Special Report: U.S. presidential election 2008

    DENVER, the United States, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Senator John Kerry applauded for Barack Obama for his nomination as the Democratic presidential nominee at the national convention in Denver, Colorado, on Wednesday night, which Obama has done for him four years ago.

    The former Democratic presidential nominee, who has been defeated in the 2004 general elections by the incumbent president, George W. Bush, told his fellows that the party is currently even "closer to victory" than four years ago.

    "Today, the call for change is more powerful than ever, and with more seats in Congress, with more people with more passion engaged in our politics, and with a President Obama, we stand on the brink of the greatest opportunity for our generation to move this country forward," the Massachusetts Senator said.

    He lambasted his former rival, President Bush, for running an administration "squandered American power so recklessly," and linked the current government with Republican presidential candidate John McCain by saying the Arizona Senator voted with Bush 90 percent of the time.

    Based on his years of knowledge about McCain at the Senate, Kerry compared his contradictory position on key issues before and after he became the candidate, saying McCain should debate with himself before with Obama.

    Kerry invited Obama, a then Illinois state Senator, to be the keynote speaker at the last national convention in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was nominated.

    It was Obama's debut at the national political stage, paving his way to the Senate and his bid for the White House.

    When Obama announced to run for president early in 2007, Kerry was one of senators who came out earliest to support him rather than John Edwards, his vice presidential candidate in 2004.

    Kerry said that he believes Obama and Joe Biden, the vice presidential candidate, would "restore America's influence and position in the world."

    On skepticism of voters on Obama's political experience, he called Democrats to make decision based on candidates' judgment and character, not years in the Senate or years on this earth."