MNpublius.com

The list is getting so long, NRSC spokesperson Rebecca Fisher says ”it’s probably easier to say who is attending.” OUCH. My three favorites that all hit close to home:

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens is awaiting trial on seven federal charges stemming from a corruption scandal.

His staff says he won’t attend because he is too busy campaigning for his eighth term.

…

Idaho Sen. Larry E. Craig also has reasons to avoid the Twin Cities. Craig pleaded guilty in August 2007 to a reduced misdemeanor charge arising from his arrest for allegedly soliciting sex from an undercover police officer in a restroom at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. His term is ending; he is not seeking reelection.

…and of course, if it was anywhere else, we already know what Coleman would do:

One incumbent Republican senator has no choice but to attend: Norm Coleman of Minnesota pushed to bring the GOP convention to his state and is scheduled to address the delegates.

But facing a stiff reelection battle, he now admits he’d rather be out campaigning.

“If the convention wasn’t in St. Paul, I wouldn’t be at the convention,” Coleman told Minnesota Public Radio.

Read the entire piece at the Los Angeles Times. I was at the RNC media party on Saturday night and there was a lot of buzz amongst local and national media about the no-shows, the protests, the police raids and of course the hurricane that is looking likely to hit hard. In fact, a reason CNN’s Anderson Cooper wasn’t at the party is because he changed his flight plans from Saint Paul to New Orleans.

Update: 14 hours later, more developments: George Bush and Dick Cheney are both no-shows and McCain is calling off most RNC events for day one to monitor the situation with hurricane Gustov. While it is a lose-lose situation any way you look at it, I think they’re making the right choice.