Senator John McCain addresses the delegates at the Republican National Convention on Monday, August 30. (Photo: AP Photo/J.Scott Applewhite)

Monday, August 30—The crowd roared as John McCain, former presidential contender, former POW, and maverick Senator from Arizona, took the podium on Monday night. McCain hushed the crowd as he told them that this week millions of Americans will weigh in on the service of two important men who have served our country tirelessly for the past four years—George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

McCain echoed the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, saying, "There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations much is given. Of other generations much is expected. This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny." McCain told the crowd that liberty is the very core of the American existence and that it cannot be taken away. He said we must continue to fight to preserve our liberty.

McCain described Bush as brave and Cheney as steady in their fight to preserve the U.S. status as the world's only superpower, defending our interests and values wherever they are challenged.

"After years of failed diplomacy and limited military pressure to restrain Saddam Hussein, President Bush made the difficult decision to liberate Iraq," McCain said. "Those who criticize that decision would have us believe that the choice was between a status quo that was well enough left alone and war. But there was no status quo to be left alone."

Speaking on Security

McCain openly criticized Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, saying that Moore made us believe "that Saddam's Iraq was an oasis of peace." He talked about Moore without ever mentioning the filmmaker or the film by name, but the crowd clearly knew what he spoke of and erupted into jeers and boos and loud choruses of "Four More Years!"

In a powerful moment near the end of his speech, the former POW spoke about what an honor it was to live in a country so well defended by the brave servicemembers of the U.S. armed forces.

"Our nation's security doesn't depend on the heroism of every citizen. But we have to be worthy of the sacrifices made on our behalf," McCain said.

He told the crowd that we must all be worthy of the grave sacrifices made on our behalf and that no one understood those sacrifices more than George W. Bush.

"And this President will not rest until America is stronger and safer still and this hateful iniquity is vanquished. He has been tested and has risen to the most important challenge of our time, and I salute him," McCain said. "I salute his determination to make this world a better, safer, freer place. He has not wavered. He has not flinched from the hard choices. He will not yield. And neither will we."

He ended his speech with visions of 9/11, saying, "No American—no American alive today will ever forget what happened on the morning of September 11. That day was the moment when the pendulum of history swung toward a new era" and awakened us to the fact that our liberty cannot be taken from us unless we surrender it.