ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Republicans are counting on a glitch-free convention to help lift the party's sagging morale and boost John McCain's presidential prospects when they assemble in this picturesque city on the Mississippi River in six weeks. Organizers plan to begin construction Monday at the Xcel Energy Center, home to the Minnesota Wild NHL hockey franchise, to host 4,600 delegates and alternates and thousands more guests and media Sept. 1-4. The sessions get under way just four days after Democrats conclude their own convention in Denver; never before have the two parties' events been scheduled so late in the summer, and so close together. McCain strategists believe the timing could work to their advantage, potentially blunting the post-Denver "bounce'' Obama should receive as a newly minted nominee. And even though Obama now leads McCain by double digits in most Minnesota polls, his strategists hope a successful convention could help the Arizona senator's chances of winning the state. Elected officials of both parties have taken a leadership role.
