Mitt Romney said that the controversy involving rape and abortion has harmed the Republican Party and he criticized the Democrats of exploiting the issue for political advantage. He said that it is sad for the Obama campaign to stoop to such low level. Low Politics

Romney’s comments came as party officials were busy rewriting the script for the Republican National Convention, which will be held a day earlier because of the threat made by the approaching Tropical Storm Isaac. The storm is forecast to be a hurricane as it goes through the Gulf of Mexico and will pass west of the convention city.

The change in the schedule included a 10 minute session on Monday in an empty hall where party leaders will launch a debt clock set to zero. It will show how much the government borrows throughout the convention week.

Republican officials didn’t rule out other changes to the convention because of the weather. They declined to comment when asked what might happen if the storm made landfall in New Orleans on the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The storm killed 1,800 people and destroyed the city.

Despite the weather concerns, a huge pre-convention celebration was held Sunday night. It was attended thousands of delegates as they turned the Rays major league baseball stadium into a party place.

Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said that Romney’s nomination would take place on Tuesday. During that time, the party would also approve its platform. Romney will deliver his acceptance speech Thursday night that will be televised in prime time TV. This will be the official start for his quest to win the presidency that spans more than five years.

According to recent polls, the presidential race is a close one with President Obama having a slight advantage. The Republicans try to make the election a referendum on President Obama’s handling of the economy but other issues surfaced to change the focus of the campaign.