Palin Comes Out Fighting

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Tough Palin Takes Aim at Critics, Opponents

Sarah Palin electrified the crowd at the Xcel Center on Wednesday night by describing herself as a "hockey mom" and delivering sharp comments to her critics and opponents.

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McCain appeared onstage briefly after her speech, declaring her the "next vice president of the United States" before a screaming crowd. He is scheduled to appear Thursday evening to accept the party's presidential nomination, a victory that has taken almost a decade. Delegates awarded him the nomination in a roll call of states after Palin's speech.

For all of Palin's charm, however, it was three men who had tried to deny McCain that nomination who first delivered the searing attacks on liberalism, the media and Obama that the conservative crowd desperately craved.

Giuliani brought delegates to their feet repeatedly, turning out an energetic, biting assault on Obama's candidacy, mocking the Democrat as an inexperienced, overly ambitious, flip-flopping politician.

The former mayor could barely get through his speech as he described Obama's experience, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Obama worked as a community organizer, he told the crowd, before heading for the Illinois legislature.

"Where nearly 130 times he couldn't make a decision. He couldn't figure out whether to vote yes or no. It was too tough. He voted present," Giuliani intoned with mock surprise. "I didn't know about this vote -- present -- when I was mayor of New York City. For president of the United States, it's not good enough to be present. You have to make a decision."

Mocking Obama's change of position on Jerusalem, Giuliani said: "I hope for his sake, Joe Biden got that VP thing in writing."

Referring to Democratic questions about Palin's qualifications, Giuliani added: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that Barack Obama feels that her home town isn't cosmopolitan enough. I'm sorry, Barack, that it's not flashy enough. Maybe they cling to religion there."

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney -- McCain's chief nemesis throughout the GOP primary campaign -- repeatedly tapped into delegates' palpable anger about what many consider to be unfair coverage of their vice presidential nominee.

"For decades, the Washington sun has been rising in the East," home to "the Eastern elites, to the editorial pages of the Times and The Post," he said. "If America really wants change, it's time to look for the sun in the West, 'cause it's about to rise and shine from Arizona and Alaska."

The crowd erupted in applause, as it did again when Romney vowed to "stop the spread of government dependency to fight it like the poison it is. It's time for the party of big ideas, not the party of Big Brother."

Romney was followed by former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who employed his trademark wit to deride Obama's foreign policy judgment and reject Democratic attacks on the GOP as the party of the wealthy.

"I really tire of hearing how the Democrats care about the working guy as if all Republicans grew up with silk stockings and silver spoons," he said, bringing delegates to their feet. "In my little home town of Hope, Arkansas, the three sacred heroes were Jesus, Elvis and FDR, not necessarily in that order."