McCain Vows to Shake Up Washington

 By Magdalena Parker -- 09/05/2008

Republican presidential nominee John McCain is going to fight the status quo.  When the Arizona Senator gave his acceptance speech in St. Paul, Minnesota, he promised to "shake up Washington" and "fight for the ideals and character of a free people."

He added "Let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming."

Supporters erupted into wild applause, waving Maverick McCain banners and American flags.

McCain also sent a message to Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama. He said, "We'll go at it. We'll go at it over the next two months, you know that's the nature of this business. And there are big differences between us. But you have my respect and admiration."

He continued to say that despite their differences, "much more unites us than divides us," and called on all Americans to work together to "make this country greater."

After speaking about his family and his vice-presidential running mate, Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, McCain again promised to bring about changes in Washington. He said, "When we tell you we're going to change Washington and stop leaving our country's problems for some unluckier generation to fix, you can count on it."

CNN reports that Obama's campaign spokesman Bill Burton responded to McCain's speech. "He admonished the 'old, do-nothing crowd' in Washington but ignored the fact that he's been part of that crowd for 26 years, opposing solutions on health care, energy and education," said Burton.

The Republican National Convention is over and McCain is campaigning in Wisconsin on Friday with Palin. Obama is in Pennsylvania with running mate, Joe Bide, but at separate events. Both presidential nominees are in battleground territories, starting out their final two-month long intense run for the White House.