Face The State Staff Report
FTS managing editor Brad Jones is in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., where he is following the Colorado delegation at the Republican National Convention.
What a difference a day makes.
Colorado's RNC delegation, frontFTS Staff Photo
The Republican National Convention, being held this week at the Xcel Center in St. Paul, Minn., started in earnest Tuesday after Hurricane Gustav prompted organizers to scramble the convention's agenda.
The tone in the convention hall stood in stark contrast to Monday's proceedings, which were deliberately muted and mostly procedural. Patriotic music, dramatic lighting and campaign signs, all staples of national political conventions, made a return Tuesday after a noticeable absence from the opening session.
Speeches by former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a Connecticut Democrat turned independent, headlined the RNC's prime-time lineup. President George W. Bush, who canceled a scheduled appearance Monday to assist in federal hurricane response efforts, addressed conventioneers via satellite from Washington, D.C.
Fred Thompson, the storyteller
Speakers by in large stuck to the day's announced theme of "service," many of whom pointed to McCain's well-known military record and that of his three sons.
The convention floor, usually bustling with delegates and members of the media, was unusually quiet while Thompson recounted in vivid detail McCain's time at a POW camp during the Vietnam War. A large high-definition screen behind the podium showed photographs of McCain's struggle for freedom.
Thompson, who ran against presumptive GOP nominee, John McCain in the primary, spoke in his trademark conversational tone that was oftentimes curiously absent from his short-lived campaign. He praised Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, calling her a "a breath of fresh air" who "has the other side and their friends in the media in a state of panic."
"Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be President," Thompson said. "But it does reveal character."
"I think a lot of people in this country really get behind military experience," said Lia Moran, a Colorado delegate alternate whose father served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam.
"It touches me to see another veteran from my father's era as a possibility for the White House."
As for Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama, Thompson called his candidacy historic, " in that he is the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for President."
Lieberman breaks ranks, backs McCain
Former Democrat Sen. Zell Miller addressed the Republican National Convention in 2004, where he took on his own party for being soft on national defense. "I can remember when Democrats believed that it was the duty of America to fight for freedom over tyranny," he said at the time.
While Sen. Joe Lieberman wasn't the first Democrat to address the GOP, it is a rare occurrence. Like McCain, he has been called a "maverick" in his former Democrat party for his willingness to cross the aisle on key votes, particularly on national defense issues. In the face of opposition from party leaders, Lieberman tossed his partisan affiliation to successfully run for the U.S. Senate as an independent in 2006.
The Connecticut Senator's speech was well-received by Colorado delegation members, including state Rep. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud. "These are very unusual times," he said of the Democrat's decision to cross party lines. "We face extraordinary challenges."
State Sen. Andy McElhany, R-Colorado Springs, watched the speeches on television. He says Lieberman is uniquely positioned to vouch for John McCain's record, in that he speaks from "a perspective that cannot be considered partisan."
Democrats like state Rep. Terrance Carroll, D-Denver, were less impressed with Lieberman's visit to the Republican camp.
"I think if Lieberman wants to play the attack dog, he should at least tell the truth and be believable," he said.