As their fellow Louisianans struggled through Hurricane Gustav, the Bayou State delegation at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul received a surprise visit from First Lady Laura Bush and Cindy McCain.

The two women extended their well wishes to the delegation and their families back home but also reiterated the convention’s core goals: to rally the party behind Sen. John McCain as president and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as vice president.

“I am extremely proud of his pick for vice president Sarah Palin,” said Cindy McCain. “She’s a maverick, a straight talker, someone that is not afraid to say no and a good addition to the team.”

First Lady Laura Bush continued to tout Palin’s credentials for vice president, saying that her time as mayor of Wasilla will bring executive experience to the ticket. The fact that Palin is a woman also became a major part of her storyline.

“I’m so happy because I’m actually going to vote for a Republican woman this time,” Mrs. Bush told reporters after the speech.

The first lady’s comments were echoed by 18-year-old Deanna Wallace.

“I absolutely love her,” said Wallace, a first-time voter and an alternate delegate. “She knows what it is like to be on the executive level, which is something the other side has none of. She was mayor, she is a governor, she actually has executive experience which is very, very important because that’s what the president is, executive power.”

Even with all the talk of Palin, the hurricane back home was still a major topic and the speakers praised McCain’s involvement on the Gulf Coast.

Over the weekend, McCain arranged for Gulf Coast delegates to fly home on chartered planes if they chose but most remained in St. Paul. One delegate, Rhett Davis, flew back to Louisiana to bring his children and mother-in-law back to St. Paul to join his wife Vicki, who is also a delegate. At the breakfast, the family became the center of attention as the delegates used their story to carry the message of McCain’s courage and leadership.

“Unfortunately Gustav has rained on our parade,” said delegation chair Bryan Wagner. “But I want you to know that my heart is cheery. Because the wonderful things the McCain people have done for Louisiana just makes our hearts sing.”

Former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer called McCain a “reformer, a man who looked at this own party, his own nation and said, no, we have to do it better.”

Roemer said he talked with McCain on the phone about Hurricane Gustav as well as his vice presidential pick Palin. In their conversation, McCain said he was committed to reprioritizing the convention to give attention to the Gulf Coast and would be prepared to help Louisiana.

Roemer praised McCain, but also added special mention to Palin, calling her a “reformer of unmatched quality across this country,” to an enthusiastic applause from the delegation.

“It could have been Jindall, what a great choice, but we needed him in Louisiana,” said Roemer.

When the official business begins on Monday, Louisiana will have a full delegation seated on the convention floor. Thirty-nine of its original 47 delegates are still in St. Paul and alternates will fill in for those who returned home, said the delegation press secretary Chris Ingram.