Re-Defining Opportunism.

This is another example of how completely reactive McCain's campaign is - they're obviously so worried about appearing unconcerned as Hurricane Gustav makes landfall next week, they're willing to blow up the GOP convention and try to score points by flying into the storm zone. No, on the real - they're serious about this.

Officials insisted that the convention, scheduled to open here on Monday, will go on — albeit in a more limited and sedate form — even if Hurricane Gustav stays on its projected path. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered a mandatory evacuation beginning at 8 a.m. Sunday after federal officials said Gustav could grow to a catastrophic Category 5 and hit Monday afternoon somewhere between eastern Texas and western Mississippi.

McCain made plans to travel to a threatened area of the Gulf Coast on Sunday, accompanied by his wife, Cindy, and running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. They planned to meet Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) in Jackson, Miss., aides said.

McCain was scheduled to deliver his acceptance speech Thursday but now may do so from the devastation zone if the storm hits the U.S. coast with the ferocity feared by forecasters.

Aside from the bald-faced chutzpah of having McCain and Palin and Cindy (no word on whether Mr. Sarah Palin and Triq, Willow, Bree, Fred, Wilma, Barney, Pebbles and Bam-Bam will be going along) traveling to a 'threatened area,' what in the world will this accomplish? Are they going to go to Mississippi and talk about re-building Haley Barbour's porch again, like Bush did in the aftermath of Katrina? Maybe do a follow-up on how the porch repairs went? Will Palin channel her Special Sky Friend and command the hurricane to go away? The logic escapes me here.

And what's up with delivering the acceptance speech from 'the devastation zone?' If that doesn't scream crass and desperate, nothing will. Obviously, McCain is hoping for a 'bullhorn moment' like Bush got after 9/11, but how he'll swing this with Cindy doing her trophy-wife hover and Palin wandering around looking for batteries for her breast pump is beyond me.

McCain's Boys are hoping for something, anything to make the Old Man look presidential. If they don't play it just right he's going to look more like a vulture in the desolation zone, waiting for something to die so he can consume it for PR points.