*EPF409 09/02/2004
Cheney Accepts VP Nomination Challenges Kerry's Record
(Republican Convention highlights economic opportunities under Bush) (470)

By Judy Aita
Washington File Staff Writer

New York -- Dick Cheney accepted the Republican Party's nomination for vice president of the United States September 1, saying this election will be a "defining moment" for U.S. national security.

Cheney used his address to praise the Bush administration's record on the economy and to continue the Republican attack on Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry for his position on a number of issues, particularly national security, during his years as a senator.

The theme of the convention's third day was "Land of Opportunity" and the vice president said that opportunity depends on a vibrant, growing economy. "President Bush delivered the greatest tax reduction in a generation, and the results are clear to see. Businesses are creating jobs. People are returning to work. Mortgage rates are low and homeownership in this country is at an all-time high," he said. "The Bush tax cuts are working."

Cheney also called "preserving the freedom and security of this nation against determined enemies" the greatest challenge of our time. "Under President Bush, we have put in place new policies and created new institutions to defend America, to stop terrorist violence at its source and to help move the Middle East away from old hatreds and resentments and toward the lasting peace that only freedom can bring," Cheney said. "This is the work not of months but of years, and keeping these commitments is essential to our future security. For that reason, ladies and gentlemen, the election of 2004 is one of the most important, not just in our lives but in our history."

The keynote speaker for the evening was conservative Democratic Senator Zell Miller of Georgia, who has split with his party to support Bush for president. In 1992, Miller gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention which nominated Bill Clinton.

Miller accused Kerry of indecisiveness that "can only encourage our enemies and confuse our friends" and listed several weapons systems Kerry had voted against funding. "This is the man who wants to be commander in chief of our U.S. armed forces?" he demanded.

Miller has already announced that he will not seek re-election when his term ends in January 2005.

On the last night of the convention, September 2, delegates will hear President Bush's acceptance speech before returning to home to begin campaigning in earnest in their communities.

Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee unveiled a new Spanish-language ad that focuses on job losses during the Bush administration and the impact of current policies on middle class families.

Kerry returned to campaigning September 1 addressing the annual convention of the American Legion, the largest veteran's association in the United States, where he criticized the president's handling of the war in Iraq.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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