There is nothing political about hurricane Gustav, but there is some heavy indirect political fallout from the impending natural disaster as it methodically takes aim at the U.S. mainland.

       The national Republican Party has made the wise move and scrubbed most of Monday's convention activities in Minnesota and politely asked all of the delegates to raise money for the hurricane victims rather than raising the roof at the myriad of parties that were on tap.

      The spectacle of GOPers partying down while another part of the country was battling for its life, was the wrong picture to send especially since this GOP administration botched the last hurricane disaster a year ago this week.

      From a crass political standpoint, John McCain is now able to avoid his own Kwame Kilpatrick dilemma.  Just as Barack Obama wanted nothing to do with the beleaguered Mayor of Detroit at the democratic convention, John McCain did not n eed a lot of face time with the current president of the United States at his.

      Sure the democrats have enough pictures of McCain and George W. Bush to last until November, but the D's were hoping to replenish their supply at the GOP meeting where both the president and Vice President Cheney were set to speak on Monday night.

      Both have scrubbed those appearances to stay on top of the hurricane.

      Originally the GOP was going to stuff Bush and Cheney into the convention program on Monday night which just happened to be Labor Day eve when most Americans would be on the road and not in front of the tube.

      McCain would have taken a hit for trying to hide the duo, but now the only thing that will hit on Monday night is Gustav. For McCain it is an unsought after political silver lining in an otherwise very dark natural disaster.