Bush pledges hope, resolve Says nation has 'calling . . . to stand for freedom'

NEW YORK -- President George W. Bush accepted his party's nomination for a second term last night, declaring that the nation has reached a ''time for hope" but that the military must remain on the offensive to prevail in the fight against terrorism.

Surrounded by the most comprehensive security operation for a political convention in history, Bush launched the final phase of the presidential race with a central message: that the nation should remain firmly on his charted course, both at home and overseas.

He also focused on domestic issues and included personal touches in an attempt to broaden the four-day convention beyond what had been a heavy emphasis on military might and the shortcomings of Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, Bush's Democratic challenger.

''To everything, we know there is a season -- a time for sadness, a time for struggle, a time for rebuilding," he said in remarks prepared for delivery later in the evening at Madison Square Garden. ''And now we have reached a time for hope. This young century will be liberty's century. By promoting liberty abroad, we will build a safer world. By encouraging liberty at home, we will build a more hopeful America."

He concluded: ''Like generations before us, we have a calling from beyond the stars to stand for freedom."

Despite earlier suggestions that he would use the address to map out a comprehensive agenda for a second term, Bush did not drop any bombshells. Instead, he leaned heavily on soaring rhetoric about his philosophy and thematic promises built on his existing plans for governance.

He returned to the ''compassionate conservative" message of his 2000 race, pledging to expand the education standards implemented during the first year of his administration and promote the concept of an ''ownership society," in which tax incentives help families save money for necessities such as health care.

With just two months left in an extremely close race, Kerry last night broke with tradition and directly criticized Bush's acceptance speech even before it was delivered. Kerry took a tough new tone, pushing back hard against Republican criticism of his policies and past war service over the last month.

''I'm not going to have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and by those who have misled the nation into Iraq," read a text of remarks Kerry planned to make in Ohio.

Bush pivoted from the convention to the campaign trail just as swiftly, with a planned departure for Pennsylvania -- his 34th trip to that state as president -- just minutes after he finished speaking to avoid wasting more time on New York voters who are mostly supporting Kerry. He has a frenzied, four-state swing planned for today, evidence of how aggressively he plans to campaign in the weeks ahead.

Recent polls show Bush regaining ground he had lost to Kerry, even nudging ahead in some battleground states. So razor-thin is the margin that strategists said even minor developments -- such as new government employment figures set for release today, or a hurricane hurtling toward Florida, a crucial swing state -- could add or erase momentum following the Republican convention.

Yet Bush enters the campaign's final stretch in a precarious state. Polls show that more than half of voters feel the country is on the wrong track, and disapproval of the president's handling of the economy and the war in Iraq has been expressed by similar margins -- suggesting that emphasizing his message of staying ''on course" came with some political risk.

But the president betrayed few doubts about his judgment on the issues that could decide the race.

And he did not shy from underscoring his differences with Kerry. Although Bush mentioned him only once by name -- accusing Kerry of opposing health savings accounts and a controversial Medicare overhaul passed last year -- the president squarely accused his rival of being a ''tax and spend" Democrat, mocked his ties to Hollywood, questioned his cultural values, and ridiculed inconsistencies in his voting record.

In keeping with the convention's often militaristic tone, Bush expressed strong confidence in his doctrine of preemption, which provided the underpinnings of his decision to invade Iraq -- but he sought to soften the way it is perceived by uncertain voters. Reacting to a growing chorus of charges from Democrats in recent months that the Iraq war was based on faulty information and fueled by arrogance or greed, Bush said his foreign engagements have been ''not for pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at stake."

''Our strategy is clear," Bush said. ''We have tripled funding for homeland security and trained half a million first responders, because we are determined to protect our homeland. We are transforming our military and reforming and strengthening our intelligence services. We are staying on the offensive -- striking terrorists abroad -- so we do not have to face them here at home. And we are working to advance liberty in the broader Middle East, because freedom will bring a future of hope, and the peace we all want. And we will prevail."

Echoing the sweeping proclamations of Vice President Dick Cheney the night before, Bush said: ''This moment in the life of our country will be remembered. Generations will know if we kept our faith and kept our word. Generations will know if we seized this moment and used it to build a future of safety and peace. The freedom of many, and the future security of our nation, now depend on us."

The evening was one of the most meticulously planned of Bush's presidency: conceived more than a year and a half ago as a powerful tribute to the Sept. 11 attacks, the stage for the final prime-time appearance was redesigned to put Bush in an intimate ''in the round" environment, emphasizing his proximity to his audience. On stage last night, a giant poster carried the theme of the day: ''A Safer World, A More Hopeful America."

And Bush, in his speech, offered a rare moment of self-reflection, in what appeared to be an effort to put his personal warmth on display -- and to persuade voters they would be more comfortable for another four years with him as commander in chief, rather than turning to someone new. ''In the last four years, you and I have come to know each other," Bush said. ''Even when we don't agree, at least you know what I believe and where I stand."

He continued: ''You may have noticed I have a few flaws, too. People sometimes have to correct my English -- I knew I had a problem when Arnold Schwarzenegger started doing it. Some folks look at me and see a certain swagger, which in Texas is called 'walking.' Now and then I come across as a little too blunt." Pointing to the box where his mother, Barbara Bush, sat, Bush said: ''For that we can all thank the white-haired lady sitting right up there."

''One thing I have learned about the presidency is that whatever shortcomings you have, people are going to notice them -- and whatever strengths you have, you're going to need them," he said.

Yesterday, the campaign issued a 48-page ''agenda for America" booklet describing the president's priorities. Among his proposals: tax incentives to encourage investment in low-income areas; additional math and reading tests for public high school students; and a new effort to revive the line-item veto, which would give the president the power to cancel ''unnecessary" congressional spending and redirect the funds to reducing the federal deficit.

The Bush campaign also announced a new set of paid television advertisements focusing on his agenda. The trio of ads -- which advisers said are about his economic agenda, his health care agenda, and his agenda overall -- are supposed to represent his ''vision for the next four years as presented in his convention address," the Bush campaign said.

Yet the ads, and the speech itself, did not focus on transforming the domestic policy landscape as Bush so often promised during the 2000 presidential race. His lesser ambitions seemed embodied in his decision to revive his ''compassionate conservative" label after largely avoiding it on the campaign trail earlier this . year. ''I am running with a compassionate conservative philosophy," Bush said.

''This changed world can be a time of great opportunity for all Americans to earn a better living, support your family, and have a rewarding career," Bush said. ''And government must take your side. Many of our most fundamental systems -- the tax code, health coverage, pension plans, worker training -- were created for the world of yesterday, not tomorrow. We will transform these systems so that all citizens are equipped, prepared -- and thus truly free -- to make your own choices and pursue your own dreams."

He continued: ''The times in which we live and work are changing dramatically. The workers of our parents' generation typically had one job, one skill, one career -- often with one company that provided health care and a pension. And most of those workers were men. Today, workers change jobs, even careers, many times during their lives, and in one of the most dramatic shifts our society has seen, two-thirds of all moms also work outside the home."

With a key government employment report set for release today, analysts had warned that Bush could be immediately on the defensive over the economy in the campaign's home stretch if he didn't unveil an aggressive plan to spur job growth. Although the administration generally learns the employment news the night before, Andrew Card, the White House chief of staff, said he would not share the data with Bush before his address.

Anne E. Kornblut can be reached at akornblut@globe.com.