DNC, Obama to seek broad input for party platform

WASHINGTON - The Democratic National Committee and Barack Obama's presidential campaign will hold meetings in all 50 states to get voters more involved in developing the party platform.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano will chair the Platform Drafting Committee, the DNC and the Obama campaign were scheduled to announce Tuesday. The committee will invite members of the public to attend meetings around the country, with policy experts and other Democratic officials on hand to answer questions.
Both political parties produce a platform, or statement of its principles, each presidential election year. In the past, the DNC has held a limited number of public meetings around the country to seek input on the document, generally from advocacy organizations or research groups.

Voters can go to Obama's campaign Web site, http://www.barackobama.com , to sign up to host one of the meetings, which will take place July 19-27. The drafting committee will receive a report with input from the meetings Aug. 1 before assembling a draft platform in Cleveland on Aug. 2-3.
The draft will serve as a working document for the full Platform Committee, which will meet Aug. 9 in Pittsburgh to consider and vote on the document. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, former New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid and former Discovery Communications President and CEO Judith McHale are co-chairs of the committee.

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Today on Studio B, Shepard Smith made a provocative comment hinting at the possibility of outside interference with the creation of the Democratic Party platform during the DNC public platform meetings scheduled in 50 States.

With the chyron underneath “DNC TO HOLD PUBLIC PLATFORM MEETINGS IN ALL 50 STATES”, Smith reported,

"The Democratic National Committee is going for a big tent theme heading into the convention in August. Barrack Obama’s campaign teaming up with party officials to host public meetings in all of the 50 states, to put together the party’s platform.”

Then he added, “That means in theory, any of us could show up at one of those meetings and have a say in the official Democratic line for major issues. In theory. “