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Democrats' Platform Focuses on U.S. Security By Jane Sutton HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (Reuters) - Democratic leaders drafting their party's
presidential election platform pledged on Saturday to build security at
home, respect abroad and stability in Iraq. The party's platform committee gathered at a union-owned hotel in the
Fort Lauderdale suburb of Hollywood to refine the document, a statement
that largely codifies what presumptive Democratic presidential nominee
John Kerry has already said on the campaign trail. Half of its 35 pages are devoted to national security issues at a time
when terror alerts and the war in Iraq dominate political discussion.
"This is a reflection of John Kerry's strength on these issues,"
said Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe. "The
Democrats are stronger than ever on national security issues and are going
to the election confident of winning the debate on who can keep Americans
safe." The draft is laced with criticism of the Bush administration, which it
said alienated allies, ignored U.S. military leaders' advice, and sent
inadequate numbers of soldiers to Iraq "almost alone with the target
squarely on their backs." "They rush to force before exhausting diplomacy. They bully rather
than persuade," it said. The Democrats said they would build an America
that "extended a hand, not a fist." Delegates will be asked to approve the platform at the Democrats' convention
in Boston July 26-29, when Kerry will become the party's official nominee
to challenge President Bush in the November election. The draft acknowledged disagreement within the party about whether U.S.
troops should have invaded Iraq but said leaving before security is restored
would make Iraq "a breeding ground for terror." IRAQ WITHDRAWAL Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (news
- web sites) pressed to include a declaration that invading Iraq was a
mistake and a promise to set a troop withdrawal date. In a compromise worked out by the Kerry campaign, the committee instead
amended a section calling for a greater international role in Iraq to
add that "the U.S. will be able to reduce its military presence in
Iraq" as other nations contribute troops. The platform called for expanding the U.S. active-duty military by 40,000
soldiers, upgrading military training and equipment and employing diplomacy
to build "an America that is respected, not just feared." "We will never wait for a green light from abroad when our safety
is at stake but we must enlist the support of those we need for ultimate
victory," it said. The platform called for reducing dependence on Middle East oil by giving
tax credits for investment in renewable energy sources such as wind and
solar power, and supporting oil infrastructure projects in Russia, Canada
and Africa. It repeated Kerry's oft-stated goal of shifting the tax burden from the
middle class by eliminating the Bush administration tax cuts for families
earning more than $200,000 a year. U.S. party platforms are nonbinding and more often reflect the candidates'
aims. Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie called the Democrats'
draft platform an "extreme makeover" designed to boost support
among moderate voters by concealing the congressional voting records of
Kerry and his vice presidential running mate, John Edwards, on such issues
as abortion, tax cuts and funding for U.S. troops in Iraq. "They're going to pretend that these are two moderate, centrist
Democrats when the record doesn't support that," Gillespie said in
a telephone conference call. Republicans will draft their platform a week before their convention
begins on Aug. 30 in New York.
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