RNC Tuesday: Top Lines of the Night

I thought Fred Thompson gave a GREAT speech tonight! I finally had the opportunity to hear the full story of John McCain's ordeal in Vietnam - it is an amazing story and I will be forever grateful to McCain for his sacrifice and character in putting Country First. Please read Fred Thompson's speech, McCain's story deserves to be told.

Thompson also went on the attack and served up some delicious red meat to the crowd. My favorite one-liners from Fred Thompson's speech:

• It’s pretty clear there are two questions we will never have to ask ourselves, “Who is this man?” and “Can we trust this man with the Presidency?”
  
  
• My friends … that is character you can believe in.
  
  
• The respect he is given around the world is not because of a teleprompter speech designed to appeal to American critics abroad, but because of decades of clearly demonstrated character and statesmanship.
  
  
• To deal with these challenges the Democrats present a history making nominee for president. History making in that he is the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for President.
  
  
• Apparently they believe that he would match up well with the history making, Democrat controlled Congress. History making because it’s the least accomplished and most unpopular Congress in our nation’s history.
  
  
• No, they’re just going to tax “businesses”! So unless you buy something from a “business”, like groceries or clothes or gasoline … or unless you get a paycheck from a big or a small “business”, don’t worry … it’s not going to affect you.
  
  
• And we need a President who doesn’t think that the protection of the unborn or a newly born baby is above his pay grade.

After Thompson;s rousing speech, Joe Lieberman came on stage and initially seemed to suck the life out of the auditorium. It was a tough act to follow, but eventually Lieberman hit his stride. He went after his Senate colleague and former fellow party-member Obama directly which I found to be slightly surprising. Here are my favorite Lieberman lines:

• I’m here to support John McCain because country matters more than party.

• Both presidential candidates this year talk about changing the culture of Washington, about breaking through the partisan gridlock and special interests that are poisoning our politics. But only one of them has actually done it.

• My Democratic friends know all about John’s record of independence and accomplishment. Maybe that’s why some of them are spending so much time and so much money trying to convince voters that John McCain is someone else.

• Eloquence is no substitute for a record — not in these tough times.
  
  
• In the Senate he has not reached across party lines to get anything significant done, nor has he been willing to take on powerful interest groups in the Democratic Party.
  
  
• The McCain-Palin ticket is the real ticket for change this year.
  
  
• When others wanted to retreat in defeat from the field of battle, when Barack Obama was voting to cut off funding for our troops on the ground, John McCain had the courage to stand against the tide of public opinion and support the surge, and because of that, today, our troops are at last beginning to come home, not in failure, but in honor!

All in all a great night of speeches - the Republican base is pumped up and hopes to have attracted undecided voters with Lieberman's appeal to independents and Thompson's focus on character. Can't wait until tomorrow night!