via dubdaily

The DNC ended with a bang last week. After a week of festivities, including concerts by Kanye West, the Black Eyed Peas, N.E.R.D, and Fall Out Boy, Senator Obama spoke to an audience of 84,000 at Denver’s Mile High Stadium. The week was highlighted in speeches by President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton, and Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden, all in the efforts to unite the Democratic party, resulting in Obama’s approval ratings rising in the polls.

But national tragedy has struck the country once again as Hurricane Gustav has slammed into the heart of Louisiana’s fishing and oil industries. To avoid appearing to be celebrating during a time of natural disaster, the Republicans have scaled back their festivities during the RNC in the Twin Cities. Both George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have cancelled going to Minneapolis to deliver speeches to focus on the problem at hand, perhaps in an effort to avoid the mistakes they made the first time around during Hurricane Katrina.

One positive outcome is that many of the original events have been reorganized as early fundraisers for the victims of Hurricane Gustav. The buckets will be passed around several events during the RNC and here’s hoping the Republicans in town will be digging into their deep pockets for a more than worthwhile cause.

Tonight alone, the “Spirit of Minneapolis,” organized by distilled spirits lobbyists, has been turned into the “Spirit of the Gulf Coast.” The “Political Chicks A Go-Go” organized by Lifetime’s Every Women Counts campaign, featuring country music star John Rich and CGG fave Carter’s Chord, has been turned into a Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fundraiser. And 3000 convention delegates and special guests are expected to turn out to the Daddy Yankee Fiesta Americana concert, co-hosted with the Latino Coalition and the Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity Institute.