JIM LEHRER: The presidential campaign of 2008 took another surprise turn today. Republican John McCain chose a non-short-list running mate: Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, the first woman to be on a Republican national ticket.
She was elected governor in 2006.
McCain introduced her at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, and praised her independence.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), Ariz.: She's not from these parts, and she's not from Washington. But when you get to know her, you're going to be as impressed as I am.
She's got the grit, integrity, good sense and fierce devotion to the common good that is exactly what we need in Washington today.
She knows where she comes from, and she knows who she works for. She stands up for what's right, and she doesn't let anyone tell her to sit down.
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), Alaska: Well, it's always, though, safer in politics to avoid risk, to just kind of go along with the status quo. But I didn't get into government to do the safe and easy things.
A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why the ship is built. Politics isn't just a game of competing interests and clashing parties. The people of America expect us to seek public office and to serve for the right reasons.
JIM LEHRER: Palin is 44 years old and a mother of five. McCain announced her selection on the day he turned 72.
Democrats quickly criticized the choice. The Barack Obama campaign said, "John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000, with zero foreign policy experience, a heartbeat away from the presidency."
Later, Obama himself called Palin "a compelling person," but he said he has obvious differences with her.
The Democratic team of Obama and Joe Biden hit the road today. They left the convention city of Denver after last night's grand finale before 80,000 supporters at the Denver Broncos' football stadium.
From there, they flew to Pittsburgh for an evening rally in Beaver, Pa. Tomorrow, they begin a bus tour of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.
In the non-campaign news of this day, Hurricane Gustav had the Cayman Islands in its sights as it stayed on a course toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. Residents in the Caymans stocked up on supplies as the storm moved in. It grew back into a hurricane again after pounding Jamaica with heavy winds and rains.
So far, Gustav has killed more than 70 people across the Caribbean.
In New Orleans today, remembrance ceremonies were held for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The bodies of 80 unclaimed victims were laid to rest three years to the day after the storm devastated the city. At least 1,836 people were killed from the hurricane and flooding.
At another ceremony, Mayor Ray Nagin paused to remember that disaster, but he also looked ahead to the looming threat of Gustav.
RAY NAGIN, Mayor of New Orleans: Our levee protection, they tell me, is much better than it was pre-Katrina, but we're getting ready to test that, unfortunately, and find out exactly how good the Corps of Engineers is.
JIM LEHRER: Nagin also said he would order a mandatory evacuation, if need be.
President Bush declared an advance emergency in Louisiana, and Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff inspected the levees. He said long-term repairs are on schedule, but there's still work to do.
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, U.S. secretary of Homeland Security: The plan was to go to 2011 and get to the point at which a Category 3 storm -- there'd be a one percent or less chance that you would have a major catastrophe or major flooding in the city.
But we're not at 2011 yet. I also want to warn people that the city floods not only because of a break in the levee, but because of rain. You could have an enormous rain event that would overwhelm the pumps. And until the pumps actually are able to extract the water, you would have flooding.
JIM LEHRER: The storm raised the possibility that Republican organizers might delay next week's convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul. A McCain campaign spokesman said, "Sen. McCain has always been sensitive to national crises. We are monitoring the situation very closely."
President Bush is scheduled to address the convention on Monday. Any delay could mean that appearance might get pushed back or even canceled.
Wall Street took a hit today on news that personal spending fell last month and consumer spending slowed. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 170 points to close below 11,544. The Nasdaq fell 44 points to close at 2,367.
For the week, the Dow lost more than 0.5 percent; the Nasdaq fell two percent.
And that's it for the news summary tonight.
