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US presidential election
Bush, Lieberman endorse McCain
Article published on the 2008-09-03 Latest update 2008-09-03 09:05 TU
George W Bush spoke via satellite feed.
(Photo: Reuters)
US President George Bush spoke via satellite feed to the crowd at the second night of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Bush had cancelled his scheduled first night speech to stay in Washington and monitor Hurricane Gustav, which hit US shores Monday.
Bush said that Senator John McCain was “ready to lead this nation” in what was essentially his final speech in office to the Republican Party after eight years in the White House.
“John is an independent man who thinks for himself,” Bush said, referring to McCain by his first name. The eight minute speech echoed the campaign theme that McCain was not too close to the president.
“He’s not afraid to tell you when he disagrees. Believe me. I know,” Bush said.
It was a short and subdued appearance, unlike the glitzy successor choosing events designed for Ronald Reagan in 1988 and Bill Clinton in 2000. By opting to stay away, Bush became the first president to not attend his own party’s convention since Lyndon Johnson stayed away from the contentious Democratic convention in 1968.
The moment bookended a difficult relationship between Bush and McCain that began when the two faced off for the Republican nomination in 2000.
St. Paul police announced that 300 protestors were arrested on Monday and Tuesday, following clashes with police. After a peaceful march of 10,000 people calling for an end to the war in Iraq, some protestors attempted to climb the barrier around the Excel Energy Center, and police responded by firing teargas into the crowd.
Bush’s speech came early in the night, and many of the American television networks did not cover it live. Much more prominence was given to former Republican nomination contender Fred Thomson and Democrat-turned-independent Joseph Lieberman who struck out against Democratic candidate Barack Obama, and heaped praise on McCain’s presidential qualities.
Lieberman, who was Al Gore’s Democratic running-mate in the 2000 presidential election, has a personal story that the Republicans wanted to highlight.
“What, after all, is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention like this?” Lieberman asked during his marquee address. “The answer is simple. I’m here to support John McCain because country matters more than party.”
The night was a marked effort to return the nation’s attention to McCain and the presidential race after the convention’s first night was all but cancelled due to the arrival of Hurricane Gustav on American shores, and news media was dominated by the revelation that McCain’s running mate, Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, has a teen daughter pregnant out of wedlock.
Governor Palin’s conservative reputation, built on her pro-life record and membership in the National Rifle Association, has proved to be a bonus for the McCain campaign. Several high-profile figures in the American religious right, who had been reluctant to support McCain, have since publicly endorsed him.
