McCain Scraps N.O. Visit, Cites Weather
by Bill Barrow - Times-Picayune

Bad weather prompted Republican presidential hopeful John McCain to cancel his planned visit to New Orleans today, the McCain campaign said Wednesday.

McCain had planned to meet with Gov. Bobby Jindal during the trip and visit an oil rig to promote his support for lifting moratoria on drilling off the coasts of Florida, California and some East Coast states. Jeff Sadosky, a McCain aide, said predictions of rough weather Wednesday night, including strong thunderstorms, led the campaign to scrub the trip. McCain has a planned fund-raiser in Canton, Ohio, early this afternoon.

The side trip away from Midwestern battleground states had raised speculation McCain was courting Jindal to be his vice presidential candidate. The Louisiana governor has consistently thrown cold water on the idea.

"Let me be clear," Jindal told Fox News on Wednesday. "I have said in every private and public conversation I have got the job I want. I will say again on air, I'm not going to be the vice presidential nominee -- or vice president. I'm going to help Sen. McCain get elected, as governor of Louisiana."

Jindal's aides never confirmed details about a meeting between the two men, although a Louisiana Republican Party spokesman confirmed McCain's cancellation as if a Jindal meeting had been included.

"Sen. McCain's visit has been canceled and his meeting with Governor Jindal has been postponed," Aaron Baer said.

About the same time, Jindal spokeswoman Melissa Sellers said, "Governor Jindal's possible meeting with Senator McCain . . . has been postponed."