Responsibility Is Again Theme for Obama

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Parties Seek Input on Convention Platforms

PHILADELPHIA -- Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, newly named chairman of the Democrats' platform-drafting committee, on Monday announced plans for the process and immediately set up a competition with Republicans for the most open and inclusive operation in history.

Three days ago, the Republican National Committee announced plans to create a Web site where any voter can offer ideas for what John McCain should run on.

Napolitano, an early backer of Barack Obama, said Democrats would have the same thing and, starting on Saturday, would have at least 1,000 sites around the nation where people could meet and discuss their ideas for the party platform.

In an interview here, where she was attending the National Governors Association summer meeting, Napolitano said her committee will meet in Cleveland on Aug. 1 and 2 to begin the drafting and in Pittsburgh a week later to submit its draft to the convention platform committee. Its chairman has yet to be named.

In preparation, Napolitano said she has read the Democratic platforms back to 1992 and all of Obama's major policy speeches in this campaign.

She said the Obama campaign has assigned Jeff Berman, who ran its delegate operations during the primaries, as the liaison to the platform committee.

On the Republican side, the co-chairmen of the platform committee are Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California and Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina. Both are identified with newer members of Congress who have been pushing the leadership to define a 21st-century version of conservatism.

McCarthy said the Republicans will draft their platform in Minneapolis-St. Paul, the site of their convention, the week before it opens on Labor Day -- the same late August week when the Democrats will hold their convention in Denver.

-- David S. Broder