Republicans look to ‘strong leader’ Bush as party convention starts

THE Republican Party convention opened in New York yesterday with a gloves-off attack on their Democratic rivals and a bid to portray President George Bush as a strong war leader.

"We will leave here with momentum that will carry us to victory in November," Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie said to a roar of approval as the convention got under way in Madison Square Garden.

The party also paid tribute to victims of the September 11 terror attacks in their opening session.

"We've shown the world New York can never be defeated," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in welcoming delegates.

Thousands of police officers kept the city under tight wraps for the opening of the convention.

Protesters, who numbered at least 120,000 during loud but peaceful demonstrations on Sunday, generally gave back the streets of Manhattan to commuters.

However, one group of protesters in oversize Bush masks and wild costumes heckled convention-goers as they left their hotels.

Senator John McCain told CBS's The Early Show that TV ads run against presidential candidate John Kerry accusing the Democrat of lying about his military service in Vietnam were "dishonest and dishonourable". But, he added: "What John Kerry did after the war is very legitimate political discussion." Mr Kerry was a leader of Vietnam veterans who opposed the war.

While seeking to energise the party's conservative base, Republicans also were reaching out to undecided voters. Most of the prominent speakers Mr McCain, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger are popular with moderates and independent-minded voters.

Democrats fought back with strong rhetoric of their own. Mr Kerry's running mate, Senator John Edwards, dismissed assertions that Mr Bush was a strong world leader.

"We have seen what this administration's approach does to our standing in the world. It isolates us. It costs us respect from our allies. It means we must face these new challenges alone," Mr Edwards said in a speech.

The first day was intended to focus on Mr Bush's leadership against terrorism.

"In choosing a president, we really don't choose a Republican or Democrat, a conservative or liberal," Mr Giuliani said in prepared remarks that compared Mr Bush with Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill. "We choose a leader. And in times of danger, as we are now in, Americans should put leadership at the core of their decision."