Republicans have today come out in defence of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as she prepares to take the spotlight with a prime-time convention speech that will introduce her to American voters.
Since John McCain made the nearly unknown Alaskan governor his choice for the post, she has been at the centre of a media storm fuelled by disclosures about her unmarried teenage daughter's pregnancy, an investigation into her role in an Alaskan official's firing and questions about her political record.
The McCain campaign fired back against critics today, however, releasing a television ad comparing Ms Palin's experience with the qualifications of Mr Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois.
"She's earned a reputation as a reformer," the ad's narrator says. "His reputation? Empty words."
Mr McCain arrived in St Paul, Minnesota, for the convention today and was greeted by his family, as well as Ms Palin's, including her pregnant daughter Bristol (17) and her boyfriend. Mr McCain briefly chatted with both.
Ms Palin, the first female Republican vice presidential nominee, has stayed out of the public eye in Minnesota for two days while the revelations about her family and her record in Alaska surfaced. She has yet to do a news interview or news conference.
Her anti-abortion and pro-gun record have excited conservatives and party activists, but her convention appearance will be the first chance for American voters to judge her for themselves.
The governor has been preparing for her address with McCain aides including speechwriter Matt Scully, who drafted her speech in Ohio. "We're just going to rock 'em, sock 'em - we kind of like it when people underestimate us," a McCain campaign official said of the speech.
The speech will give her a chance to move past the issue of her daughter's pregnancy and the inquiry into whether she abused her power in having a public safety commissioner fired, although it is unclear if she will directly address either topic.
Ms Palin made her walk-through of the convention hall earlier today, carried live by the morning news programs, shuffling papers at the podium and chatting with aides.
Also scheduled to speak on Wednesday is former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who made a failed run for the Republican president nomination. He said the Alaskan governor was ready for the vice presidency and attacked Obama.
"I would say Barack Obama has never governed a city, never governed a state, never governed an agency, never run a military unit, never run anything," Mr Giuliani said on a television show.
The controversy over Ms Palin has raised questions about Mr McCain's judgment and the depth of investigation that preceded her selection, and could put a dent in the Arizona senator's efforts to build momentum heading out of the convention.
Much of Monday's convention schedule was delayed by Hurricane Gustav's assault on the Gulf Coast, but the gathering resumed on Tuesday with criticism of Obama and testimonials to the character of McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam.
The convention also marked the passing of leadership in the party from President George W. Bush to McCain. Mr Bush praised McCain, who had been his rival in a bitter presidential nominating battle in 2000.
"He's not afraid to tell you when he disagrees. Believe me, I know," the president told the convention in a brief speech via satellite from Washington.
Former Tennessee senator. Fred Thompson, whose own presidential bid fell short this year, contrasted Mr Obama's speech to 200,000 cheering Germans in Berlin in July with McCain's global reputation for leadership.
He also blasted "Washington pundits and media big shots" who have been critical of Ms Palin.
"The selection of Governor Palin has the other side and their friends in the media in a state of panic. She is a courageous, successful reformer, who is not afraid to take on the establishment," he said.
Reuters