GOP: Don't believe the hype, Obama not ready

DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- Despite a stadium packed far past capacity, with nearly 90,000 supporters wildly applauding nominee Barack Obama as he spoke Thursday, Republicans responded with one hand gesture: thumbs down.

Presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain issued a statement minutes after Obama wrapped his speech: "Tonight, Americans witnessed a misleading speech that was so fundamentally at odds with the meager record of Barack Obama.

"When the temple comes down, the fireworks end and the words are over, the facts remain: Sen. Obama still has no record of bipartisanship, still opposes offshore drilling, still voted to raise taxes on those making just $42,000 per year and still voted against funds for American troops in harm's way.

"The fact remains: Barack Obama is still not ready to be president."

There was just too much glitz and glamour emanating from the floor of the Invesco Field, transformed by a crew of seasoned Hollywood veterans, conservatives said.

Obama's rhetoric is intended to mask the fact that he is relatively new to public service compared to John McCain, they said.

McCain, for his part, put out an ad Thursday congratulating Obama on his nomination -- an unusually generous move for any politician, particularly one vying to become the next U.S. president, pundits said.

Dubbing Invesco the "Temple of Obama," GOP spin artists responded to the part of Obama's speech in which he promised to lower taxes on the middle class.

Writing on notready08.com, GOP supporters wrote, "From the Temple grounds, Barack Obama will outline an agenda for America that includes raising taxes, increasing spending, putting government bureaucrats in charge of health care and isolating America from the benefits of the global economy.

"While Barack Obama will talk about his plans to tax the 'rich' and cut taxes on the middle class, he will not say that his record includes voting for higher taxes 94 times and voting for a tax increase on those making just $42,000 per year."

Obama told supporters, "As commander in chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home."

In one of the sharpest zingers of the night, Obama said, "John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell -- but he won't even follow him to the cave where he lives."

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds called the statement an "insult" on CNN's Larry King, saying it "ignored" everything McCain had done. Watch GOP pundits discuss Obama's speech »

On the economy, Bounds cut into Obama's claim that he will pay for a spending increase, by bringing up an Associated Press article on the subject published in August. iReport.com: What did you think about Obama's speech?

Obama said Thursday night, "Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime -- by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow. But I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less -- because we cannot meet 21st-century challenges with a 20th-century bureaucracy."

Bounds said Obama told the AP this month that he could not "promise" to reduce the budget deficit. Bounds quotes the article: "I do not make a promise that we can reduce it by 2013, because I think it is important for us to make some critical investments right now in America's families."

Leslie Sanchez, a Republican strategist and former adviser to President Bush, said Obama missed a chance to offer "tangibility" and "real solutions" to how to pay for some of the promises Obama made. Watch Sanchez give Obama a 'C' »

Obama said, "I'll help our auto companies re-tool so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars."

"And I'll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy: wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and 5 million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced."

Sanchez said Obama didn't explain where he would get the money for the $150 billion plan. Obama spent "half his time bashing McCain" and "talked loosely about the same old Democratic solutions that have failed," she said.

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