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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tenchusatsu who wrote (193927)	7/10/2004 11:05:06 AM
From: Road Walker	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1573787

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 (news - web sites). 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 (news - web sites) 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 (news - web sites) 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." 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." 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. ENERGY AND TAXES 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. On the domestic front, the Democrats said they would cut taxes for companies that create jobs and goods at home, while ending tax breaks for those that ship jobs overseas. 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 over $200,000 a year. After more tinkering, 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 (news - web sites) in the November election. Republican National Committee (news - web sites) 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 (news - web sites), 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. "The draft Democratic platform that's out today does not reflect John Kerry's values at all. In fact it seems to be designed to hide his values." Unlike some parliamentary democracies, where candidates are expected to adhere to their parties' principles, U.S. party platforms more often reflect the candidates' goals. They are nonbinding on candidates, short on details and often ignored by voters. But party leaders view them as official policy statements that distinguish them from their political opponents. Republicans will draft their platform a week before their convention begins on Aug. 30 in New York.