Bush Accepts Nomination for Republican Presidential Candidate

Texas Governor George W. Bush accepted US Republican nomination for presidential candidate at the party's National Convention Thursday in Philadelphia, vowing to "change the tone of Washington to one of civility and respect."

In his acceptance speech meant to run against Vice President Al Gore for the White House, Bush told Republican delegates that he would work to forge agreement on problems long stuck in partisanship.

"We will confront the hard issues, threats to our national security, threats to our health and retirement security, before the challenges of our time become crises for our children," he said.

Dismissing the Clinton era as "so much promise, to no great purpose," Bush said that "now is the time for Republicans and Democrats to end the politics of fear and save Social Security together."

Bush's appearance before 2,066 Republican delegates and thousands of party activists who packed the convention hall was his first major challenge on his way to the White House and last act of a four-day political drama.

Bush's speech included a call to reform public schools, strengthen social security, modernize Medicare as well as add a prescription drug benefit, rebuild the military and provide tax relief.

Bush said that if he is elected president of the United States, he will deploy missile defenses to "guard against attack and blackmail" at the earliest possible date.

On the subject of education, Bush said: "Now is the time to make Head Start an early learning program, teach all of our children to read, and renew the promise of America's public schools."

"We are now the party of ideals and innovation... The party of idealism and inclusion... The party of a simple and powerful hope. My fellow citizens, we can begin again," he said.

Bush and his running mate, former defense secretary Dick Cheney, are leaving Philadelphia for Pittsburgh Friday to board a train bound for the key electoral battleground of the Midwest.



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