Waiting for the storm at the Republican Convention in Tampa

Front page Tampa Times, Aug. 26, 2012 (photo by Lynn Sweet)

Welcome sign at the Sheraton Hotel in Clearwater Beach, Fl. where the Illinois delegation is staying at the Republican National Convention (photo by Lynn Sweet)

TAMPA, FL.—The clouds are overcast, the wind starting to pick up on Sunday morning as Isaac–now more likely a tropical storm than a hurricane–already chopped a day off the Republican convention. Convention planners today are scrambling to redo the schedule to pack four days of speakers into three, starting on Tuesday. The worst of the storm is expected on Monday.

On the Illinois front, most of the more than 300 members of the Illinois delegation–delegates, alternates and guests–are scheduled to fly to Tampa today. The group is staying at the Sheraton in Clearwater Beach. The views of the water and beach are beautiful–but the place is about 30 miles from Tampa.

The Sun-Times Bureau Chiefs–Lynn Sweet (Washington) and Dave McKinney (Springfield) filed on the GOP postponing events for a day because of the storm; read that story HERE.