McCain tells cheering GOP he’ll change Washington

The Associated Press

Thu, Sep 4, 2008 (8:06 p.m.)

McCain's acceptance speech

John McCain, a POW turned political rebel, vowed Thursday night to vanquish the "constant partisan rancor" that grips Washington as he launched his fall campaign for the White House. "Change is coming," he promised the roaring Republican National Convention and a prime-time television audience.

To repeated cheers from his delegates, McCain criticized fellow Republicans as well as Democratic rival Barack Obama as he reached out to independents and disaffected Democrats.

"We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us," he said of the Republicans who controlled Congress for most of the past 15 years.

As for Obama, he said, "I will keep taxes low and cut them where I can. My opponent will raise them. I will cut government spending. He will increase it."

Before McCain's speech, the climax of the final night of the party convention, delegates awarded the vice presidential nomination to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the first female ticketmate in Republican history.

"She stands up for what's right and she doesn't let anyone tell her to sit down," McCain said of the woman who has faced intense scrutiny in the week since she was picked.

"And let me offer an advance warning to the old, big-spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-second Washington crowd: Change is coming," McCain declared.

He and Palin were departing their convention city immediately after the Arizona senator's acceptance speech, bound for Wisconsin and an early start on the final weeks of the White House campaign.

McCain, at 72 bidding to become the oldest first-term president, drew a roar from the convention crowd when he walked out onto the stage lighted by a single spotlight. He was introduced by a video that dwelt heavily on his time spent as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and as a member of Congress, hailed for a "faithful unyielding love for America, country first."

"USA, USA, USA," chanted the crowd in the hall.

McCain faced a delicate assignment as he formally accepted his party's presidential nomination: presenting his credentials as a reformer willing to take on his own party and stressing his independence from an unpopular President Bush _ all without breaking faith with his Republican base.

He set about it methodically.

"After we've won, we're going to reach out our hand to any willing patriot, make this government start working for you again," he said, and he pledged to invite Democrats and independents to serve in his administration.

He mentioned President Bush only in passing, as the leader who led the country through the days after the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

And there was plenty for conservative Republicans to cheer _ from his pledge to free the country from the grip of its dependence on foreign oil, to a vow to have schools answer to parents and students rather than "unions and entrenched bureaucrats."

A man who has clashed repeatedly with Republicans in Congress, he said proudly, "I've been called a maverick. 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."

Discussion: 12 comments so far…

By thebs

9/4/08 at 9 p.m.

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Wow, regurgitated failed Bush economic policies, bookmarked by his heroism?

He doesn't work for a party? His voting record tells a radically different tale. His record would classify him as a Bush protege, not a maverick in any sense.

So you have an anti-union, anti-choice, 90% loyal Bush Republican claiming he's gonna change Washington?

The borrow and squander Republicans have had their shot. Eight years of failed policies and failed leadership. Two wars, a stumbling economy, struggling to mend the failed foreign policies of Bush/Cheney...

McCain is more of the same.
By ksand99

9/4/08 at 9:24 p.m.

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McCain's gonna change Washington? YEAH RIGHT!!!!

All of his most important advisors are LOBBYISTS!!!

"But when McCain huddled with his closest advisers at his rustic Arizona cabin last weekend to map out his presidential campaign, virtually every one was part of the Washington lobbying culture he has long decried. His campaign manager, Rick Davis, co-founded a lobbying firm whose clients have included Verizon and SBC Telecommunications. His chief political adviser, Charles R. Black Jr., is chairman of one of Washington's lobbying powerhouses, BKSH and Associates, which has represented AT&T, Alcoa, JPMorgan and U.S. Airways."

"Senior advisers Steve Schmidt and Mark McKinnon work for firms that have lobbied for Land O' Lakes, UST Public Affairs, Dell and Fannie Mae. "

Change Washington? McCain IS Washington!!!!

The lobbyists tell him to jump, he asks "How high???"
By MichaelGreen

9/4/08 at 9:47 p.m.

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Political rebel? The guy who has adopted every possible mainstream GOP position on taxes and abortion, and the one thing he differs with them on--climate change--he gets an anti-climate change creationist on the ticket? Is anybody aware that the AP's chief in Washington was exchanging encouraging emails with Karl Rove and considered a job offer from the McCain campaign?
By Future2012

9/4/08 at 9:54 p.m.

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This is all that that Obama promised last week, not much compared to McCain

I will cut taxes – cut taxes – for 95% of all working families.

(But due to the Bush tax cuts, 44% of workers do not pay taxes now, also did not mention the tax increase on earning over $200k)

I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.
(but we will not allow new domestic drilling)

I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts.
(but is policy position are to reduce Military spending)

Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education. …I’ll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries. ….We will make sure you can afford a college education.
(sounds like the Union calling)

Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American.
(no mention of how to do this)

And I’ll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy – wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can’t ever be outsourced.
(this is just $15 billion per year in a $12 trillion per year economy like no impact on the $700 billion we spend on foreign oil every year)
((SWAG (Wild ass guess) on new jobs, but how many will be lost in energy industries that are killed, how can you restrict buying from overseas)

Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I’ve laid out how I’ll pay for
every dime – by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don’t help America
grow.
(Tax the job creators and the cost of capital- and this is good)
By Future2012

9/4/08 at 10:09 p.m.

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Obama in his speech did not provide any discussion or position for 16 more months in Iraq and the force status after that, his over-the -horizon strike strategy, abortion, social security, immigration, gambling, Yucca, or how he would go to the cave where bin Laden lives.

Obama left all of his left "changes" in the dark.

He was too ashamed to promote them to Americans.
By jfnance32

9/4/08 at 10:18 p.m.

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I think Obama did well in his O'Reilly interview.

He admitted that the surge worked.

He hinted that he would take military action against Iran if non-military actions did not work.

He is maturing in his views.
By Johnathan_Abbinett

9/4/08 at 11:29 p.m.

(Removed by the site staff)
By thebs

9/4/08 at 11:40 p.m.

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Good to see McCain and Co. can still take a tragedy that killed 3000 innocent Americans and twist it into something for political gain:

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/poli...

To reference the memory of the dead is sacred and nonpartisan.

To show video of the attack and collapse of the towers is disgusting.

McCain knows no shame.
By PatriciaLV

9/5/08 at 4:15 a.m.

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"We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us," he said of the Republicans who controlled Congress for most of the past 15 years.

So it's not the Republicans' fault after all. It's Washington's fault. Does that mean if the Republican Congresses of the past 15 years were seated in, say, Oklahoma, it would have been different?

Who's buying this crapola?
By PatriciaLV

9/5/08 at 4:15 a.m.

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Oh and Future, this article and subsequent thread is about MCCAIN. For once just try to defend the candidate with whom you appear to be so enamored.
By jfnance32

9/5/08 at 7:23 a.m.

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I am very glad that Obama is growing up.

In the O'Reilly interview, he said the surge worked.

He strongly hinted that he would take military action against Iran if non-military action did not work.
By PatriciaLV

9/5/08 at 7:48 a.m.

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Yeah, Jim. You've posted that on how many threads now. (And how many over at the R-J?)

Stop spamming.