Jindal cancels RNC speech

GlobalPost

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced today that he would not attend the RNC while Tropical Storm Isaac threatens his state.

“Party conventions are interesting but there’s no time for politics here in Louisiana,” Jindal tweeted. He later added, "This storm, like every other storm is non-partisan. This is a time when we must all come together."

Jindal, a rising conservative star in the Republican Party, had planned to support Mitt Romney in Tampa on Wednesday.

The New York Times reports Jindal also missed the 2008 Republican convention in St. Paul because of Hurricane Gustav.

The National Hurricane Center says Isaac may become a Category One hurricane by the time it hits New Orleans sometime Tuesday or Wednesday. President Obama has sent Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials to areas where the storm is expected.

Isaac landed in Tampa, Florida on Monday causing minimal damage. RNC speeches have been postponed until Tuesday, the Daily News reports.

The damage to the RNC may be severe. Reuters wrote today:

"Romney could be robbed of some media attention – or worse, have images of convention festivities juxtaposed with searing split-screen television images of the storm's onslaught if Isaac dominates the news this week."

Tell us about your experience accessing The World

We want to hear your feedback so we can keep improving our website, theworld.org. Please fill out this quick survey and let us know your thoughts (your answers will be anonymous). Thanks for your time!