Excerpts from McCain's Interview With NBC News

WILLIAMS: Your value system...values, people over politics, human life comes first.  But you must be highly frustrated and probably sad that your moment, your GOP convention is happening alongside what could be a national natural disaster.

MCCAIN: Yeah.  I guess in some ways, Brian.  But the fact is, you know, I just returned from a briefing down in Jackson, Mississippi.  The president was on along with-- Mr. Paulison, the director of FEMA and-- and Secretary Chertoff and-- but this-- this is an overwhelming thing.  And let's hope and pray that it's not gonna be so severe as Governor Barber said-- we're-- praying for the best and preparing for the worst.  But look, this is just one of those moments in history where you have to put America first.  And I know republicans and democrats will respond accordingly with generosity, with assistance and with volunteering everything they have to make sure that this blow is softened as much as possible.  Just one of those things.

WILLIAMS:       What did you learn today in your time there about how this response is gonna differ from the last one three years ago?

MCCAIN: I think there's a number of ways it's gonna be different.  One is, of course, coordination between-- the government, state and local authorities.  It's much better in Louisiana and it's-- much better in the states that are covered.  The four states' governors; Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi are working closely together.  They're sharing assets.  There's still, I think, not as much communications equipment as we want.  There's still not enough search and rescue capabilities, although we're trying to fix that.  It's not perfect.  But I think that it's dramatically different than it was in response to Katrina.  And-- in some ways, if you look at some scenarios, this could be worse.

WILLIAMS:       What happens to the GOP convention?  And how much-- do you have to transact business by gaveling it started to make the ticket official?  And is that all in flux as we sit here?

MCCAIN: Well, what we're gonna have to do is probably convene just for an hour or two strictly for business.  Approve the rules, approve that the things that are required by law and by tradition for us to go through.  But the rest of it, certainly for Monday night, has got to be Americans helping Americans.  America first.  Open your wallets, your hearts-- all of your assistance.  And I think our people-- can and want to be committed to that cause rather than anything political.

WILLIAMS:       So you're going to convert the free media time and attention that this four day gathering will have and-- and try to steer that into the cause?

MCCAIN: Certainly for tomorrow night.  Certainly for tomorrow night.  And then I think I'm-- after the hurricane passes we'll see what-- what the situation is.  If it just requires still America's effort devoted in that direction of helping the recovery, then that's what we'll do.  If it's, I pray God, not as bad as we think and we can go on with the business of the convention we'll go on.  But frankly-- I think that's gonna be difficult.  But I think we can.  But Monday night, certainly it's-- it's all about America.

WILLIAMS:       I've heard a possibility you'll deliver your acceptance speech by satellite from the region depending on how bad it is and how quickly it clears?

MCCAIN: Yeah, we're jamming, you know, all possibilities and all scenarios.  I hope that by that time we will have had significant recovery efforts-- in movement and-- but I-- we'll have to just really judge it day by day.  But for now, everything political on hold.

WILLIAMS:       It's been reported in today's papers that you-- without diminishing Governor Palin, you really wanted your friend Joe Lieberman.  And some conservative state chairs-- threatened a floor fight over that.

MCCAIN:  have no knowledge of that.  Look, the close relationship I have with my beloved friend Joe Lieberman, I'll tell you the last words he said to me before I made the selection.  He said, "John, I want you to do what's best for this country.  And I'll be at your side."  And I'm-- I was very touched by that.  And so, it had everything to do with my judgment about what we can do to change things in Washington.  And a person with a record of accomplishment and a true reformer.  And I love Joe Lieberman.  I have the greatest respect and affection for the others that we considered-- but-- he was the first to call me and say, "Great choice".