Campaign Notebook
Platform jells on Iraq

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The Democratic platform committee worked through the day to put final details on the party's statement of principles for the November elections.

The platform will be shaped heavily by national-security crises and presumptive nominee Kerry's campaign.

First, however, the panel dealt with demands by a group wanting the document to describe the entry into Iraq as a mistake and lay down an exit strategy to pull American forces out of Iraq. Still, the document includes tough language on terrorism and President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq.

It will be presented to the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

Florida recalls list of ineligible voters

MIAMI — Florida elections officials said yesterday they will not use a disputed list that was designed to keep felons from voting, acknowledging a flaw that could have allowed convicted Hispanic felons to cast ballots in November.

The glitch in a state that President Bush won by 537 votes could have been significant — because of the state's sizable Cuban population. Hispanics in Florida have tended to vote Republican more than Hispanics nationally. The list had about 28,000 Democrats and around 9,500 Republicans, with most of the rest unaffiliated.

"Not including Hispanic felons that may be voters on the list ... was an oversight and a mistake," Gov. Jeb Bush said. "And we accept responsibility, and that's why we're pulling it back."

Gov. Bush said the mistake occurred because two databases that were merged to form the disputed list were incompatible.

Also ...
 
Presidential hopeful John Kerry and running mate John Edwards asked supporters yesterday in Raleigh, N.C., the vice-presidential candidate's hometown, to help put Republican-

leaning North Carolina into the Democratic column in November and them into the White House. Edwards, in the Democrats' weekly radio address earlier, said he and Kerry will restore corporate responsibility and cut taxes on middle-class families if elected in November.