MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
Posted: Wednesday, September 3, 2008 1:06 pm

The Republican National Convention in Minneapolis may have gotten off to a slow start Monday because of Hurricane Gustav.

But it hit the ground running Tuesday night with speeches from former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and President George W. Bush.

Thompson primed the crowd and got people excited about Republican prospect in November, delegate Ira Brody said.

“Sen. Thompson made a great speech and got people excited,” Brody said. “The conference has been muted because of the hurricane, but Fred Thompson got us in the right mood with kind of a kick.”

If Thompson provided a kick, then Lieberman gave a punch when the Democratic contender for the 2000 vice presidency gave his endorsement to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

“He gave a good speech about how McCain puts the country first and the party second,” Brody said, adding he finds it ironic that Lieberman could have been the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination this year “had Florida gone the other way.”

Lieberman appealed to both Democrats and independent voters in his endorsement speech, Brody said.

“He was standing there last night to do the right thing for our country,” Brody said. “McCain is the right man at the right time to lead the country.”

For the most part, the conference stuck to its theme “Country First” by profiling McCain and introducing him to the country again with a biographical video of his life story including his life story and background as a POW in Vietnam and as a senator from Arizona.

“The country learned something new,” Brody said. “Most of America gets to learn who the real John McCain is. …

“John McCain is the best when John McCain is John McCain,” Brody added.

Brody said the highlight of the conference so far was Presidential primary hopeful Mike Huckabee speaking to the Tennessee delegation at breakfast this morning.

Huckabee will speak tonight, along with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Vice Presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.