As Governor George Bush prepared to deliver what has been called "the most important speech of his life," Democrats reacted angrily to the attacks by his running mate, Mr Dick Cheney, on President Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore.
Mr Cheney's hard-hitting address delighted the Republican delegates, who chanted: "Time to go, time to go." He accused both Mr Clinton and Mr Gore of making Washington "a scene of bitterness and ill will and partisan strife."
Mr Cheney warned that "big changes are coming Washington" if Mr Bush wins in November. He promised that Mr Bush "will repair what has been damaged" and restore decency and integrity to the Oval Office.
In his response the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Mr Joe Andrews, said: "Mr Cheney said last night that the Republicans will make proposals and the Democrats will make accusations. Last night Dick Cheney made 22 attacks and not one proposal."
Mr Bush's brother, Governor Jeb Bush of Florida, commented on Mr Cheney's speech: "The gloves were off, perhaps, but it was a deft touch. It was not smash-mouth. There was no degrading of people."
Mr Cheney said that the Clinton-Gore administration represented "opportunities squandered", but now "the wheel has turned and it is time - time for them to go."
Many Republicans realised delightedly that this was an echo of Mr Gore's own vice-presidential speech before the Democratic Convention in 1992, aimed at then President George Bush.
Mr Gore's spokesman, Mr Chris Lehane, said: "So much for the Republicans' positive campaign.
"Tonight they're turning the clock back with a card-carrying conservative member of the Republican old guard. They're engaging in the only type of Republican politics they know - attack politics."
A five-page rebuttal of the Cheney speech from the Gore campaign called it "one of the most negative Republican convention speeches since Pat Buchanan," and said: "The mask is off the GOP `Grand Old Party' masquerade ball."
Meanwhile, Mr Gore is reported to have whittled his list of prospective vice-presidential candidates down to five members of Congress and a woman Governor. The former senator, Mr George Mitchell, is not on the reported list.
The names are said to be: House minority leader Mr Dick Gephardt of Missouri; Governor Jeanne Shaheen of Massachusetts and Senators Evan Bayh (Indiana); John Edwards (North Carolina); John Kerry (Massachusetts) and Joseph Lieberman (Connecticut).
The Gore campaign has refused to comment on the report. Mr Gore has already said he will announce his choice next Tuesday in the run-up to the Democratic Convention in Los Angeles, beginning on August 14th.
In Philadelphia, several hundred people arrested on Monday after widespread street protests are still in jail, many of them refusing to give their real names. Some of them have taken off their clothes and were reported to be on hunger strike.
Police Commissioner John Timoney, who was injured in the demonstrations, said "We are not letting our guard down" until the convention ends. He was personally congratulated by Mr Bush for the way the city police handled the demonstrations.
Reuters adds:
The White House spokesman, Mr Joe Lockhart, appeared on the CBS Late Show yesterday, playing down President Clinton's attack last week on Mr Bush as "a little fun."
Mr Clinton's comment, during a Democratic fund-raiser, in which he called the Republican candidate essentially a spoiled rich boy whose "daddy was president" has prompted a fierce response by former president George Bush and his wife, Barbara, on their son's behalf.
Asked about the unusual public sparring, Mr Lockhart told host David Letterman: "The president went out and poked a little fun at George W. Bush - which is not a hard thing to do - and . . . his father, being a father, wanted to defend him and he did and we're now on the clock."