Republican National Convention 2008
Sep 4, 2008 9:50 pm US/Eastern
McCain's Pledge: 'Change Is Coming'
Sarah Palin Officially Nominated For Vice President
ST. PAUL, Minn. (CBS News) ―
In his speech to the Republican National Convention, John McCain will portray himself as a presidential candidate who has a record of putting the good of the country before all else, and Democrat Barack Obama as just the opposite.
"Again and again, I've worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That's how I will govern as president," McCain said in prepared remarks released in advance of his appearance Thursday night. He planned to accept the party's nomination with a promise "to reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again."
"I have that record and the scars to prove it," McCain will say. "Senator Obama does not."
In excerpts of his prepared remarks, McCain bemoaned "constant partisan rancor" and said: "It's what happens when people go to Washington to work for themselves and not you."
McCain, a four-term Arizona senator, also will issue a warning "to the old, big-spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-second Washington crowd: Change is coming."
Gov. Sarah Palin's selection by McCain to run with him on the 2008 Republican presidential ticket was unanimously ratified by GOP convention delegates a couple of hourse before McCain was set to take the stage..
Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman formally placed Palin's name in nomination for the vice presidential spot on the ticket. He said, "We are looking for a beacon of light to show us the way. ... We are looking for Sarah."
Huntsman called America's public policy challenges daunting. But he also said that Palin has the kind of confidence and independent spirit necessary for the job. He declared: "Hockey moms of the world: United" and said that Palin is not afraid to "kick a few fannies and raise a little hell."
McCain was embarking on his final drive for the White House Thursday night, accepting the Republican presidential nomination and addressing the party's national convention from a stage that workers hastily rebuilt to fit his "town hall" approach.
McCain checked out the setup in mid-afternoon, chatting on stage with his wife, Cindy, and Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Graham speaks Thursday night; Lieberman spoke on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, on the final day of the convention, a lot of the talk was still about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the vice presidential nominee who gave her big introductory speech Wednesday night, less than a week after being chosen for the ticket.
Obama shrugged off the speech as a rehashing of McCain's policies and suggested Democrats would not slacken their criticism.
"I think she's got a compelling story, but I assume she wants to be treated the same way that guys want to be treated," he told reporters during a campaign stop in York, Pa. "I've been through this 19 months, she's been through it - what - four days so far?"
He said he would focus his attention on McCain and "who's got a better agenda to move this country forward."
Cindy McCain suggested in one interview that she doesn't agree with Palin's support for a nearly total ban on abortions.
And Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden declared that some news coverage of his Republican counterpart had been sexist.
Parts of the platform at the Xcel Energy Center were removed by construction workers on Thursday to bring delegates closer to where McCain will give his acceptance speech, giving the stage a T-shape. Organizers said the change reflected the town hall-type forums in which McCain has campaigned.
"The extended podium will serve as a fitting complement to John McCain's preference for direct interaction with his fellow citizens," said Maria Cino, a convention official.
Meanwhile, party leaders added two speakers to the night's lineup. Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., will speak prior to Cindy McCain. Both are close to McCain. Ridge was considered a finalist for the No. 2 spot before McCain picked the Alaska governor. And Graham has appeared frequently with McCain on the campaign trail.
Delegates will also vote Thursday night to make the convention's nomination of Palin official. And McCain himself will close out the activities with his prime-time acceptance speech.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
