The Pew Charitable Trusts

Hurricane Gustav's disruption of the Republican National Convention in the Twin Cities this week could draw attention to a subject that GOP presidential candidate John McCain probably would prefer not to bring up at his nomination: his outspoken opposition to a disaster-management proposal that most Southern governors - including those in his own party - have long pushed.

McCain opposes a proposed federal "catastrophe fund" that would help states recover from hurricanes, earthquakes and other disasters - in part because he believes it would force some states to foot the recovery bill for others.

But all five Republican governors along the storm-prone Gulf Coast - Bob Riley of Alabama, Charlie Crist of Florida, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Rick Perry of Texas - have expressed their support for a catastrophe fund, claiming that "every state is vulnerable to natural disasters." Crist and Jindal, two of the governors rumored to be possible vice-presidential contenders for McCain before he chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin last week, even have campaigned in favor of the issue. All five Gulf Coast governors skipped the opening of the RNC to focus on recovery efforts at home.

Learn more about the intra-party squabble over the proposed national catastrophe fund by reading Stateline's" McCain, GOP govs split over disaster fund."