Home > Thinking Right > Archives > 2008 > September > 02
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Bush: Independence, character changed history
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
President George W. Bush gots the opportunity he’s earned to address the last GOP convention to be held during his administration. He got 8 minutes — and a loving introduction from the First Lady who has stood by him for 8 tough years in the White House.
She made certain that delegates and the nation remembered his successes — the most important of which is that “President Bush has kept the American people safe” and in the process brought freedom to 50 million people in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Much of his eight minutes was devoted to promoting John McCain as eminently qualified to become Commander-in-Chief. Earlier today, U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss spoke to the Georgia delegation making that point, as well.
On the war in iraq, Chambliss noted the progress that’s been made since the decision was made to add more troops. “Thank goodness, the President finally listened to John McCain,” Chambliss said. “Just what John McCain said has come true.” We are winning, “thanks to the leadership of our Commander-in-Chief and the advice he got from our nominee, John McCain.” said Chambliss.
In his remarks, Bush is effusive in his praise of McCain. After Democrats took control of Congress, they threatened to cut off funds. “In the face of calls for retreat, I ordered the surge of forces into Iraq… One senator above all had faith in our troops and the importance of their mission — and that was John McCain.”
No question this is John McCain’s convention, and some delegates here were not disappointed to see President Bush engaged elsewhere Monday night when he was scheduled to address them, though he got a rousing reception Tuesday night. He got off a couple of really nice lines. When McCain was released from the Hanoi Hilton “his arms had been broken, but not his honor,” said the President. If the enemy did not break his spirit at the Hanoi Hilton, Bush said, “you can be sure the angry left never will.” The crowd went wild.
On success it’s possible to pull troops from Iraq. And on success, it’s possible to talk, however briefly, about the still-dangerous world in which we live. “We need a President who understands the lessons of September 11, 2001: that to protect America, we must stay on the offensive, stop attacks before they happen, and not wait to be hit again.”
Bush said of McCain that his “independence and character helped change history.” The same can certainly be said of George W. Bush.
Permalink | Comments (34) | Post your comment |
Republicans dodged the bullets
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Republicans have been on a high for days — certainly since last Friday when John McCain picked Gov. Sarah Palin to be on the ticket. Across the board, she’s been a wildly popular choice, erasing doubts conservatives had about a McCain presidency. Besides with the Number One (Barack Obama) and Number Three (Joe Biden) liberals in the U.S. Senate making up the other ticket, conservatives were ready to get on board.
The mood-change that kicked in Friday with the Palin selection was dampened Sunday and Monday by the prospect that Gustav would inflict major damage on the Gulf Coast, and New Orleans in particular. The coast dodged the worst — and so did Republicans in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
An awfully close election is expected. Small things, therefore, are made large. President Bush and Vice President Cheney were scheduled to speak here Monday. Protesters were at the ready. Some 50,000 were expected — though security here is so well developed that it’s really difficult for protesters to interrupt anything. Some were apparently intending to inflict harm. Police over the weekend raided homes and other areas where they were gathering and confiscated shrapnel and other material that could have been used to inflict bodily injury.
With President Bush in Texas, all of the visuals, all of the small things that could have conveyed the messages that Republicans feared, largely evaporated. The protests were small, in the hundreds, and not particularly violent: a few broken windows, a bit of tear gas and bent nails thrown into the roadway.
The other visual Republicans feared was one of them festive and conducting partisan business as usual while the coast suffered. They carefully avoided that by making Monday essentially a business-only day, though Cindy McCain and First Lady Laura Bush addressed the convention, but just to discuss ways to help those in need on the coast.
Their worst fear on the partying visuals was that the Louisiana delegation would be partying with a famous New Orleans drink called the “hurricane,” which is an extremely sweet concoction made of rum, passion fruit syrup and lime. One visual of that could have wiped out the Republican Party in Louisiana and might have cost John McCain a state or two. There were no parties featuring that particular beverage. Instead, McCain made a plane available for any delegates who wanted to return south.
So Monday was no partisan business, no Bush or Cheney, no crass or excess frivolity and, best of all for Republicans and for the nation, no repeat of a Category 5 hurricane like Katrina.
The only news of the day was the announcement that the Palin’s 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is pregnant and will wed the baby’s father. That was buzz for a slow day — but there’s no reason to expect that to be a consequential story. The baby will be born with a mother and father in the home.
The days that matter most here are still to come. Delegates can’t wait to see and hear Palin. And, oh yes, McCain too.
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
