John McCain promises change in Republican convention speech

Last Modified: 05 Sep 2008
By: Alice Tarleton

John McCain concludes the Republican National Convention with a speech promising change - the key message of rival Barack Obama.

After formally accepting the party's nomination, the 72-year-old Arizona senator distanced himself from the Bush administration, promising to "reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again".

"We need to change the way government does almost everything," he said. "We have to catch up to history, and we have to change the way we do business in Washington."

McCain was speaking the night after Alaska governor Sarah Palin, his surprise vice-presidential pick, electrified the Minneapolis convention with a speech that portrayed herself as a "pit bull in lipstick".

McCain said of the self-styled "hockey mom": "I can't wait until I introduce her to Washington.

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

"We're going to recover the people's trust by standing up again for the values Americans admire."

He also played up his patriotism, talking of his experiences as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

"I hate war," he said. "It is terrible beyond imagination.

"I'm running for President to keep the country I love safe, and prevent other families from risking their loved ones in war as my family has.

"I will draw on all my experience with the world and its leaders, and all the tools at our disposal - diplomatic, economic, military and the power of our ideals - to build the foundations for a stable and enduring peace."