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Political Spirit Returns to Republican National Convention

By Michelle Austein

The Republican National Convention began in earnest September 2, after the first day of convention activities were curtailed due to Hurricane Gustav. As political speeches and rallies resumed, party members focused on telling Americans that John McCain, if elected president, would put his country first.

While party leaders reminded delegates of the importance of helping those affected by the hurricane that struck the Gulf Coast September 1, the convention's second day concentrated on rallying the party and helping Americans get to know the presumed Republican nominee better.

Delegates - noticeably more enthusiastic than on the first day of the convention when only official party business was conducted - danced and cheered, waving signs reading "Country First" and "Service," the evening's theme.

Between the speeches, delegates watched videos sharing stories of some of the best-known Republican presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan - as well as George H. W. Bush, who attended the convention.

GETTING TO KNOW McCAIN

Throughout the convention, campaign surrogates and party leaders have described McCain as a "maverick" (someone who exercises independent judgment) and a person who chooses the right course rather the easy course.

"He has a history, a record of putting his country first ... above personal interest, special interest, political interest, personal ego. ... He has a history of that, he has 26 years of proving that," Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez told journalists at the Foreign Press Center September 1.

Adam Mendelsohn, a senior strategy adviser to McCain, made similar statements to journalists at the Foreign Press Center September 2.

Being a maverick, Mendelsohn said, "means challenging the establishment. Maverick means not being afraid to break from tradition when it makes sense." Mendelsohn said that McCain, more than most other U.S. politicians, "has done that time and time again."

In the convention hall, the most vocal speaker for McCain's record of putting his country first was Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman. Lieberman has addressed a national convention before; at the Democratic National Convention in 2000, he was the party's vice-presidential nominee. Since then Lieberman has switched his party affiliation to Independent, although he usually associates with the Democratic Party in Congress.

"I'm here to support John McCain because country matters more than party," Lieberman said. The Connecticut senator said McCain is the best candidate to move the country forward, saying that in an era where many are tired of partisan politics, "I have personally seen John, over and over again, bring people together from both parties to tackle our toughest problems we face.

"You may not agree with John McCain on every issue," Lieberman said to Democrats and undecided voters watching his speech on television, "But you can always count on him to be straight with you about where he stands, and to stand for what he thinks is right regardless of politics."

One goal of the day's convention events was to "tell the John McCain story to the American people," Mendelsohn said. He said McCain's story is "one of the most compelling political biographies ... in a generation."

Former Tennessee senator and presidential candidate Fred Thompson told this story to delegates, as images from McCain's life flashed on a large television screen behind him.

Saying that "John McCain's character has been tested like no other presidential candidate in the history of this nation," Thompson highlighted the presumed Republican nominee's military service in Vietnam. He told delegates about McCain's near-death experience when his plane was hit by a missile and of the Arizona senator's days as prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Speakers also praised McCain's wife Cindy for her service. Wes Gullett of Phoenix told delegates about the many humanitarian missions Cindy McCain has participated in around the world. In one of those visits, to Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh, she brought two infant girls in need of medical care home to Arizona. One of those girls is the McCains' adopted daughter, Bridget; the other is Gullett's adopted daughter, Nikki.

PRESIDENT BUSH SAYS McCAIN READY TO LEAD NATION

President Bush, who cancelled his plans to attend the convention due to Hurricane Gustav, spoke to delegates via satellite. "I know what it takes to be president," Bush said. "I know the hard choices that fall solely to a president. John McCain's life has prepared him to make those choices. He is ready to lead this nation."

Bush said McCain's respected career in the military and in public service has prepared the presumed Republican nominee well. Bush said McCain would cut wasteful government spending, invest in energy alternatives and provide "courage and vision" as commander in chief.

The president said he is optimistic that, "when the debates have ended, and all the ads have run, and it is time to vote, Americans will look closely at the judgment, the experience and the policies of the candidates, and they will cast their ballots for the McCain-Palin ticket."
Source: U.S. Department of State