John McCain has decided to amend the RNC schedule for Monday as Hurricane Gustav approaches Louisiana. It is a calculated move to avoid appearing insensitive to what could be another embarrassing Katrina associated disaster. President Bush and Vice President Cheney have already pulled out of Monday's Republican Convention, along with a number of GOP Governors. This is a rain delay of sorts, but Monday could prove worse.

The media is already talking to Katrina victims to stir the pot. There is always some real and legitimate pain left over after 1,600 lives are lost. The 24-hour news coverage lives for these kind of round the clock events and there is no shortage of reporters or cameras. This is not unusual, but for Republicans this is a lose-lose situation.

Croppers are at risk of leaving the region for good if Gustav's damage equals Katrina. According to an Associated Press Business Report, "Gustav's projected storm surge stood to cut through the heart of Louisiana's sugar industry in southern Louisiana, which includes 600 growers, 11 processing mills and an estimated $500 million annual crop value, according to the American Sugar Cane League."

Gustav has already claimed 94 lives in the Caribbean. The storm, expected to hit late Monday Morning, will test the Army Corps of Engineers three-year mission to rebuild the levees.