GOP convention returns to politics

Published 12:09 am Wednesday, September 3, 2008

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Republicans began laying out a vigorous argument Tuesday for electing Sen. John McCain to the presidency, using the second day of their national convention here to portray the senator from Arizona as an independent-minded leader who would put the best interests of the nation before those of his party.

After canceling most of its opening-day program because of Hurricane Gustav, the GOP returned to regular order Tuesday night with speeches from McCain friends and allies who extolled his judgment and character. Among them were Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, 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.

Bush singled out McCain’s strong 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. “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 takes action and speaks his mind regardless of the political toll.

To make the case to independent voters that McCain, rather than Democratic rival Sen. 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.

“When others were silent about the war in Iraq, John McCain had the guts and the judgment to sound the alarm about the mistakes we were making in Iraq,” Lieberman said. “When others wanted to retreat in defeat from the field of battle, which would have been a disaster for the U.S.A.; when colleagues like Barack Obama were voting to cut off funding for our American troops on the battlefield, John McCain had the courage to stand against the tide of public opinion (and) advocate the surge.”

Lieberman told cheering delegates: “I’m here to support John McCain because country matters more than party.”

The delegates also heard from actor and former senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee. “This man, John McCain, is not intimidated by what the polls say or by what is politically safe or popular,” he said.

Although most of the evening was devoted to building up McCain and touting the “Country First” theme, both Thompson and Lieberman delivered some sharp barbs against Obama. Thompson said the Democrats are offering “a history-making nominee for president — history-making in that he’s the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president.”

Lieberman labeled Obama a “gifted and eloquent young man,” but said that “eloquence is no substitute for a record, not in these tough times for America.” He added: “In the Senate, during the 3 1/2 years that Senator Obama’s been a member, he has not reached across party lines to accomplish anything significant, nor has he been willing to take on powerful interest groups in the Democratic Party to get something done.”