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Bush, McCain Tangled Over Convention Appearance
Taegan Goddard's Political Wire — Sidney Blumenthal says President Bush was "furious" at being bumped from speaking at the Republican National Convention. "The McCain campaign and the Bush White House negotiated terms that unfolded as a script over the past several days, several sources told me. First, Bush announced he must oversee the preparations for dealing with the hurricane. He would not be able to attend the convention. Cheney, too, would drop out. In order that Bush and Cheney not seem to have been humiliated, McCain cancelled the entire proceedings for the first evening." ...

Fireball on the Runway
I Am TRex — Wow.  They really are disintegrating. The cancellation of the first night of the Republican National Convention marks the renewal of the rivalry between George W. Bush and John McCain. Since their bitter contest over the Republican nomination in 2000, they have taken years to make peace. But now McCain’s last chance has collided with Bush’s legacy. Hurricane Gustav was “a big blessing,” according to a source close to the McCain campaign. Okay, now, simply for the ...

The mortal danger of Bush's embrace
WTF Is It Now?!? — ... Almost certainly, Bush had to cancel his planned speech while Gustav loomed. But the sources say he didn't like the idea and felt pushed. Bush is described by sources as "furious" at McCain for being deprived of his last appearance before his party, which nominated him twice, as a sitting president. He believes he is being treated disrespectfully. ...

POTUS Persona Non Grata
The Mahablog — ... Be sure to read Sidney Blumenthal’s account of the cancellation of Bush’s speech last night. The McCain campaign used Gustave to shove Bush off the program, and Bush is pissed. ...

The Battle Between McCain and Bush: The Cancelled First Night, The "Furious" President and the Palin
Democratic Underground Latest Breaking News — ... speech to the convention. McCain is desperately seeking ways to pivot from Bush, whose in-person appearance on the first night of the convention threatened to obliterate his message as a "maverick" and "reformer." Even though McCain himself would not be onstage, Bush and Cheney would have dominated the opening and underlined continuity between their administration and McCain. The cancellation of the first night of the convention is a small price to pay for their absence. Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sidney-blumenthal/the-bat... Looks like there are not only cracks ...