McCain: "Change is coming"

In his speech tonight, John McCain will hit some familiar themes.

Published September 4, 2008 11:44PM (EDT)

John McCain's campaign has released some cursory excerpts from the text prepared for his speech tonight. There's nothing all that revealing in them, though they do at least show that McCain will be hitting some of the messages he's honed about himself for years, and also pushing the reform theme Sarah Palin had in her speech on Wednesday night.

Here's the text that's been released so far; make sure to check out the neat package of irony that is the second section:

--I'm very proud to have introduced our next Vice President to the country. But I can't wait until I introduce her to Washington. And let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming.

--The constant partisan rancor that stops us from solving these problems isn't a cause, it's a symptom. It's what happens when people go to Washington to work for themselves and not you. 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. I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not.

--I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn't my own man anymore. I was my country's.


By Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon.

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2008 Elections John Mccain R-ariz.