Letter from Maria ... GOP convention update

Only ten days remain until we gavel the 2008 Republican National Convention to order and nominate Senator John McCain as our Party's candidate for President. We are excited to begin the week's events and share Senator McCain's unparalleled record of leadership with millions of Americans.

This week, we announced the convention's themes and the speakers that will headline the program of events. The overall theme, "Country First," reflects Senator McCain's remarkable record of leadership and service to America. The slate of speakers includes Mrs. Cindy McCain, 10 current and former Republican governors, five current and former U.S. Senators and two well-respected businesswomen. Their remarks will discuss Senator McCain's unique qualifications and will echo the themes that have been selected for each day: service, reform, prosperity and peace.

Here at headquarters, we are busy preparing the Xcel Energy Center for Senator McCain's arrival. This week marked the fourth week of the center's transformation, and we got our first look at what the podium area will look like when the build-out is complete. Construction of the podium is underway, and a digital rendering released this week revealed the state-of-the-art podium and video wall that will serve as the backdrop for Senator McCain's acceptance speech. While the podium is being assembled inside the arena, members of our staff have been working on another important construction project taking place outside of the stadium walls.

We are now putting the finishing touches on a home being built for SGT Marcus Kuboy, an Iraq War veteran who was severely wounded while serving our country. The project is part of the convention's American Neighbor program, our answer to Senator McCain's call to serve a cause greater than self-interest. While landscaping the yard at SGT Kuboy's new home, our staff marked the program's 1,000th hour of community service. It is fitting that we reached the 1,000-hour milestone at a project being completed in honor of SGT Kuboy, an individual who epitomizes Senator McCain's commitment to putting country first.

A decorated war hero, two-term congressman, and 20-year leader in the U.S. Senate, Senator McCain's commitment to serve others has been one of the defining hallmarks of his career. His commitment to our nation is just one of the countless reasons that he is best prepared to lead our country as President and Commander-in-Chief.

We look forward to welcoming you to Minneapolis-Saint Paul and kicking off a week of events that will highlight the ways in which Senator McCain is uniquely qualified to lead our country.

Sincerely,

Maria Cino
Convention President & CEO