Hatch told the Utah delegation that he asked Miller if he would be interested in addressing the national convention, and when Miller responded favorably, Hatch passed the word on to Bush's chief strategist Karl Rove, a former Utahn himself.

And by Thursday, the Utahns attending the GOP convention were still cheering Miller's speech and his courage.

"Zell Miller cut to the heart of what a lot of veterans are feeling, regardless of political affiliation," said Utah delegate Tim Bridgewater.

As much as Miller's comments stirred Republican passions, a couple of Utahns wondered if the partisanship on the national level might have gone too far.

"It is unfortunate that politics all the way around have not focused on the issues," said House Majority Leader Greg Curtis, R-Sandy. "And neither party can stake the moral high ground."

Did the Miller speech go too far? Maybe, Curtis said, but Miller focused most of what he said on Kerry's record in the Senate.

"Kerry's got three decades of public service, three decades of votes," Curtis said. "That's why it is so difficult for anyone from the legislative branch to become president. Voting records are fair game."

Gov. Olene Walker said both sides are guilty of the partisan politics. Democrats have been launching character attacks on Bush for weeks, and Republican delegates entering the convention hall have been barraged with signs and chants that Bush is a murderer and liar.

"There needs to be far more civility in national politics," she said. "But I'm afraid that is not going to happen."

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E-mail: spang@desnews.com