Republicans faced the same problem during the second night of their convention Tuesday as Democrats did a week earlier: trying to wrestle television networks for control of their story.

With the Democrats in Denver last Tuesday, there was so much talk about upset Hillary Clinton supporters that Barack Obama was nearly forgotten. Republicans this week dearly wanted viewers to focus on the service of John McCain instead of the qualifications of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

The impact of revelations about the Alaska governor, including the pregnancy of her unwed 17-year-old daughter, was the primary topic of pundit conversations.

“It is ironic that on a night that is supposed to be about `who is John McCain’ that everyone here is asking `who is Sarah Palin?’” said MSNBC’s Norah O’Donnell.

Her fellow pundit, Pat Buchanan, said the campaign had been enlivened by the entrance of a conservative Republican, earning him a sarcastic putdown from GOP critic Keith Olbermann.

“Those reading US Weekly with the picture of her and her youngest daughter with the word `scandal’ written across it won’t be so happy,” Olbermann said.

Several delegates interviewed by reporters used the word “excited” or “thrilled” to talk about Palin’s candidacy. One woman said that “all the unwed pregnancy is doing is endearing us more to Sarah Palin.”

If anyone was expressing any doubts about her, they weren’t doing it publicly _ certainly not First Lady Laura Bush during an interview with NBC’s Brian Williams. She said she was thrilled about the choice and that it was bringing big excitement to the ticket.

“Would you tell me if you sampled any trepidation from members of the party or your own family?” Williams asked.

Yes, the first lady said. She would.

That quietly testy moment would likely provide more fuel for fighting back against a familiar foe. Republicans were becoming critical of the news media for raising critical questions about Palin’s candidacy.

Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly said the “left wing press gleefully swooped in” on Palin. Fox analyst Karl Rove, on O’Reilly’s show, said he believed Palin critics were using the mainstream media to help get Democrat Barack Obama elected. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that “the media has figured out that she is their greatest threat since Clarence Thomas.”

CNN reported that its scheduled Larry King interview with McCain on Tuesday was canceled because an aide said the candidate was upset with Campbell Brown’s questioning of McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds over Palin the night before.

Brown had repeatedly pressed Bounds to name one decision Palin had made as commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard.

CNN U.S. President Jon Klein backed his reporter.

“Campbell Brown did what journalists do,” he said. “She asked fair and important questions in a respectful way and was simply trying to get a straight answer to a straightforward question.”

Tuesday’s coverage often felt like a chess game being played on a large stage.

A short speech by President Bush began at 9:53 p.m. ET, before ABC, CBS and NBC began their one hour of convention coverage; there’s worry among McCain aides about their candidate being tied too closely to an unpopular president.

So it made for the somewhat surreal sight of Charles Gibson, Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos opening ABC’s broadcast talking amongst themselves while a soundless picture of Bush talking was over their shoulders. Yet if some Republicans wanted Bush’s speech ignored, they failed: the three networks showed it via tape delay, cutting out a live tribute to Ronald Reagan to do it.

Instead of showing the night’s whip-up-the-crowd speakers, Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman, the broadcast networks aired only portions of what they said.

The Republicans had already been knocked offstride by Hurricane Gustav, which forced postponement of many of Monday’s convention events. Even though Gibson and Williams were in St. Paul, Gustav was the lead story in their evening newscasts. CBS’ Katie Couric led with the Palin questions.

One clear winner for the Republicans was its huge video wall that towered behind featured speakers. When Thompson noted that former prisoner of war McCain could no longer raise his arm to a salute, a giant flagpole and fluttering flag loomed behind him.

Last week the Democrats recovered to end with two strong TV nights at their convention, including a Barack Obama acceptance speech seen by more than 40 million people.

The Republicans have their hopes set on a strong finish, too.