I suspect many of us were struck by the eerie coincidence of another hurricane hitting New Orleans during the Republican convention, but it's one of those things you hesitate to mention for fear of looking like somebody who takes pleasure in the misfortune of others...like a Republican, in other words.

Nobody knows how to profit from the misfortune of others like Republicans, though, and they're showing their stuff now.

People have already forgotten that Bush and Cheney were told to stay away from the convention long before the hurricanes headed for land. But now the story is that they're just too busy heroically defending the Gulf Coast.

Before the hurricanes, Republicans were worried about filling their venue, and busing in bodies to fill out the crowds. Now there's a hurricane (a thousand miles away), so naturally attendance is down.

Before the hurricanes, Republicans had to worry about their convention making a sorry contrast to the Democrat's Festival of Love. Now, well, there's a hurricane (a thousand miles away), and out of respect (for what?) Republicans will tone down their convention.

It's an ill wind indeed that Republicans can't turn to their own advantage.