GOP Partyers, Talking McCain and Thinking Rain

MINNEAPOLIS -- Normally, you have to pace yourself at pre-convention parties for a grueling week of free food, drinks and swag. Most insiders juggle invites for four or more receptions and dinners each night -- on top of swinging by, oh yeah, the actual convention. But with Gustav threatening to stop everything, Saturday's official media party was the only sure bet of convention week.

The city was at its most appealing: balmy temperatures, sunset on the Mississippi, tons of volunteers exuding Midwestern good cheer, with the Guthrie Theater's modern chic as backdrop. But Topic A (and B-Z) was the impending hurricane, which put a damper on even the cheeriest GOP stalwarts.

"We just evacuated my horse," said Houston's Mica Mosbacher, national co-chair of Women for McCain and wife of former commerce secretary Bob Mosbacher. Instead of celebrating, she was fretting about her dogs boarded with a Texas vet: "We had to sign a waiver saying they couldn't be responsible" in case of emergency.

Partisan sniping was in short supply; even protesters lacked bite. Code Pink's Nancy Mancias grabbed what might be her only chance to tweak Sarah Palin, parading around in a navy suit, lapel pin, glasses and the governor's retro updo. "It's the only thing that keeps me up," she mocked. But Mancias may be onto something: Even GOP insiders ecstatic about the veep pick started buzzing about an extreme makeover of Palin's hair -- ASAP.

The Arctic Fox

Notice anything about Sarah Palin? Mmmm-hmmm, you know what we mean. Don't worry, apparently it's okay to talk about; commentators were taking note long before she got the veep nod.

· "Let the rest of the country drool while we honeymoon with a hottie." (Anchorage Daily News, Dec. 10, 2006)

· "New quarter design blah blah blah Alaska blah blah blah OMG Sarah Palin continues to be the hottest governor ever." (Wonkette.com, April 25, 2007)

· "Is it just me or do you get a kind of naughty librarian vibe from the governor? . . . I think she was kind of coming on to me a little bit, because she said 'succulent.' North to Alaska! Thank you, Governor, and I don't mean to be disrespectful about your sexiness." ( Craig Ferguson, June 27, 2007, after Palin offered him honorary citizenship and "rich, succulent wild Alaskan salmon.")