- know that Barack Obama is exactly where I am on Israel."

He also asked them to ignore "scurrilous" rumors on the Internet about Obama's views, and contrasted what he said would be a strong, pro-Israel Obama-Biden administration with a Bush administration he said has made the nation weaker.

"By any objective fact, Israel is less secure today in the world than it was eight years ago," he said. "I promise you. I promise you. We will make it more secure. … The stronger America is, the greater America's influence, the stronger Israel is, because we are, in fact, her best last chance for anything."

Biden also spoke at length for the first time publicly about the qualifications of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be vice president. A woman in the audience talked about "another woman" who was "making news," saying it is "becoming a little bit unpleasant."

"I don't know the governor," Biden said. "Everything I know about her, there's no reason not to respect her and believe she's qualified to be the vice president. I'm not going to make that judgment."

And in response to the announcement that Palin's daughter is pregnant, Biden pledged that children "are off limits."

"We've all been through things with our children, and it's about common decency," he said.

Biden is spending two days in the Sunshine State as he begins his first serious solo campaign swing as the VP nominee.

From NBC's Michael Levine
As questions have been raised over how thoroughly Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign vetted Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for the V.P. slot, it seems the McCain campaign was unaware of a video -- available online -- in which Palin talks about God's role in U.S. military action overseas, according to a political operative familiar with the situation.

The video, first reported by the liberal blog HuffingtonPost.com, is from a June Palin speech to the graduating class of commission students at Palin's former church in Wasilla, Alaska. While describing her family, Palin told students about her oldest son, 19-year-old Track, who is set to be deployed to Iraq this month with the U.S. Army. She urged students to pray "that our leaders -- that our national leaders -- are sending [soldiers] out on a task that is from God."

She added, "That's what we have to make sure that we are praying for: that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."

"It's pretty uncomfortable stuff," said the political operative, after watching the video online. "It's bad. It's really bad. … It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out."

In addition to talking about Iraq, Palin also referred to God's role in her work as governor.

"I can do my part in working really, really hard to get a natural gas pipeline, about a $30 billion project that's going to create a lot of jobs for Alaska. … [but] I think God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that," she said. "I can do my job there in developing our natural resources, in doing things like getting the roads paved and making sure our troopers have their cop cars and their uniforms and their guns, and making sure our public schools are funded. But really that stuff doesn't do any good if the people of Alaska's hearts aren't right with God."

It wasn't all serious, though. At one point during the address, Palin praised the graduating class as "a bunch of cool-looking Christians." Then she picked out one student in the crowd and said with a smile, "Ben, I don't know you well enough yet, but looking at you, I'm thinking, people are going to interested in Jesus Christ through you because of the way you look - this red-headed Sasquatch for Jesus. You look good!" The students cheered. "Times are really changin'. And with the times that change, looks even change."

The seven-minute speech is posted on the Web site of Palin's former church, the Wasilla Assembly of God. But, the political operative said, the McCain campaign seems to have had no knowledge of it when Palin was announced as McCain's running mate on Friday.

From NBC's Mark Murray
In his remarks tonight, President Bush will say that McCain "understands the lessons" of 9/11, according to excerpts the White House released. "We live in a dangerous world. And we need a president who understands the lessons of September 11, 2001: that to protect America, we must stay on the offense, stop attacks before they happen, and not wait to be hit again. The man we need is John McCain."

However, those words will spur political journalists to dig up this August 2008 piece from the New York Times: "Senator John McCain arrived late at his Senate office on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, just after the first plane hit the World Trade Center. 'This is war,' he murmured to his aides. The sound of scrambling fighter planes rattled the windows, sending a tremor of panic through the room.

"Within hours, Mr. McCain, the Vietnam War hero and famed straight talker of the 2000 Republican primary, had taken on a new role: the leading advocate of taking the American retaliation against Al Qaeda far beyond Afghanistan. In a marathon of television and radio appearances, Mr. McCain recited a short list of other countries said to support terrorism, invariably including Iraq, Iran and Syria."

"'There is a system out there or network, and that network is going to have to be attacked,' Mr. McCain said the next morning on ABC News. 'It isn't just Afghanistan,' he added, on MSNBC. 'I don't think if you got bin Laden tomorrow that the threat has disappeared,' he said on CBS, pointing toward other countries in the Middle East."

"Within a month he made clear his priority. 'Very obviously Iraq is the first country,' he declared on CNN. By Jan. 2, Mr. McCain was on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea, yelling to a crowd of sailors and airmen: 'Next up, Baghdad!'"

"Now, as Mr. McCain prepares to accept the Republican presidential nomination, his response to the attacks of Sept. 11 opens a window onto how he might approach the gravest responsibilities of a potential commander in chief. Like many, he immediately recalibrated his assessment of the unseen risks to America's security. But he also began to suggest that he saw a new ''opportunity'' to deter other potential foes by punishing not only Al Qaeda but also Iraq."

More Bush excerpts
Also in his speech, Bush is expected to say: "John is an independent man who thinks for himself. He's not afraid to tell you when he disagrees... No matter what the issue, this man is honest and speaks straight from the heart." 

"Last year, John McCain's independence and character helped change history. The Democrats had taken control of Congress and were threatening to cut off funds for our troops. In the face of calls for retreat, I ordered a surge of forces into Iraq. Many in Congress said it had no chance of working. Yet one Senator above all had faith in our troops and the importance of their mission - and that was John McCain. Some told him that his early and consistent call for more troops would put his Presidential campaign at risk. He told them he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war. That is the kind of courage and vision we need in our next Commander-in-Chief."

From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
MINNEAPOLIS, MN  -- Grover Norquist is talking about decapitated rodents.

"Those Republican elected officials who vote for tax increases are rat heads in a Coke bottle," booms the president of the Americans for Tax Reform, cheered by a crowd of thousands here. "They damage the brand for everyone!"

These people are serious.

At today's Rally for the Republic, a celebration of the candidacy of one-time presidential candidate and grassroots messiah Ron Paul, a slice of newly activated political consciousness is on stunning display.

The project of Paul campaign offshoot Campaign for Liberty, today's rally could top an attendance of 15,000 supporters, organizers say. The cavernous Target Center stadium in Minneapolis, which seats somewhere south of 20,000 at capacity, is already seating several thousand vocal Ron Paul supporters -- hours before the Texas congressman is scheduled to make his keynote remarks.

Among the phrases dropped by lineup of speakers so far: "the war of Northern aggression;" "Barack Hussein Obama," "McBama," "chickenhawks," and "the environmentalists who have made toilets too small to flush completely."

Personalities and entities of all political stripes are vigorously booed upon mention. Jeer-ees include Madeleine Albright, Rudy Giuliani, Joe Lieberman, Sean Hannity, Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, Ben Bernanke, the New York Times, FOX News Channel, the "neoconservative death cult," "the blockheads who rule us," and any mention of the RNC over the river in St. Paul, a.k.a. "that snorefest down the street."

And, of course, the two current presidential candidates – who receive robust raspberries each time their names are uttered.

The most passionate of applause lines so far? Upon one speaker's single pronunciation of "the Austrian Theory of the Business Cycle," members of the audience leapt to their feet with enraptured cheers. 

(Yeah, you can Wikipedia it. I had to.)

MSNBC's own Tucker Carlson is emceeing the rally. Carlson opened the event by lauding Paul as "a sincerely gentle human being" with the generosity and vision to advocate for the legalization of marijuana, despite having never seen the drug in person. (Carlson was spotted before his remarks, holding court backstage with a crowd of handheld-camera-toting Web journalists and fans.)
 
Colorful analogies grant texture  to the speaking schedule. "We are the garbage of the world!" opined presidential historian Doug Wead, noting that the "refuse" once welcomed in the engravings of the Statue of Liberty has catapulted to global dominance. Allusions to Ghandi, Moses, and Mandela are sprinkled throughout most presenters' remarks.

In between speakers, video montages that feature Ron Paul's speeches and supporters are broadcast on two huge video screens, complete with soaring soundtracks. Favorite toe-tappers: "You Spin Me Right Round" by Dead or Alive and "Fortunate Son" by Credence Clearwater Revival.

An inflatable white miniature blimp, printed with the logo of the Ron Paul Revolution, dangles from a ceiling that stretches a full hundred feet above the convention floor.
 
Carefully lettered vertical placards, meant to replicate the traditional state delegation markers that dot a convention floor, were distributed early around the crowd, only to be collected after television cameramen -- perched on a riser hundreds of feet from the stage -- complained of obstructed views.  (The placards have largely been replaced by smaller red signs that read "Calling the GOP Back to Its Roots.") 

Some of the supporters in the Target Center are decked out in noteworthy costumes. One family is clad  in full colonial gear. Pirate hats and tri-corner hats are popular. Text on screen-printed T-shirts spotted in the crowd include: "The Centrists are the Extremists," "Don't Gavel Me, Bro!" and "Ron Paul is my Homeboy."

Still to speak/perform: Country singer Sara Evans, former congressman Barry Goldwater Jr. -- yes, son of THAT Goldwater -- and former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura.

And, of course, Saint Paul.

From NBC's Mark Murray
The AP reports: "Bristol Palin's boyfriend plans to join the family of the Republican vice presidential candidate at the GOP convention. Levi Johnston's mother said her 18-year-old son left Alaska on Tuesday morning to join the Palin family in St. Paul, Minn."
 
"Sherry Johnston also said there has been no pressure put on her son to marry Bristol Palin, the pregnant daughter of vice  presidential candidate Sarah Palin. 'Absolutely not,' Sherry Johnston told reporters outside the family's Wasilla home. Johnston said the two teens already had plans to marry before they knew she was pregnant.
  
"Sarah Palin announced Monday that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter was pregnant. The father was not identified beyond the first name of Levi."

From NBC/NJ's Matthew E. Berger
MINNEAPOLIS -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin today met with the board of directors of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, NBC/NJ has confirmed.

The meeting took place inside Palin's hotel, sources said.

A campaign official would not say who asked for the meeting, but said it was geared towards putting the American Jewish community at ease over her understanding of US-Middle East relations. 

"That's obviously going to be an issue," the aide said. "It's not like being the senator from New York, obviously. But these aren't issues that are off her radar."

Palin, joined by Sen. Joe Lieberman, expressed her "heartfelt support for Israel" and spoke of the threats it faces from Iran and others, the campaign official said.

"We had a good productive discussion on the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship, and we were pleased that Gov. Palin expressed her deep, personal, and lifelong commitment to the safety and well-being of Israel," AIPAC spokesman Josh Block said. "Like Sen. McCain, the vice presidential nominee understands and believes in the special friendship between the two democracies and would work to expand and deepen the strategic partnership in a McCain/Palin Administration."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- It's back to politics… a day after hurricane relief disasters and talk of appropriateness reigned, both campaigns are up with tough new ads hitting the other side.

The McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee have their first joint ad running in battleground states, including -- notably -- NORTH CAROLINA and Florida.

The ad paints Obama as a big spending liberal and links him to Democrats Chris Dodd, Byron Dorgan, Harry Reid and Pat Leahy -- though not sure how many people outside the Beltway would actually recognize them, particularly since there are no titles on screen to identify them.

According to the RNC, it is running in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The Obama camp, for their part, have an ad up hitting McCain as the "Same" as Bush on tax cuts, the economy, lobbyists and Iraq. It features various Bush poses with McCain in frame.

From NBC's John Yang
President Bush is not going to St. Paul, because "it's appropriate that the President be here at the White House" in light of the ongoing situation from Hurricane Gustav and the other storms churning in the Atlantic, White House press secretary Dana Perino told reporters at a briefing today. She added that Bush wants to be sure "the follow-through" is as good as the preparation.

In his speech to the Republican convention, the president will express his gratitude to Republicans and make brief remarks about the Hurricane. But the bulk of the remarks will be about why he thinks McCain is suited for the commander-in-chief role.

The remarks are expected to run just under eight minutes. The original remarks for Monday timed out at about 15 minutes.