Republicans opened their national convention today to nominate President George W. Bush for a second term.
They plan four days of tributes to his wartime leadership and his response to the September 11th, 2001, attacks.
The opening session will be highlighted by a tribute to victims of the attacks and a salute to Mr Bush by two party leaders who appeal to moderates, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Arizona Senator John McCain.
Republicans start the convention in an upbeat mood after several new polls showed Bush gaining ground and slightly leading his Democratic challenger, Mr John Kerry of Massachusetts.
The gathering is in New York, less than four miles from the gaping hole where the World Trade Center once stood, and is being held in the city in part to remind voters of Mr Bush's leadership after the attacks.
Three victims' relatives will address the today and Mr Giuliani is expected to focus on that day, its consequences and Mr Bush's reaction.
He is expected to compare Mr Bush's fight against terror to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's battle with Nazi Germany and US President Ronald Reagan's opposition to the Soviet Union.
Mr Giuliani, Mr McCain and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who will appear tomorrow, are the stars in a lineup of moderate speakers designed to soften the party's conservative image and show a more inclusive face to swing voters in key states.
Mr Kerry was on vacation in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and ceding the spotlight to Mr Bush for most of the week, although he will make a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, to address the American Legion's national convention on Wednesday.
Mr Bush, who is on a week-long tour of key swing states before he arrives in New York on Wednesday, will campaign in New Hampshire and Michigan today. He will cap off the convention with his prime-time nationally televised acceptance speech on Thursday.