Miller's speech upsets Dems

NEW YORK -- For Democrats, last night was a slap in the face. \nOne of their own stood in front of a packed house at Madison Square Garden and not only hailed the president, a Republican, but slashed apart his own party and its presidential nominee. \nSen. Zell Miller's, D-Ga., speech didn't sit well with the Indiana Democratic Party. \n"I kind of questioned whether Zell Miller is an actual Democrat," Indiana Democratic Party Communications Director Terry Burns said. "He calls himself one, but after what I heard him say last night, I don't know."\nTwelve years ago, Miller stood in the same arena also giving the keynote speech for then-Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton. \nIn that speech, Miller lambasted then-President George H. W. Bush as being "a timid man who hears only the voices of caution and status quo."\nHe also went on in 1992 to say President Bush was just not in the loop.\n"Let's face the facts: George Bush just doesn't get it, he doesn't see it, he doesn't feel it, and he's done nothing about it. That's why we cannot afford four more years."\nAs that President Bush sat in the presidential box with former first lady Barbara, Miller gave the 2004 keynote address at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night. In his speech, Miller said he admired President George W. Bush and that he "like(s) the fact that he's the same man on Saturday night as he is on Sunday morning."\nBut, for most of his speech, Miller used the stage at the Garden for a boxing ring, taking jabs at Sen. John Kerry and his own Democratic Party. \n"Motivated more by partisan politics than by national security, today's Democratic leaders see America as an occupier, not a liberator," Miller said to a standing ovation. "And nothing makes this Marine madder than someone calling American troops occupiers rather than liberators."\nWith the pro-military stance taken by the Republicans, the Georgia senator made the war in Iraq and the fight against terrorism his main issue, hailing Bush as a hero and Kerry as a warlord. \n"I think a lot of Democrats that heard that speech were appalled. (Miller made) unwarranted attacks and distortion," Burns said. "More painful was that it was coming from someone who calls himself a Democrat." \nThroughout most of his speech, Miller denounced Kerry, listing off some of the major issues concerning the war in Iraq, which Kerry opposed. \nFor a large portion of his speech, President Bush's name wasn't mentioned by Miller, as he laid into Kerry and his campaign. \nMiller said Kerry's stances on military issues have led the Massachusetts senator to be "more wrong, more weak and more wobbly than any other national figure."\n"People want to hear about hope for the country," Burns said. "I think that is the kind of message Hoosiers want to hear. They want to hear what a presidential candidate will be doing for jobs and the economy. They don't want to hear a lot of hateful rhetoric."\nWith less than two months to go before the Nov. 2 election, Burns said the Indiana Democrats are looking forward to the upcoming race for the White House. \n"I think now we're just looking forward to the fall campaign. The Republican convention is just a huge floor show. Not a whole lot of substance," he said. "I would hope that the Republicans would start talking about the issues. The Democrats are going to still stick with the issues."\n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.