Inside Convention, the Fighting Is History

Sen. John McCain warmly embraced his once-bitter rival for the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday, capping a night when George W. Bush’s credentials to serve as commander in chief were touted at the GOP National Convention.

On an evening marked by nostalgic celebrations of the three living former Republican presidents, the victory in the Persian Gulf and the generation that fought World War II, GOP war heroes and defense experts took center stage to argue that America needs to strengthen its military.

But like Monday night’s opening session, Tuesday’s proceedings struck an unusually temperate tone, as speakers focused far more on praising Bush than criticizing President Clinton or Vice President Al Gore.

Four miles from the hall, tension increased markedly as Philadelphia police and protesters clashed downtown. Police arrested at least 280 people during a series of running street skirmishes near Philadelphia City Hall. At least three officers were hurt, one seriously, and at least 20 police cars were damaged.

The trouble began about 2 p.m., when a police SWAT team descended on a West Philadelphia warehouse to serve a search warrant at what was described as a headquarters for protesters. Demonstrations soon spread across several downtown blocks during rush hour, with an estimated 2,000 protesters attempting to block several key intersections.

But the disruptions only slightly delayed convention proceedings, which again featured almost as many musicians, dancers and videos as an Academy Awards broadcast. Planners even sprang a surprise, having Bush’s mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, make an unbilled appearance on stage to introduce her son.

He spoke briefly to the delegates from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania; the Bush entourage is scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia today.

In a succession of speeches that closed Tuesday’s session, Condoleezza Rice, who advises Bush on foreign policy; Elizabeth Hanford Dole, who also sought the nomination; and McCain all lauded the Texas governor as a man who will unify the nation and set a more civil tone for its political life.

Bush, McCain insisted, “wants nothing to divide us into separate nations. Not our color, nor our race. Not our religion. Not our politics.”

Likewise, Dole declared: “Throughout his career, [Bush] has appealed to the best in people, bridging our differences rather than exploiting them. . . . He will use words to inspire, not inflame.”

These arguments reflect the Bush campaign’s belief that, even amid general satisfaction with conditions in the country, voters are alienated from the fierce partisanship in Washington after the bruising battles of President Clinton’s two terms.

Somewhat jarringly, Tuesday’s testimonials to Bush’s conciliatory instincts came on a day when the candidate delivered some of his sharpest criticisms of Clinton.

The president on Monday had accused Republicans of trying to hide their true beliefs at the convention with “a pretty package” of moderation. On Tuesday, Bush--who has generally avoided mentioning the president by name--fired back that Clinton is “so desperate to have his legacy intact by getting Al Gore elected, he’ll say anything, just like Gore will.”

On the convention floor, Republicans continued their ongoing roll call Tuesday, advancing as far as North Carolina. That process will conclude today with Bush’s formal nomination. And speaking to the session tonight will be Bush’s vice presidential pick, Dick Cheney.

The highlight of Tuesday’s session was the speech by McCain, who waged a fierce primary fight earlier this year against Bush and likely will emerge as the early front-runner for the GOP nomination in 2004 if Bush loses in November.

McCain was gracious in his remarks about Bush, describing himself as “a distant runner-up” in their race. While not fulsome, McCain’s speech praised Bush more warmly than the convention addresses from several other losers in tough primaries, such as Ronald Reagan in 1976 and Democrats Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in 1980 and the Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1988. Kennedy and Jackson barely mentioned their opponents.

In an eloquent and broadly thematic address, McCain avoided either direct criticism of the Democratic administration or any mention of his disagreements with Bush on issues such as campaign finance reform. Instead, recapitulating a central theme of his own campaign, the Arizona senator called on Americans to enlist in “a new patriotic challenge to renew and reform government.”

Said McCain: “Unless we restore the people’s sovereignty over government, renew their pride in public service, reform our public institutions . . . [and] reinvigorate our national purpose, then America’s best days will be behind us.”

McCain portrayed Bush as a man of conviction who would both safeguard America’s interests abroad and unify the country at home. Like Bush’s wife, Laura, did in her convention speech Monday, McCain drew an implicit contrast with Clinton and Gore, who Republicans maintain are overly influenced by polls and political calculations.

“If you believe patriotism is more than a sound bite and public service should be more than a photo-op, then vote for Gov. Bush,” McCain said.

Bush delegates appeared pleased by the extent of McCain’s embrace. “It was warm and genuine,” said Joe Wilson of South Carolina, the site of the most heated contest between the two men last winter. “It was from the heart.” In a ritual that has accompanied virtually every such reconciliation, Democrats Tuesday night released a collection of quotes from McCain criticizing Bush during the primaries, including one where he accused the Texan of “disgraceful and shameful conduct.”

Republicans also looked back during their Tuesday session with a film honoring the three living former GOP presidents--Gerald R. Ford, Ronald Reagan (represented in the convention hall by his wife, Nancy) and George Bush, the father of the soon-to-be nominee.

Giving early evening speeches were the GOP’s 1996 presidential nominee Bob Dole (who delivered a testimonial to military veterans), and retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf. Schwarzkopf, the architect of the Persian Gulf War that began 10 years ago today when Iraq invaded Kuwait, appeared from the deck of the battleship New Jersey. He delivered some of the night’s sharpest criticism of the Clinton administration, maintaining that it has allowed military readiness and morale to decline.

Gore aides immediately faxed out a recent Time magazine report that said the share of service members on food stamps--one of Schwarzkopf’s specific complaints--is now only half as large as it was during the presidency of Bush’s father.

Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), the party’s only openly gay member of Congress, gave a short speech in favor of international trade. That prompted some members of the Texas delegation, upset at the symbolism, to bow their heads in silent prayer. But most delegates listened respectfully to Kolbe.

Rice, a National Security Council aide to President Bush, made a particularly vivid impression in her appearance. An African American woman who is now a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, she’s considered the front-runner to serve as George W. Bush’s national security advisor if he’s elected.

In one of the convention’s few references so far to a specific Bush policy proposal, Rice reaffirmed the candidate’s commitment to deploy “effective missile defenses at the earliest possible date” and touted his commitment to free trade.

Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee announced Tuesday that they would begin running a 30-second ad in 16 states attacking Bush’s record on a broad range of health care issues. On Monday, the DNC unveiled two 15-second ads criticizing his record in Texas on the environment and children’s health issues.

The Democratic case against Bush was also aired in Philadelphia at the “shadow convention,” an eclectic forum for alternative views to the GOP gathering. Jesse Jackson won a standing ovation for a pointed address in which he slammed not only the Republican nominee but also his father and his brother Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

“George [Bush] senior gave us [Supreme Court Justice] Clarence Thomas,” Jackson declared. “Jeb Bush ended affirmative action in Florida. And George W., every other week, looks at another execution. I say stay out of the Bushes and keep hope alive.”

For all the political cross fire, a survey released Tuesday showed that most Americans still haven’t sorted out the differences between the principal contenders. The Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, which has been continuously polling voters through the election year, reported that 55% of Americans say they don’t feel they yet know enough about the candidates to make an informed choice.

Majorities of those polled could not correctly identify Bush’s position on school vouchers and licensing gun owners, among other issues; majorities were likewise unaware of Gore’s views on the death penalty and Social Security reform.

On key issues where the two candidates differ markedly, “the public isn’t getting it yet,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, the center’s director.

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Times staff writers Nick Anderson, Mark Z. Barabak, Maria L. La Ganga, Jeff Leeds, T. Christian Miller, Anne-Marie O’Connor, Rich Simon and Hector Tobar contributed to this story.

Continuing coverage of the Republican convention is available throughout the day on The Times’ Web site, including a daily round-table discussion with Times political writers Web-cast live at 11 a.m. PDT, regular updates from Times reporters, a delegate’s video journal, photo galleries and more. Go to:

https://www.latimes.com/gopconvention

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* FORD TAKEN TO HOSPITAL

Former President Ford reportedly suffers a sinus infection after being honored by GOP. A22