McCain vows to fix Washington
Friday, 05 Sep 2008 20:04
John McCain accepts Republican nomination for US president (2008 Republican national convention and Reflections Photography)
John McCain has accepted the Republican nomination for president and warned that he will fight to change the United States.
The Arizona senator told supporters in St Paul, Minnesota, that he and running-mate Sarah Palin were committed to getting the country "back on the road to prosperity and peace".
"Let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming," he said.
But Mr McCain, who said he accepted the party's nomination with "gratitude, humility and confidence", also praised George Bush for protecting America from further attacks following the worst attack on US soil on September 11th 2001.
The 72-year-old's speech was interrupted several times by anti-war protestors, who were drowned out by chants of "USA" from the crowd.
In one of his few unscripted comments of the night, Mr McCain responded by saying: "Please don't be distracted by the static and the ground noise.
"Americans want us to stop the yelling."