A Delegate's First Day At The RNC

Much of the Convention on Day 1 was correctly focused on Hurricane Gustav. Because all the evening speeches were canceled, the convention mostly focused on business, such as approving the platform.

Still, it was exciting being there. All of us here are really excited about the McCain-Palin ticket, and looking forward to showing our support for it over the next few days. Watching the Democratic convention on TV last week, I was really impressed by how much passion, enthusiasm, and unity the Democrats were showing for Obama. However, I think people who watch the Republican convention this week will see just as much if not more passion, enthusiasm, and unity for McCain. It's an exciting time, and it's fun to be a part of it.

A good example of that enthusiasm: Laura Bush appeared at the convention to say a few words, and we gave her a long and energetic standing ovation. Part of that ovation was due to the fact that she was the first notable speaker to appear at the convention, but I think we also wanted to show our deep appreciation for her role as first lady over the past seven and a half years.

She really has been a wonderful first lady. She has never had a very public role, but when she is interviewed, she is always very gracious and thoughtful. I was glad we had the chance to thank her for her service.

Laura Bush's comments focused on Hurricane Gustav, and she introduced a video of taped statements from four of the Republican governors affected by the hurricane: Gov. Perry (Texas), Gov. Barbour (Mississippi), Gov. Riley (Alabama), and Gov. Crist (Florida).

These four governors all described their states' work preparing for the hurricane, and the work their emergency management agencies and National Guard Units were doing.