I'm glad to see Hurricane Gustav won't keep Bush from speaking by satellite to the Republican National Convention. Very glad.

Poor Rudy, though. He gave the RNC his all and now he's nothing. Why, I bet he hasn't felt this bad since...

It looks as if Gustav, now only a Category 2 hurricane, will mostly miss New Orleans. That's very good news, but I can't help thinking of the initial optimism after Katrina. We really have to wait and see how the new procedures and infrastructure weather the storm before we speak with any certainty about Gustav.

Quick links.

* Is McCain's unvetted VP pick really associated with the Alaskan Independence Party (actual self-description: "No longer a fringe party")? Really? Is this a joke?

* Johann Hari tries to game out the partisan political implications of Hurricane Gustav. I'm reserving judgment—you can't underestimate how much Americans love kitsch, and I think McCain's political opportunism in heading to the disaster zone could play really well among low-information voters. You and I know that a high-profile visit like this draws needed resources away from rescue efforts, but sad to say most swing voters just aren't that savvy.

* So what if Kafka enjoyed porn?

* And, via Cynical-C, Steve Buscemi on The Big Lebowski.

Good Gustav coverage at Weather Nerd and blogofneworleans.com.

Monday night of the Republican National Convention has been canceled in anticipation of Gustav, with Tuesday-Thursday up in the air. Only essential business will be conducted...

Midnight links.

* A mandatory evacuation has been ordered in New Orleans—and Gustav is looking very ugly.

* Somebody shut up Michael Moore. This guy, too.

* Apparently you can now arrest people for intent to protest. Good to know.

* Flowers for Algernon: The Blog. Via MeFi. See it now before the DMCA takedown.

* Steve Benen has a good roundup of shocked reactions to the Palin pick from both Alaskans and Republicans. (Apparently Romney and Pawlenty are not happy either.) Or take this from an off-the-record Bushite:

If it said something admirable about President Bush that he chose a running mate who would be more helpful in governing than in campaigning, what does it say about Senator McCain that he did the opposite? One of the most loyal Bushies calls the selection “disrespectful to the office of the presidency.”

And this, from the Politico:

Whatever you think of the pick, here are six things it tells us about McCain:

1. He’s desperate.
2. He’s willing to gamble — bigtime.
3. He’s worried about the political implications of his age.
4. He’s not worried about the actuarial implications of his age.
5. He’s worried about his conservative base.
6. At the end of the day, McCain is still McCain.