Mon, September 08, 2008 - 1:47 PM

With a new McCain campaign ad touting Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's stopping of the so-called Bridge to Nowhere, Obama aides pounced, alerting media to this picture of Palin supporting the $398 million bridge project and holding up a t-shirt that said “Nowhere, Alaska."

Well, before she stopped supporting the project and redirected federal money to other road projects, Palin campaigned for governor as a supporter of the bridge construction, saying the state had to act quickly while it had a senior congressional delegation able to draw down the federal funds for the project.

Palin and McCain will appear together at a 10 a.m. rally Thursday at Virginia’s Fairfax High School.

--Neil Simon

The McCain campaign has been highly critical of Barack Obama’s celebrity status and has run ads comparing Obama’s popularity to that of celebrities like Spears and Paris Hilton.

But now the dynamics have changed. Walk into any newsstand or stand in line at the grocery checkout and you would think Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has replaced Britney Spears as the topic du jour for the tabloids.

Everywhere you look, there’s Palin staring back at you. She’s the most coveted interview in the country right now, which ABC’s Charlie Gibson has snagged.

Now that begs the question, will the Obama campaign strike back with ads on the celebrity factor? And can the McCain camp really keep running ads criticizing Obama’s celebrity?

-- Amy Dominello

Fri, September 05, 2008 - 2:26 PM

A Georgia congressman is under scrutiny for some comments he made about Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., described Obama and his wife Michelle as “uppity,” according to The Hill newspaper.

The word is considered by most to have racial connotations.

According to The Hill:

Westmoreland was discussing vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's speech with reporters outside the House chamber and was asked to compare her with Michelle Obama.

"Just from what little I’ve seen of her and Mr. Obama, Sen. Obama, they're a member of an elitist-class individual that thinks that they're uppity," Westmoreland said.

Asked to clarify that he used the word “uppity,” Westmoreland said, “Uppity, yeah.”

Here, according to the Associated Press, is Westmoreland’s response to a controversy that will likely grow by leaps and bounds on the blogosphere:

In a statement Friday, Westmoreland — a white man who was born in 1950 and raised in the segregated South — said he didn't know that "uppity" was commonly used as a derogatory term for blacks seeking equal treatment. Instead, he referred to the dictionary definition of the word as describing someone who is haughty, snobbish or has inflated self-esteem.

"He stands by that characterization and thinks it accurately describes the Democratic nominee," said Brian Robinson, Westmoreland's spokesman. "He was unaware that the word had racial overtones and he had absolutely no intention of using a word that can be considered offensive."

-- Amy Dominello

Wired and Inspired is a good description of the last two days. I was in the hall and on the floor during Sarah Palin's speech last night. It was electrifying; it produced laughter, tears, and cheers. She touched the women on the floor, especially when she mentioned "the good old boys." Every woman I know have had bad experiences with the good boys and we knew exactly what she meant. The tension in the hall was huge while waiting for her. She started out a little slow but got much stronger and better. She is not going to be a push over. It was interesting before the speech to spend some time in the National Federation of Republican Women/Women for McCain box and talk with women from all across the country. All of them were furious at the unfair attacks on Sarah Palin by the leftist blogs and the MSM. It appears that her speech last night helped to tone down some of the nastier attacks. I left the Xcel Center last night totally exhausted, both mentally and physically. It was am amazing night.

Today I went to a Tribute Lunch for Cindy McCain. My seat was at a table about three rows from the back but I got moved up to the first row. My friend and I sat behind Judy and Charlie Black from the McCain headquarters and right next to Carly Firoina. We were two tables away from Cindy McCain and Todd Palin. The master of ceremonies was Elizabeth Hasselback from the View. John Voigt introduced Cindy after we heard from Todd Palin. He is a funny guy. I had an opportunity to talk with him afterwards and asked how he was holding up and he said fine. I said that I hoped when he came to North Carolina sometime in the next two months he still felt the same. After the lunch went down stairs where we ran into Richard and Brooke Burr and sat with them for a few moments and got caught up on things. It is always good to see Richard but he has been so busy traveling around the nation as a surrogate for John McCain.

The hall was full for John McCain's speech. Before his speech we spent some time in the women's box and the Republican Club lounge where we ate. I thought Senator McCain's speech was rather somber. But then again we are in somber times and perhaps it was fitting. He built up steam as he went and by the end he had the crown on their feet. Memorable speech, no. Did it do the job? Yes. But there is no doubt that Sarah Palin is the star on that ticket.

There were several Code Pink demonstrators in the galleries but they were swiftly removed. There were also a number of Ron Paul folks that just sat on their hands the entire evening.

Now we enter the final phase of this election season, the general election campaign. It is going to be a wild ride for the next 60+ days.

This was a full week full of some good speeches, some great ones, and some that were so forgettable that I don't even remember who they were. But those speeches were full of personal stories about the John the speakers know; full of personal testaments to him and Cindy; and full of speakers saying (to paraphrase Lloyd Bensen in the 1988 Vice Presidential debate with Dan Quayle) I know John and he is a friend of mine. These speeches were in stark contrast to the ones last week in Denver where there were no such speeches.

One final note, Republicans know how to do balloon drops much better than the Democrats. They came down on time, there were a lot of them, and the glitter included small round circles with McCain's picture on one side and the logo for the convention on the other.

-- Linda Petrou

Linda Petrou is an adjunct professor of communications at Wake Forest University. She's leading a two-week academic program tied to the political conventions through The Washington Center.

Thu, September 04, 2008 - 11:51 PM

Did Sarah Palin and her husband upstage John and Cindy McCain at the end of McCain’s speech just now?

There’s no question the Alaska governor left her presidential running mate standing awkwardly on the podium waiting for her, after the McCains took a sort of victory walk onto the convention floor amid the falling ballons annd music ,and then returned to the stage.

Trouble was, Palin and here hubby did the same walk after after the McCains did - only they seemed to savor the exercise a bit more. They certainly took a lot longer to finish it, shaking hands and talking to delegates, and seeming to love every minute of it.

As a result, the McCain’s were left waiting on the podium for Palin, and waited, and waited, and then—finally—gave up and went backstage without her.

I’d sure like to have been a fly on the wall when McCain or his aides greeted her back there.

-- Billy House

The GOP convention is over. And the general election begins in earnest. The election is in exactly two months. We'll see you on the campaign trail.

Good night from St. Paul

--Sean Mussenden.

The speech built and toward the end, the rhetoric soared. Others had told the story of his captivity in Vietnam, and now it was McCain’s time. In quiet tones, he described the hardship and talked about how his experiences molded his love of the country. And he called on Americans to join him.

Here’s the end of McCain’s remarks, as prepared for delivery:
“I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.
”If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you're disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist in our Armed Forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed. Our country will be the better, and you will be the happier. Because nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself.
“I'm going to fight for my cause every day as your President. I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I'm an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me.
Fight for what's right for our country.
Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.
Fight for our children's future.
Fight for justice and opportunity for all.
Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.
Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.
Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We're Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.
Thank you, and God Bless you.”
Balloons drooped, confetti fluttered and the crowd roared.
-- Marsha Mercer

At the end of a newly constructed catwalk platform that reached into the crowd, McCain tonight accepted the Republican nomination for president of the United States.

Early in the speech, while he was thanking many people, he said he was grateful to President Bush for his leadership in the days after 9/11 and for keeping the nation safe from another attack many thought was inevitable.

He also praised Laura Bush for her grace and kindness. He also paid homage to the first President Bush and Barbara Bush.

McCain rolled out various general promises, familiar Republican crowd-pleasers including lower taxes, better education, energy independence, securing the homeland.

He didn’t make clear how his administration would differ from the unpopular president’s until he got to energy.
“My fellow Americans, when I'm president, we're going to embark on the most ambitious national project in decades. We are going to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much. We will attack the problem on every front. We will produce more energy at home. We will drill new wells offshore, and we'll drill them now.
“We will build more nuclear power plants. We will develop clean coal technology. We will increase the use of wind, tide, solar and natural gas. We will encourage the development and use of flex fuel, hybrid and electric automobiles.
“This great national cause will create millions of new jobs, many in industries that will be the engine of our future prosperity; jobs that will be there when your children enter the workforce.”
-- Marsha Mercer

When you’re the delegate sitting closest to the stage at the GOP convention, there’s a good chance a TV camera will capture you doing something silly. That’s doubly true when you bring your own maracas, as Florida delegate Mildred Fernandez found out in this video. Press play to start.

--Sean Mussenden

McCain repeats the "Obama will raise taxes" line he's been putting forth for months.

Look, here's the deal people. Obama's plan and McCain's plan will both cut taxes on middle income families pretty much equally. Obama's would significantly cut taxes on the poor and lower middle class, while McCain's would do almost nothing. The only place Obama's plan raises income taxes is on the super, super rich, the top 1 percent of income earners. McCain's would cut taxes significantly for that same group of super rich.

So yes, in truth, McCain's argument is correct. Obama will raise taxes -- on the super rich. But it's fundamentally dishonest in context. Here's my more detailed analysis from a few months ago.

--Sean Mussenden

McCain's at the portion of his speech where he's highlighting individual people from swing states to show he cares about the economic woes the country is facing. It's a tradition in speeches since Ronald Reagan perfected the technique, using a real person's experience to make a political point.

It's a crucial part of the speech. After a week in which there was almost no discussion of economic problems, he has to show the American people that Republicans are not only aware of their problems, but that they care about them.

But the crowd's messing it up.

"I fight for Americans. I fight for you. I fight for Bill and Sue Nebe from Farmington Hills, Michigan..." he starts. And the Michigan delegation gets really excited and freaks out, clapping wildly just as McCain says, "...who lost their real estate investments in the bad housing market. Bill got a temporary job after he was out of work for seven months. Sue works three jobs to help pay the bills."

It looks really, really insensitive.

--Sean Mussenden

Despite the tight security, it wouldn't be that hard to get into the Xcel Center. All you need is a credential around your neck.

About 15 minutes into John McCain's speech, a commotion broke out on the aisle below the press stands. A protester in pink started shouting something unintelligible and security guards converged on her instantly. The crowd, evidently prepped for the occasion, immediately started chanting, “USA, USA, USA.”

One guard struggled to carry/drag her out as she extended her arms outward, hands in peace signs.

McCain tells the crowd not to be distracted and goes on with his speech.
-- Marsha Mercer

Security is escorting a Code Pink protester from the hall.

She's screaming loudly, and the crowd is chanting USA to cover her up.

Pretty funny moment. It came just as McCain acknowledges the floundering economy with this line.

"These are tough times for many of you. You're worried about keeping your job or finding a new one, and are struggling to put food on the table and stay in your home," he says, as the crowd drowns him out with chants of USA, USA, USA.

As a metaphor, this works. The GOP convention has pretty much been all chest-beating patriotism this week, with focus on the military and almost no talk of the economy. So the fact one of the few lines about economic woes is drowned out by chants of USA from the crowd, well, you can't make this stuff up.

By the way, full text of the speech is below.

--Sean Mussenden


**EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY**
REMARKS BY JOHN MCCAIN TO THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION

Thank you all very much. Tonight, I have a privilege given few Americans -- the privilege of accepting our party's nomination for President of the United States. And I accept it with gratitude, humility and confidence.

In my life, no success has come without a good fight, and this nomination wasn't any different. That's a tribute to the candidates who opposed me and their supporters. They're leaders of great ability, who love our country, and wished to lead it to better days. Their support is an honor I won't forget.

I'm grateful to the President for leading us in those dark days following the worst attack on American soil in our history, and keeping us safe from another attack many thought was inevitable; and to the First Lady, Laura Bush, a model of grace and kindness in public and in private. And I'm grateful to the 41st President and his bride of 63 years, and for their outstanding example of honorable service to our country.

As always, I'm indebted to my wife, Cindy, and my seven children. The pleasures of family life can seem like a brief holiday from the crowded calendar of our nation's business. But I have treasured them all the more, and can't imagine a life without the happiness you give me. Cindy said a lot of nice things about me tonight. But, in truth, she's more my inspiration than I am hers. Her concern for those less blessed than we are -- victims of land mines, children born in poverty and with birth defects -- shows the measure of her humanity. I know she will make a great First Lady.

When I was growing up, my father was often at sea, and the job of raising my brother, sister and me would fall to my mother alone. Roberta McCain gave us her love of life, her deep interest in the world, her strength, and her belief we are all meant to use our opportunities to make ourselves useful to our country. I wouldn't be here tonight but for the strength of her character.

My heartfelt thanks to all of you, who helped me win this nomination, and stood by me when the odds were long. I won't let you down. To Americans who have yet to decide who to vote for, thank you for your consideration and the opportunity to win your trust. I intend to earn it.

Finally, a word to Senator Obama and his supporters. We'll go at it over the next two months. That's the nature of these contests, and there are big differences between us. But you have my respect and admiration. Despite our differences, much more unites us than divides us. We are fellow Americans, an association that means more to me than any other. We're dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal and endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights. No country ever had a greater cause than that. And I wouldn't be an American worthy of the name if I didn't honor Senator Obama and his supporters for their achievement.

But let there be no doubt, my friends, we're going to win this election. And after we've won, we're going to reach out our hand to any willing patriot, make this government start working for you again, and get this country back on the road to prosperity and peace.

These are tough times for many of you. You're worried about keeping your job or finding a new one, and are struggling to put food on the table and stay in your home. All you ever asked of government is to stand on your side, not in your way. And that's just what I intend to do: stand on your side and fight for your future.

And I've found just the right partner to help me shake up Washington, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. She has executive experience and a real record of accomplishment. She's tackled tough problems like energy independence and corruption. She's balanced a budget, cut taxes, and taken on the special interests. She's reached across the aisle and asked Republicans, Democrats and Independents to serve in her administration. She's the mother of five children. She's helped run a small business, worked with her hands and knows what it's like to worry about mortgage payments and health care and the cost of gasoline and groceries.

She knows where she comes from and she knows who she works for. She stands up for what's right, and she doesn't let anyone tell her to sit down. I'm very proud to have introduced our next Vice President to the country. But I can't wait until I introduce her to Washington. And let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming.

I'm not in the habit of breaking promises to my country and neither is Governor Palin. And when we tell you we're going to change Washington, and stop leaving our country's problems for some unluckier generation to fix, you can count on it. We've got a record of doing just that, and the strength, experience, judgment and backbone to keep our word to you.

You know, I've been called a maverick; someone who marches to the beat of his own drum. Sometimes it's meant as a compliment and sometimes it's not. What it really means is I understand who I work for. I don't work for a party. I don't work for a special interest. I don't work for myself. I work for you.

I've fought corruption, and it didn't matter if the culprits were Democrats or Republicans. They violated their public trust, and had to be held accountable. I've fought big spenders in both parties, who waste your money on things you neither need nor want, while you struggle to buy groceries, fill your gas tank and make your mortgage payment. I've fought to get million dollar checks out of our elections. I've fought lobbyists who stole from Indian tribes. I fought crooked deals in the Pentagon. I fought tobacco companies and trial lawyers, drug companies and union bosses.

I fought for the right strategy and more troops in Iraq, when it wasn't a popular thing to do. And when the pundits said my campaign was finished, I said I'd rather lose an election than see my country lose a war.

Thanks to the leadership of a brilliant general, David Petreaus, and the brave men and women he has the honor to command, that strategy succeeded and rescued us from a defeat that would have demoralized our military, risked a wider war and threatened the security of all Americans.

I don't mind a good fight. For reasons known only to God, I've had quite a few tough ones in my life. But I learned an important lesson along the way. In the end, it matters less that you can fight. What you fight for is the real test.

I fight for Americans. I fight for you. I fight for Bill and Sue Nebe from Farmington Hills, Michigan, who lost their real estate investments in the bad housing market. Bill got a temporary job after he was out of work for seven months. Sue works three jobs to help pay the bills.

I fight for Jake and Toni Wimmer of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Jake works on a loading dock; coaches Little League, and raises money for the mentally and physically disabled. Toni is a schoolteacher, working toward her Master's Degree. They have two sons, the youngest, Luke, has been diagnosed with autism. Their lives should matter to the people they elect to office. They matter to me.

I fight for the family of Matthew Stanley of Wolfboro, New Hampshire, who died serving our country in Iraq. I wear his bracelet and think of him every day. I intend to honor their sacrifice by making sure the country their son loved so well and never returned to, remains safe from its enemies.

I fight to restore the pride and principles of our party. We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us. We lost the trust of the American people when some Republicans gave in to the temptations of corruption. We lost their trust when rather than reform government, both parties made it bigger. We lost their trust when instead of freeing ourselves from a dangerous dependence on foreign oil, both parties and Senator Obama passed another corporate welfare bill for oil companies. We lost their trust, when we valued our power over our principles.

We're going to change that. We're going to recover the people's trust by standing up again for the values Americans admire. The party of Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan is going to get back to basics.

We believe everyone has something to contribute and deserves the opportunity to reach their God-given potential from the boy whose descendents arrived on the Mayflower to the Latina daughter of migrant workers. We're all God's children and we're all Americans.

We believe in low taxes; spending discipline, and open markets. We believe in rewarding hard work and risk takers and letting people keep the fruits of their labor.

We believe in a strong defense, work, faith, service, a culture of life, personal responsibility, the rule of law, and judges who dispense justice impartially and don't legislate from the bench. We believe in the values of families, neighborhoods and communities.

We believe in a government that unleashes the creativity and initiative of Americans. Government that doesn't make your choices for you, but works to make sure you have more choices to make for yourself.

I will keep taxes low and cut them where I can. My opponent will raise them. I will open new markets to our goods and services. My opponent will close them. I will cut government spending. He will increase it.

My tax cuts will create jobs. His tax increases will eliminate them. My health care plan will make it easier for more Americans to find and keep good health care insurance. His plan will force small businesses to cut jobs, reduce wages, and force families into a government run health care system where a bureaucrat stands between you and your doctor.

Keeping taxes low helps small businesses grow and create new jobs. Cutting the second highest business tax rate in the world will help American companies compete and keep jobs from moving overseas. Doubling the child tax exemption from $3500 to $7000 will improve the lives of millions of American families. Reducing government spending and getting rid of failed programs will let you keep more of your own money to save, spend and invest as you see fit. Opening new markets and preparing workers to compete in the world economy is essential to our future prosperity.

I know some of you have been left behind in the changing economy and it often seems your government hasn't even noticed. Government assistance for unemployed workers was designed for the economy of the 1950s. That's going to change on my watch. My opponent promises to bring back old jobs by wishing away the global economy. We're going to help workers who've lost a job that won't come back, find a new one that won't go away.

We will prepare them for the jobs of today. We will use our community colleges to help train people for new opportunities in their communities. For workers in industries that have been hard hit, we'll help make up part of the difference in wages between their old job and a temporary, lower paid one while they receive retraining that will help them find secure new employment at a decent wage.

Education is the civil rights issue of this century. Equal access to public education has been gained. But what is the value of access to a failing school? We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition, empower parents with choice, remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward good teachers, and help bad teachers find another line of work.

When a public school fails to meet its obligations to students, parents deserve a choice in the education of their children. And I intend to give it to them. Some may choose a better public school. Some may choose a private one. Many will choose a charter school. But they will have that choice and their children will have that opportunity.

Senator Obama wants our schools to answer to unions and entrenched bureaucracies. I want schools to answer to parents and students. And when I'm President, they will.

My fellow Americans, when I'm President, we're going to embark on the most ambitious national project in decades. We are going to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much. We will attack the problem on every front. We will produce more energy at home. We will drill new wells offshore, and we'll drill them now. We will build more nuclear power plants. We will develop clean coal technology. We will increase the use of wind, tide, solar and natural gas. We will encourage the development and use of flex fuel, hybrid and electric automobiles.

Senator Obama thinks we can achieve energy independence without more drilling and without more nuclear power. But Americans know better than that. We must use all resources and develop all technologies necessary to rescue our economy from the damage caused by rising oil prices and to restore the health of our planet. It's an ambitious plan, but Americans are ambitious by nature, and we have faced greater challenges. It's time for us to show the world again how Americans lead.

This great national cause will create millions of new jobs, many in industries that will be the engine of our future prosperity; jobs that will be there when your children enter the workforce.

Today, the prospect of a better world remains within our reach. But we must see the threats to peace and liberty in our time clearly and face them, as Americans before us did, with confidence, wisdom and resolve.

We have dealt a serious blow to al Qaeda in recent years. But they are not defeated, and they'll strike us again if they can. Iran remains the chief state sponsor of terrorism and on the path to acquiring nuclear weapons. Russia's leaders, rich with oil wealth and corrupt with power, have rejected democratic ideals and the obligations of a responsible power. They invaded a small, democratic neighbor to gain more control over the world's oil supply, intimidate other neighbors, and further their ambitions of reassembling the Russian empire. And the brave people of Georgia need our solidarity and prayers. As President I will work to establish good relations with Russia so we need not fear a return of the Cold War. But we can't turn a blind eye to aggression and international lawlessness that threatens the peace and stability of the world and the security of the American people.

We face many threats in this dangerous world, but I'm not afraid of them. I'm prepared for them. I know how the military works, what it can do, what it can do better, and what it should not do. I know how the world works. I know the good and the evil in it. I know how to work with leaders who share our dreams of a freer, safer and more prosperous world, and how to stand up to those who don't. I know how to secure the peace.

When I was five years old, a car pulled up in front of our house. A Navy officer rolled down the window, and shouted at my father that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. I rarely saw my father again for four years. My grandfather came home from that same war exhausted from the burdens he had borne, and died the next day. In Vietnam, where I formed the closest friendships of my life, some of those friends never came home with me. I hate war. It is terrible beyond imagination.

I'm running for President to keep the country I love safe, and prevent other families from risking their loved ones in war as my family has. I will draw on all my experience with the world and its leaders, and all the tools at our disposal -- diplomatic, economic, military and the power of our ideals -- to build the foundations for a stable and enduring peace.

In America, we change things that need to be changed. Each generation makes its contribution to our greatness. The work that is ours to do is plainly before us. We don't need to search for it.

We need to change the way government does almost everything: from the way we protect our security to the way we compete in the world economy; from the way we respond to disasters to the way we fuel our transportation network; from the way we train our workers to the way we educate our children. All these functions of government were designed before the rise of the global economy, the information technology revolution and the end of the Cold War. We have to catch up to history, and we have to change the way we do business in Washington.

The constant partisan rancor that stops us from solving these problems isn't a cause, it's a symptom. It's what happens when people go to Washington to work for themselves and not you.

Again and again, I've worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That's how I will govern as President. I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not.

Instead of rejecting good ideas because we didn't think of them first, let's use the best ideas from both sides. Instead of fighting over who gets the credit, let's try sharing it. This amazing country can do anything we put our minds to. I will ask Democrats and Independents to serve with me. And my administration will set a new standard for transparency and accountability.

We're going to finally start getting things done for the people who are counting on us, and I won't care who gets the credit.

I've been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. But I have been her servant first, last and always. And I've never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I didn't thank God for the privilege.

Long ago, something unusual happened to me that taught me the most valuable lesson of my life. I was blessed by misfortune. I mean that sincerely. I was blessed because I served in the company of heroes, and I witnessed a thousand acts of courage, compassion and love.

On an October morning, in the Gulf of Tonkin, I prepared for my 23rd mission over North Vietnam. I hadn't any worry I wouldn't come back safe and sound. I thought I was tougher than anyone. I was pretty independent then, too. I liked to bend a few rules, and pick a few fights for the fun of it. But I did it for my own pleasure; my own pride. I didn't think there was a cause more important than me.

Then I found myself falling toward the middle of a small lake in the city of Hanoi, with two broken arms, a broken leg, and an angry crowd waiting to greet me. I was dumped in a dark cell, and left to die. I didn't feel so tough anymore. When they discovered my father was an admiral, they took me to a hospital. They couldn't set my bones properly, so they just slapped a cast on me. When I didn't get better, and was down to about a hundred pounds, they put me in a cell with two other Americans. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even feed myself. They did it for me. I was beginning to learn the limits of my selfish independence. Those men saved my life.

I was in solitary confinement when my captors offered to release me. I knew why. If I went home, they would use it as propaganda to demoralize my fellow prisoners. Our Code said we could only go home in the order of our capture, and there were men who had been shot down before me. I thought about it, though. I wasn't in great shape, and I missed everything about America. But I turned it down.

A lot of prisoners had it worse than I did. I'd been mistreated before, but not as badly as others. I always liked to strut a little after I'd been roughed up to show the other guys I was tough enough to take it. But after I turned down their offer, they worked me over harder than they ever had before. For a long time. And they broke me.

When they brought me back to my cell, I was hurt and ashamed, and I didn't know how I could face my fellow prisoners. The good man in the cell next door, my friend, Bob Craner, saved me. Through taps on a wall he told me I had fought as hard as I could. No man can always stand alone. And then he told me to get back up and fight again for our country and for the men I had the honor to serve with. Because every day they fought for me.

I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn't my own man anymore. I was my country's.

I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.

If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you're disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist in our Armed Forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed. Our country will be the better, and you will be the happier. Because nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself.

I'm going to fight for my cause every day as your President. I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I'm an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me.

Fight for what's right for our country.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children's future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We're Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

Thank you, and God Bless you.

After a video tribute to Cindy McCain, she made a speech introducing herself and gave a demonstration of the sort of values she might have as first lady. No big surprise: She’s for John McCain too.

The room was filled with waving We Love Cindy!” signs.

She came onstage with her blended family’s seven children – three from her husband’s previous marriage and their four.

“Nothing has made me happier or more fulfilled in my life than being a mother,” she said. Applause.

Mention on the people suffering on the Gulf Coast and the resilience of the American people.

Moose alert: “So how about Governor Sarah Palin!
“John has picked a reform-minded ... hockey-mommin' ... basketball shootin' ... moose huntin' ... fly-fishin' ... pistol-packing ... mother of five for vice president. And as a fellow hockey mom myself and a western conservative mother, I couldn't be prouder that John has shaken things up as he usually does!”

In her own State of the Union moment, she recognized a guest in her box – a woman named Ernestine from Rwanda, who “suffered unimaginable horrors and was made to watch appalling havoc wreaked on her family.”

McCain had Ernestine stand up and said, “Your courage is humbling. Your forgiveness is healing. You are my hero.”

Forgiveness, McCain said, “is not just a personal issue: It’s why John led the effort to normalize relations with Vietnam…to retrieve the remains of our MIAs…to bring closure to both sides.”

-- Marsha Mercer



If Americans want straight talk and the plain truth they should take a good close look at John McCain ... a man tested and true ... ... who's never wavered in his devotion to our country ... ... a man who's served in Washington without ever becoming a Washington insider... ... who always speaks the truth no matter what the cost... ... a man of judgment and character ... ... a loyal and loving and true husband and a magnificent father!

This is a good man, a worthy man ... I know.

I have loved him with all my heart for almost 30 years ... and I humbly recommend him to you tonight as our nominee for the next President of the United States!

I'm so grateful to have had the chance to speak with you tonight ... and for the honor you are about to grant my husband -- and, indeed, our entire family. I promise you I will work every day to help John strengthen our freedom ... to serve this great country with the honor, dignity and the love it deserves ... from each and every generation it blesses.

May God bless all of you: ... our beloved America ... the citizens of the Gulf Coast ... and all the sons and daughters serving this great country around the world tonight.

Thank you.

Did you know John McCain was a POW? Oh, right, of course you did. Every single night of this convention has, over and over, reminded us that John McCain suffered greatly after being shot down as a pilot in Vietnam. This video rehashes what I'm sure most Americans already know.

This entire convention -- heretofore -- has been about McCain's military service, essentially. We've heard almost nothing about the economy or the very real struggles many American families are facing. Will McCain address them? It would be a glaring omission, but after four days of almost no talk of the economy in this convention, I wouldn't be surprised.

I'm watching on TV from the press center, and the giant screen behind him is green on the closeup shots. It looks like a green screen you'd see in a TV studio, the thing they put the weather maps on. It's sort of jarring, like there's supposed to be a graphic behind him but they forgot to put it up.

Ah, they just panned out. It's the green lawn of the White House. Maybe it looks good in the hall. But the campaign has the votes of the people in the hall already. It's the TV audience that matters.

--Sean Mussenden