Republicans began laying out a vigorous argument yesterday for electing John McCain to the presidency, using the second day of their national convention in St. Paul, Minn., to portray the senator from Arizona as an independent-minded leader who would represent a clean break from the eight-year Bush administration.
After canceling most of its opening-day program because of Hurricane Gustav, the GOP returned to regular order last night with speeches from McCain friends and allies who extolled his judgment and character. Among them were Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democrat-turned-independent who was Al Gore's running mate in 2000, and President Bush, who spoke by satellite video from the White House and hailed the candidate as ready to make the tough choices necessary for keeping the country safe.
Bush singled out McCain's vocal support for a troop "surge" in Iraq at a time when other lawmakers had lost confidence in the war. "One senator above all had faith in our troops and the importance of their mission, and that was John McCain," the president said in prepared remarks. "Some told him that his early and consistent call for more troops would put his presidential campaign at risk. He told them he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war."
Bush's words served to buttress one of the main goals the McCain campaign had set for the second night of the convention: to present the candidate as a leader who puts country before party and speaks his mind regardless of the political toll. But Bush's presence, even if only on the big screens at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center, also complicated McCain's difficult task of convincing war-weary Americans that his administration would represent a departure from Bush in a year in which many voters say they want change in Washington.
To make the case that he, rather than Democratic rival Barack Obama, is the candidate who has the credentials to work across the aisle, McCain turned to his close friend Lieberman, who was ostracized by the Democratic Party for supporting Bush on the war. Said the senator from Connecticut: "I'm here tonight because John McCain is the best choice to bring our country together and lead our country forward. I'm here because John McCain's whole life testifies to a great truth: Being a Democrat or a
Republican is important. But it is not more important than being an American."
The delegates also heard from actor and former senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee, who ran against McCain in the Republican primaries but saluted him in his address for his independence and took a shot at Obama's carefully scripted visit to war zones this summer.
"He has been to Iraq eight times since 2003," Thompson said of McCain in prepared remarks. "He went seeking truth, not publicity. When he travels abroad, he prefers quietly speaking to the troops amidst the heat and hardship of their daily lives. And the same character that marked John McCain's military career has also marked his political career. This man, John McCain, is not intimidated by what the polls say or by what is politically safe or popular."
Even as Republicans tried to regain a sense of normalcy after a tumultuous start to their convention, the atmosphere surrounding the gathering continued to be dominated by debate over the credentials of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate. The campaign responded strongly to coverage of the announcement Monday that Palin's unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, as McCain advisers and delegates complained about what they view as media bias against their candidate. But questions surfaced about the campaign's repeated assertion that the vetting process for Palin was thorough and complete.
With the exception of a brief photo opportunity with McCain's wife, Cindy, and first lady Laura Bush, Palin spent yesterday secluded at a Minneapolis hotel preparing for her convention speech tonight. McCain advisers acknowledged that Palin's address will be one of the two most critical events of the gathering - the other being McCain's speech tomorrow accepting the party's nomination - and that it will be an opportunity to make a positive first impression with the American people and to rebut efforts by Democrats to present her as an inexperienced ideologue.
Speaking with Washington Post reporters and editors early yesterday, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis dismissed the controversy over Palin as little more than a media creation. Citing what he said were Palin's efforts to fight corruption and wasteful spending in Alaska, Davis said that the vice presidential pick has a "much better story than what is currently going on in the news media" and that she has excited the party's base voters.
McCain broke his silence yesterday over the turbulent rollout of Palin's candidacy, offering a brief defense of his staff's investigation of her background in response to a question while campaigning in Pennsylvania. "The vetting process was completely thorough, and I'm grateful for the results," he said during a visit with the Philadelphia Fire Department's Engine Company 56.
Later, in Cleveland, McCain said of Palin: "America's excited and they're going to be even more excited once they see her tomorrow night." He added: "I'm very, very proud of the impression she's made on all of America and looking forward to serving with her."
McCain has maintained an abbreviated campaign schedule over the past two days as he has prepared for his acceptance speech. He is scheduled to arrive in St. Paul today, but will not stay long. He and Palin have scheduled rallies in battleground states - Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico - beginning Friday.
In a preview of the final two days of the convention, Davis and other McCain surrogates made clear that their ambition is to wrest away the change issue that has been Obama's message. McCain originally made his mark in Washington by bucking his party on issues such as campaign finance reform and taxes, but he has moved closer to party orthodoxy as he has sought to keep a skeptical conservative base in the fold. That shift has exposed him to repeated attacks from the Obama campaign, which has argued consistently that his election would represent a perpetuation of the Bush administration.
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Republicans think that they are 'more Patriotic" - "Holier than thou" etc... etc..Then Dems' ..Being the "Land of the "'Free" - People should be able to make their own choices without government interfereance - If a woman decides on an abortion, it's between her and her doctor and NOBODY else - that's her choice - If this choice is not for you- Then don't have one -its as simple as all that
Intelligent people watch BOTH conventions so that we can make an INTELLIGENT decision - Not a Partisan decision - I'm an INDEPENDENT voter - I hated what I heard last night - I hated the religeous tirades and what I heard and saw was alot of tired old rhetoric. I believe that the Republican party tries to run everybody's lives along some strange "moral' compass - This is a FREE country so stop slamming the religeon down everybodies throats and telling everybody how they should live their lives. It's old, it's dusty and very rickety - I LOVE it when the Republicans get so angry versus telling the facts on these boards. It's because they know it's a losing battle.
Why did you bother even watching it? It's obvious you are a Liberal so just skip the show and go to bed. Religious fanatics? Not fanatics just people that trust in the God and are not afraid to stand up for HIM. Average age 70? No you are wrong there was whole big time mixture of ages attending the event. If someone is around 70 years old they should not be allowed to attend an event they want to? Talk about playing the Elder Abuse Card along with the Racist Card Obama backers love to deal out.
George - You paste the SAME long tirade everyday.
You're like Steven Wright - YOU NEED NEW MATERIAL.
Well, actually you are not like Steven Wright. He's not funny.
What a sleeper
Ok you get past the religious Fanatics that seemed to be giving speech after speech - Then you look at the crowd - I think the average age of that crowd is like 70!
No Republican will win.
Bush giving support?
READ THIS:
The Republican Party is a sick joke, and the people of this country are fed up with them.
From Nixon to Bush, and from Scooter to Larry "Toilet Stall" Craig, the Republicans have proven themselves to be a bunch of lying, corrupt, evil, perverted, over-spending crooks.
When you look at all the money Bill Clinton left this country, it makes us all cry to know that Bush spent it all.
When the money was gone, Bush went to China for help.
Just think, we owe money to China!
That is the Bush way.
Cheney is no better.
You can't trust either of them.
No one does.
Why are we in Iraq?
The war should be on terror, not in Iraq.
Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, and yet Bush has spent all that money to fight "his" war.
Yes his, because many Republicans have backed off from the war.
By the way, the war in Iraq has cost the U.S. almost six hundred billion dollars.
Bush is friends with Rudy Giuliani, but Rudy is no hero.
While he is often called the hero of 9/11, the truth is that Rudy was a terrible leader during his years as mayor of New York City.
He made bad decisions and took a girlfriend while being married.
In fact, he even wanted his lover to live in the same house with his wife.
Most people would call this perverted.
New Yorkers were so sick of his antics, that they wanted him out of office.
Then came 9/11.
The only reason people call Giuliani a hero today, is because he just happened to be NYC's mayor during that bad time.
Any mayor would be looked at as a hero if they showed their face under those circumstances.
If there was no 9/11, Rudy would have become a joke.
In closing, the New York Post reported in their paper on April 23, that Giuliani spent more than 48,000 dollars of campaign money on posh hotels while claiming to have spent the least of all the Republican candidates.
Rudy is a good time leader, and does it with other people's money.
He is through.
Mitt Romney is done as well.
Mitt can't seem to get his facts right, and will say things to make himself look good.
Red flags go up around him.
I spoke with his son Tagg at the New Hampshire debates back in June (2007), and while he seemed like a nice man, Tagg could not get his facts right either.
The worst Republican as of late, though, is Larry Craig.
He is a lying pervert who wanted gay sex with a strange man on a dirty toilet seat.
He pled guilty, then said he was not guilty.
Say what?
He is another Republican moron.
Did you hear about Washington State Republican Rep. Richard Curtis?
He offered $1,000 to a young man for unprotected sex while dressed in women's lingerie.
This sort of thing just goes on and on with them.
Remember Mark Foley?
Here is a letter I wrote that was in many newspapers and Web sites:
Once again, the Republicans have turned my stomach with shocking and repulsive behavior. Mark Foley, a Republican member (now ex-member) of Congress, has sent many e-mails with perverted sexual content to a sixteen year old boy.
This is the same man who while in Congress, backed a bill that was meant to protect children from child predators.
Foley himself, is a man who preyed on a child with lust.
What is also incomprehensible, is the fact that some Republicans knew of Foley’s behavior, and yet, did not take a hard stand against this until it became public news. If I had a teenage son and/or daughter, I would not want them to go near any Republican leader for fear of either or both becoming a victim of a sick Republican pervert.
George Vreeland Hill
There were more than three hundred such letters in newspapers in 2007 alone.
Many of them in New Hampshire.
There are thousands on the Internet.
No lie.
THOUSANDS!
This does not even include articles, ads, radio, TV and other areas where the public takes notice.
In fact, one Republican in California wanted me stopped once, because I was hurting some Republicans in their elections.
I just want to do my part in helping to get rid of every Republican scumbag.
From phone scams to the Union Leader (NH) covering up for Republicans, the garbage never ends.
But the Republican Party will end.
Did you know that George W. Bush once made fun of the issue of Weapons of Mass Destruction?
He did, and in front of some shocked people during a black-tie event in 2004.
He said.... (While looking under a piece of furniture) "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be here somewhere."
Then, while pretending to look out of a window, Bush laughed as he said..... "Nope, no weapons over there."
While he was laughing, there were men and women fighting and dying in Iraq because of WMD.
George W. Bush should be removed from office because of that alone.
Face it, Bill Clinton lied about having sex, and was impeached because of it.
George W. Bush however, did far worse, as he laughed at the very people who are fighting for the United States of America!
That about sums it all up!
(By the way, this Bush/WMD was part of an article and letter I wrote as well.)
This leads us to John McCain.
All he seems to do is attack other candidates.
His use of Barack Obama in an ad with Paris Hilton was silly, and it made him look stupid.
His Woodstock ad against Hillary Clinton was boring and without the facts.
He tells of Hillary wanting to spend a million dollars on a museum while he (McCain) supports spending more on the war in Iraq.
He wants you to believe that the Democrats are the big spenders, while it is McCain's Republican Party that has spent all the money Bill Clinton left us to a point where Bush had to borrow money from China.
Think about that again.
We owe to China.
That is the Republican way.
Also, it must be noted that McCain even laughed at war.
Remember when McCain changed the words of a Beach Boys song to Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Iran?
McCain even laughed when he was done.
He thought starting a war with Iran was a laughing matter.
That is the real John McCain.
He just can't be trusted.
He is another George Bush, and you know what we got with him.
Also, McCain's choice of Sarah Palin for his running mate is proof that he is not in a position to lead this country.
There were far more qualified candidates out there.
This tells the voters two things.
First, it takes away the Republican argument that Barack Obama lacks experience because they now have that same lack on their own ticket.
Second, it is clear that McCain is using a woman to get the women vote, and most of them can see through this ploy.
It is an insult to all the women who McCain thinks are stupid.
He would have been better off trying to get John Edwards to join the GOP and team up with him for their vote.
At least that would have been more honest.
The Republican Party is a mess, and getting worse.
People do not trust any of them, and we are all tired of their act.
I am doing my best to make sure that no Republican wins an election.
Thank you for your time.
George Vreeland Hill