WASHINGTON: After canceling most of its opening-day program because of Hurricane Gustav, the GOP returned to regular order Tuesday night with speeches from Republican presidential nominee John McCain’s friends and allies who praised his judgment and character.
Among them was Sen. Joseph Lieberman, former Democratic presidential contender Al Gore’s vice presidential choice in 2000 who switched his party affiliation to Independent and, until recently, had been seriously considered as one of McCain’s vice presidential picks. President George W. Bush, the party’s ostensible leader, has been largely out of the limelight at the Republican National Convention this week. His speech from the White House Tuesday evening was not even carried on network television after Hurricane Gustav washed out his originally scheduled appearance on Monday night.
Almost all of Tuesday evening was devoted to building up McCain and touting the “Country First” theme, both former Sen. Fred Thompson (Tennessee) and Sen. Lieberman delivered some sharp jabs against Obama.
Lieberman, who was ostracized by the Democratic Party for supporting Bush on the Iraq war, portrayed himself as a man who transcends party lines.
He and McCain have been close friends for more than a dozen years, and he told cheering delegates: “I’m here to support John McCain because country matters more than party.” The delegates also heard from former senator and actor Fred Thompson, who ran against McCain in the Republican primaries but saluted him in his address for his independence.
“This man, John McCain, is not intimidated by what the polls say or by what is politically safe or popular,” he said. “Democrats present a history-making nominee for president — history-making in that he’s the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president.” Thompson drew some of his greatest applause from the GOP delegates inside the convention hall with his fierce defense of Palin. “Some Washington pundits and media big shots are at frenzy over the selection of a woman who has governed rather than just talked a good game on the Sunday talk shows and hit the Washington cocktail circuit,” he said.
McCain’s aides have surprised many in the press for their recent tough tactics. McCain was supposed to sit in with CNN’s Larry King Tuesday, but that meeting was canceled after his aides said CNN had an unfair interview of a McCain spokesman.
On Monday, network host Campbell Brown sharply questioned Tucker Bounds after he said that the role of McCain’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, as commander-in-chief of the Alaska National Guard was an example of executive experience that Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois did not have.
“Can you tell me one decision that she made as commander-in-chief of the Alaska National Guard?” Brown asked.
GOP spokesman Bounds responded: “Any decision she has made as the commander of the National Guard that’s deployed overseas is more of a decision than Barack Obama’s been making as he’s been running for president for the last two years.” Brown pressed again: “So tell me. Give me an example of one of those decisions.” To which Bounds said: “Campbell, certainly you don’t mean to belittle every experience, very judgment she makes as commander.”
In response to the McCain’s camp decision to pull McCain from the “Larry King Live” show, the cable network announced: “CNN does not believe that exchange was over the line.”
As for Sarah Palin, she was not available for comment. The Washington Post reported that she was busy in a series of meetings, one with Sen. Lieberman and the board members from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, AIPAC.
She was scheduled to speak last night. Many observers say her speech is a “make or break” opportunity for her to be accepted, or rejected, by America. But not all have praised Palin. The conservative Washington Times wrote: “As Hurricane Gustav released its grip on the RNC Tuesday, John McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, was turning into Hurricane Sarah — a storm of charges and countercharges that further roiled the gathering.
“The news was full of reports that Palin supported Alaska’s infamous ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ (an Alaskan public works project that became a symbol of government excesses) before she turned against it, that she hired an attorney to defend her against charges of pressuring a state official to fire her former brother-in-law, that she had solicited millions of dollars in pork-barrel spending for the town where she once was mayor.
