Republican presidential hopeful officially accepts nomination, vows 'change is coming'

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ST. PAUL, Minn. - John McCain pledged yesterday to rise above partisan politics and put the nation's interests above his own in a town-hall style speech to millions of Americans on the final day of the Republican convention.

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The Associated Press

McCain

"Change is coming," McCain told cheering supporters after formally accepting the party's nomination to run for president.

"Again and again, I've worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That's how I will govern as president," McCain said.

The four-term Arizona senator, in his bid for the presidency, lamented "constant partisan rancour," saying: "It's what happens when people go to Washington to work for themselves and not you."

He accepted the nomination with a promise "to reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again."

"I have that record and the scars to prove it," McCain said. "Senator (Barack) Obama does not."

McCain, relying on his no-nonsense demeanour to garner the support of undecided voters, also issued a blunt warning. "To the old, big-spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-second Washington crowd: Change is coming," he said.

McCain's wife, Cindy, also took to the stage, depicting her husband of 28 years as a man of steadfast judgment in times of pressure. "It's going to take someone of unusual strength and character, someone exactly like my husband, to lead us through the reefs and currents that lie ahead. I know John. You can trust his hand at the wheel," she said.

"But you know what? I've always thought it's a good idea to have a woman's hand on the wheel as well. So how about that Gov. Sarah Palin?" she continued, as delegates applauded.

Unlike Obama, the 72-year-old McCain is not known for his oratory skills and is much more comfortable in smaller settings. His personal story -- from his five months as a prisoner of war in Vietnam to his penchant for going against Washington's status quo -- helped earned him the moniker, the Maverick.