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BOSTON - John Kerry appealed for support Thursday in ''the most important election of our lifetime,'' vowing to ''restore trust and credibility to the White House'' and improve the lives of middle-class Americans.

''We can do better, and we will,'' the Massachusetts senator told cheering delegates hungry to regain the presidency, which many Democrats believe was stolen from them four years ago. ''We're the optimists. We just need to believe in ourselves - and we can do it again.''

As his hometown's four-day celebration of his life and candidacy peaked, Kerry accepted the Democratic nomination in a high-stakes speech aimed at the small slice of undecided voters. He sought to increase awareness of his background and to challenge President Bush's record on domestic and international issues.

Kerry framed his argument for ousting the incumbent with sharp criticism of Bush and his administration.

''I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war,'' he said. ''I will have a vice president who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws. I will have a secretary of defense who will listen to the best advice of our military leaders. And I will appoint an attorney general who actually upholds the Constitution.''

He also pledged to ''not evade or equivocate'' in taking steps to strengthen the nation's security against terrorists, adding that if elected, he would immediately adopt the recommendations of the commission that studied the Sept. 11 attacks. Bush, who initially opposed the panel's creation, is studying its proposals, aides say.

''As president, I will ask hard questions and demand hard evidence,'' Kerry said. ''I will immediately reform the intelligence system - so policy is guided by facts, and facts are never distorted by politics. And as president, I will bring back this nation's time-honored tradition: The United States of America never goes to war because we want to, we only go to war because we have to.''

That focus on national security was seen by Kerry backers as a way not only to highlight his military record as a decorated naval officer but also to show voters that he can be trusted to lead the country during war, and to fend off Republican accusations that he has been inconsistent on Iraq.

Kerry's speech to a packed, placard-waving crowd at the FleetCenter climaxed a political gathering in which the Democrats demonstrated unprecedented determination and unity behind Kerry and his running mate, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.

On a rousing voice vote without dissent, delegates took 20 minutes to formally nominate Edwards, who addressed them Wednesday night. ''He appeals to our best hopes, not our worst fears,'' Harvey Gantt, former mayor of Charlotte, N.C., said in placing Edwards' name before the delegates.

As has been the case all week, Thursday night's climactic proceedings stressed Kerry's background as a veteran of the Vietnam War - a theme that helped elevate him from a once-crowded field of Democrats into the final three months of a razor-close election.

Actor Morgan Freeman narrated a nine-minute biographical movie that emphasized his military record. The featured speakers included Navy crewmate Jim Rassmann, who credits Kerry with saving his life in Vietnam.

The retired federal worker, who volunteered to join the campaign just before the Iowa caucuses in January, said he did so ''because I've seen John Kerry in action. I know his character. And I know he will be a great commander in chief.''

To further underscore the point, the Democratic nominee was introduced by former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland, who lost both legs and an arm in a grenade explosion in Vietnam.

Kerry referred to his service in making clear his intention to do whatever was necessary to protect the nation.

''I defended this country as a young man, and I will defend it as president,'' he said. ''I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response. I will never give any nation or international institution a veto over our national security. And I will build a stronger American military.''

Kerry appealed to Bush - and to voters turned off by bitter campaign tactics - for a fall race along the ''high road'' - which he said ''may be harder, but it leads to a better place.''

''Let's build unity in the American family, not angry division,'' he said.

Kerry also challenged the Republican emphasis on family values with a definition that differed sharply from the GOP's on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

''For four years, we've heard a lot of talk about values,'' he said. ''But values spoken without actions taken are just slogans. Values are not just words. They're what we live by. They're about the causes we champion and the people we fight for. And it is time for those who talk about family values to start valuing families.

''We value jobs that pay you more, not less than you earned before. We value an America where the middle class is not being squeezed, but doing better.''

He recalled the economic record of the 1990s, when Democratic President Clinton was in the White House.

''We balanced the budget. We paid down the debt. We created 23 million new jobs. We lifted millions out of poverty and we lifted the standard of living for the middle class. We just need to believe in ourselves - and we can do it again,'' Kerry said.

Other speakers included Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, the senior Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee and a top Kerry foreign policy adviser. He condemned the Bush administration for failing to take advantage of the ''sense of solidarity'' after the Sept. 11 attacks to set great national goals.

''I do not question the motives of this administration, but I profoundly disagree with their judgments,'' Biden said. ''History will judge this administration . . . harshly not for the mistakes made - we all make mistakes - but for the opportunities squandered.''

Kerry aides said he wrote his speech in longhand on a yellow pad with input from a number of supporters.

''It's really his speech,'' senior Kerry strategist Bob Shrum told reporters. The goal, he said, was to show the audience ''who he is and what his values are, and where he wants to lead the country.''

ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE

* Campaign documentary paints

Kerry as hero warrior, family man

* Reaching independent voters could be key to Democrat's success

* Rudy Giuliani leads GOP attack on Kerry, questions his voting record