Bush Acceptance Speech Lays Out Agenda

— -- Accepting the GOP presidential nomination, George W. Bush issued a call to “renew America’s purpose.” Bush said of the current Democratic administration: “They have not led. We will.”

ABCNEWS.comPHILADELPHIA, Aug. 3— Texas Gov. George W. Bush capped off a weeklong convention geared toward softening the Republican Party’s image by vowing to wash away the bitter partisanship and controversy that have tarnished President Clinton’s eight years in office.

Just one night after his running mate, Dick Cheney, whipped the Republican National Convention into a frenzy with a speech attacking the Clinton administration, Bush told delegates in the hall and a national television audience, “My fellow citizens, we can begin again.”

“Our current president embodied the potential of a generation. So many talents. So much charm. Such great skill,” Bush said. “But in the end, to what end? So much promise, to no great purpose.”

The Texas governor has set out with this tightly scripted convention to make the case that he embodies such purpose. In the biggest speech of his life, Bush needed to quiet concerns about his lack of experience, and prove that he has what it takes to lead the nation.

“As governor, I’ve made difficult decisions, and stood by them under pressure,” Bush said. “I’ve been where the buck stops — in business and in government. I’ve been a chief executive who sets an agenda, sets big goals, and rallies people to believe and achieve them.I am proud of this record, and I’m prepared for the work ahead.”

Political Jujitsu

Bush also moved to capitalize on concerns that his limited experience — having served only two terms as governor in Texas — is more an asset than a liability. Acknowledging that his resume “may lack the polish of Washington,” Bush boasted that he also does not have “a lot of things that come with Washington experience.”