start, i m zoraida sambolin. and i m john berman live at the cnn grille in tampa for the republican national convention where tonight mitt romney will give the biggest speech yet of his politil life. tonight he will accept the republican party nomination and make his case to the american people for a romney presidency. last night it was his running mate, paul ryan, who took the fight directly to president obama in his speech. he attacked the president on health care reform, the jobs crisis and what ryan said was a failure in leadership. i m joined this morning by cnn white house correspondent, brianna keilar and for republicans waiting for this convention to take a direct aim at president obama they got their wish last night. they got it in paul ryan and he was very much targeting president obama on the economy, that s his wheelhouse, being the budget chairman in the house of representatives. he talked about in his words essentially, the president s disappointment when it
coast with a 12-foot wall of water. i m david mattingly in gulfport, mississippi, where lessons of the past with hurricane katrina are helping people all along the coast here prepare for isaac. i ll have that story coming up. and good morning from tampa, where the two republican rock stars arrive into town today. both mitt romney and paul ryan. but it s a certain new jersey governor that everyone is buzzing about. mr. chris christie. we ll talk about him and his big keynote speech coming up. and samuel l. jackson tweeting, it is unfair republicans in tampa were spared from hurricane isaac. this morning the fallout and inevitable apology. cnn newsroom begins right now. and good morning. thank you so much for joining us this morning. i m carol costello. we begin right now with tropical storm isaac. right now it s growing stronger and closer and expected to be a hurricane when it charges ashore. new orleans and the mississippi gulf coast in the crosshairs. isaac s land
good morning, we re coming to you live from the french quarter in new orleans. our starting point this morning is tropical storm isaac, it is gaining strength and has overnight and it s closing in on the louisiana coast. the storm is expected to make landfall tonight or early tomorrow morning as a category one hurricane. storm surge and potential flooding are the biggest concerns right now. isaac is expected to bring as much as 20 inches of rain when it hits, could create storm surges up to 12 feet. thousands of people in louisiana, in mississippi and alabama are evacuating. we ve found many though, even here in new orleans who have decided to hunker down and ride out the storm. here s a live picture of jackson quar this morning. st. peter s street, a slight wind. we ve had rain on and off as well. the big question for the folks in this city and outside the city. will the updated levees and pumps hold against isaac. cnn has got coverage for you this morning of tropical stor
overnight and it s closing in on the louisiana coast. the storm is expected to make landfall tonight or early tomorrow morning as a category one hurricane. storm surge and potential flooding are the biggest concerns right now. isaac is expected to bring as much as 20 inches of rain when it hits, could create storm surges up to 12 feet. thousands of people in louisiana, in mississippi and alabama are evacuating. we ve found many though, even here in new orleans who have decided to hunker down and ride out the storm. here s a live picture of jackson quar this morning. st. peter s street, a slight wind. we ve had rain on and off as well. the big question for the folks in this city and outside the city. will the updated levees and pumps hold against isaac. cnn has gotoverage for you this morning of tropical storm isaac. let s get right to rob marciano live this morning at the port of new orleans. hey, rob. reporter: good morning, soledad. you re right about the levee and pump s
prepare for isaac. i ll have that story coming up. and good morning from tampa, where the two republican rock stars arrive into town today. both mitt romney and paul ryan. but it s a certain new jersey governor that everyone is buzzing about. mr. chris christie. we ll talk about him and his big keynote speech coming up. and samuel l. jackson tweeting, it is unfair republicans in tampa were spared from hurricane isaac. this morning the fallout and inevitable apology. cnn newsroom begins right now. and good morning. thank you so much for joining us this morning. i m carol costello. we begin right now with tropical storm isaac. right now it s growing stronger and closer and expected to be a hurricane when it charges ashore. new orleans and the mississippi gulf coast in the crosshairs. isaac s landfall to come late tonight or early tomorrow, the seventh anniversary of hurricane katrina. and it is that disaster that largely defines how prepared the city of new orleans is t