Convention of the Republican Party
The Republican Party convention has paid tribute to those killed in the 11 September attacks and to President Bush's response to those attacks. In words, music and politics, the convention's opening day in New York was all about the 9/11 attacks. The theme from speaker after speaker was President Bush's steadfast response in the days, weeks and years since. To loud applause, New York mayor at the time Rudy Giuliani said only Mr Bush, not his rival, could be trusted to prosecute and win the war on terrorism. "President Bush sees world terrorism for the evil that it is," he said. "John Kerry has no such clear precise and consistent vision." It was left to another carefully chosen speaker, Republican Senator John McCain, who enjoys support from both Democrats as well as Republicans, to defend the war in Iraq. "Our choice wasn't between a benign status quo and the bloodshed of war, it was between war and a graver threat. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise," he said. President Bush is clearly staking his reputation and re-election prospects on his record as a war time leader and as the man best able to defend America from further attacks, informs BBC News. According to SFGate, speaking from a heavily fortified convention hall 3 miles from the barren gap where the World Trade Center towers once stood, the leaders of the Republican Party made no attempt to sidestep the raw emotions that linger from the worst attack in the nation's history. Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani spoke of the horror of watching victims tumble 100 stories to their death. Arizona Sen. John McCain recalled President Bush's poignant warning to our enemies while standing on the rubble three days later. And three women widowed by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, spoke of the bravery of their husbands, and the tragedy of their loss. The central message of the Republicans' convention and the president's hopes for a second term are contained in the first three words of the party's newly adopted platform: A Safer World. If the Democratic convention in Boston was defined by its nominee's heroic action in the Vietnam War, the Republican convention in New York has been shaped by tributes to Bush's boldness since Sept. 11, 2001. In a spectacle defined by its symbolism, there was no mistaking the meaning of Deena Burnett, one of the widows, as she called on Republican delegates to "Do something!'' Republicans pulled out all the stops on the opening night of their convention in New York City, playing up U.S. President George Bush's performance after the 9/11 tragedy. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani delivered an emotional tribute to Bush, likening him to Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill for holding onto to his convictions in the face of ridicule. "Some call it stubbornness. I call it principled leadership," he said. He added that voters needed to keep Bush in power because he "sees world terrorism for what it is," to raucous cheers and a standing ovation. Giuliani and Arizona Senator John McCain were the primetime speakers Monday night. Both are considered moderate Republicans, while Bush and his team have drawn support from more conservative elements of the party. McCain said Bush "has been tested and has risen to the most important challenge of our time." "I salute his determination to make this world a better, safer, freer place. He has not wavered. He has not flinched from the hard choices. He will not yield. And neither will we," McCain said. McCain has been a popular figure among independent voters and Democrats. It's clear that both the Bush and Kerry campaigns are trying to capture those voters, and try to align their candidate's message with McCain. McCain considers Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry a friend and colleague from their years working together in the Senate. Both are Vietnam veterans and have worked together on defense issues, reports CTV.
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