Laura Bush made a surprise appearance this morning at the Texas delegation’s breakfast meeting, lifting the delegates’ spirits while still encouraging them to back presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin.

“I think people understand and are keeping their eye on the Gulf Coast to see if there are any ways we can help, either as a party from up here, or as a way to get the word out to the country because of the convention being here,” Mrs. Bush later told reporters.

Hurricane Gustav, which was barreling down on the Gulf Coast and led to the truncation of many convention events, was on the minds of everyone. Many were understandably disappointed with the situation but agreed that toning down the pageantry was necessary.

“We missed a big opportunity,” Texas delegate Norman Adams said. “But we can’t control mother nature, and it is what it is. We’ve got another couple of months to get that message out. We’ll get it done.”

We’re focused and concerned with our families and friends back home,” alternate delegate Christopher Harvey said. “But we’re trying to keep focus on what’s going on here. So it’s kind of stressing bouncing between the two.”

Fellow Texan Chris Daniel believed cancelling some events was necessary.

“Having lived through … tropical storm Allison, where my house was personally flooded, it is necessary to truncate the events just so that you can be prepared to go back in case there is an emergency of some kind,” Daniel said.