Cheney to deliver hatchet job on 'confused' Kerry

1.00pm - By RUPERT CORNWELL

NEW YORK - Dick Cheney was set to deliver a stinging convention attack on John Kerry, zeroing in on the inconstancy and "confusion of convictions" which Republicans say make the Democratic challenger unfit to be elected to the White House.

The Vice-President's speech, formally accepting renomination to be George Bush's running mate for a second term, followed the Republicans' strategy at their convention here, which alternates denunciation of the Massachusetts senator with stirring invocations of American ideals.

On Tuesday evening, the actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger wowed the 2,500 delegates with his personal experience of the "American dream".

Last night, Mr Cheney was back in his appointed role of hatchet man, weighing into Mr Kerry's alleged failings, leaving Mr Bush to take the high road when he addresses the convention.

Mr Cheney went for Mr Kerry on what Republicans see has his vulnerability over his legislative record. The Vice-President, his spokeswoman said, would contrast Mr Bush's "proven leadership" with Mr Kerry's "confusion of conviction - both in foreign and domestic policy - that he demonstrated during his 20 years in the Senate".

Hours before Mr Cheney spoke, the Democratic candidate hit back with a broadside against Mr Bush's handling of the war on terror, seizing on the President's recent acknowledgement he had made "miscalculations" over the post-war occupation of Iraq.

Addressing the American Legion veterans group in Nashville, Mr Kerry argued that the botched occupation had strengthened the terrorists' hand.

"Safe havens have been created, our troops have been forced to reach accommodations with the enemy, Iran had expanded its influence, and the extremists have gained momentum," he declared.

With unprecedented sharpness, the Democrat dispelled the notion that his Iraq policy was the same as that of Mr Bush: "When it comes to Iraq, I would not have done one thing differently - I would have done almost everything differently," Mr Kerry said.

With his appearance in Nashville, Mr Kerry broke the unwritten rule of US elections campaign that a major party candidate lies low while his rival holds his convention.

But his foray reflects growing anxiety in Democratic ranks - confirmed by opinion polls - that challenger has lost the initiative in the presidential race, battered by accusations from fellow Vietnam veterans that he lied over his decorated record, and failing to take the political battle to his opponents.

Yesterday, Karl Rove, Mr Bush's chief political adviser and merciless campaign hit-man, took his own swipe at Mr Kerry. Mr Rove, who secured a student deferment to avoid going to Vietnam, accused the candidate of "tarnishing the record and service" of fellow veterans.

The charge will only fuel Democratic charges that the Bush re-election team is quietly co-ordinating with the independent group behind the anti-Kerry attack ads, the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth."

Mr Cheney - who secured five student deferments to avoid Vietnam - was unlikely to raise the subject himself in Madison Square Garden last night, given the controversy he already attracts over his connections to the controversial oil services group Halliburton, and the perception that he is the sinister backstage architect of policies on Iraq, many of which had backfired.

Polls yesterday gave Mr Cheney an unfavourable rating. A separate survey suggested that if, allowed to choose a Vice-President separately from his boss, voters would go clearly for the Democrat John Edwards.

Even so, despite intermittent rumours that Mr Cheney would be dropped from the ticket as Mr Bush's approval ratings fell during the summer, there was never a realistic chance of that happening.

The prominence accorded Mr Cheney here, and his appeal to conservatives, have buried such talk.

Mr Bush was due to visit a fire station in New York last night in an attempt to squeeze a last drop from the approaching third anniversary of the 11 September attacks.

He was following the example of Mr Schwarzenegger, who on Tuesday paid an unannounced visit to another fire station before delivering the smash-hit speech of the convention so far.

The California Governor mixed humour, passion and sheer star power to promote Mr Bush, while offering a subtle criticism of the conservatives who dominate the party.

"Maybe you don't agree [with the Republicans]. But that's what's great about this country. We can respectfully disagree and still be good Republicans," he said.

This president "doesn't flinch, doesn't waver and doesn't back down", the Austrian-born actor declared, insisting that "America is safer with George W Bush".

Speaking after the California Governor, Laura Bush, the first lady, similarly extolled her husband. "You can count on him, especially in a crisis," she said.

- INDEPENDENT