(Newser)
–
The Democrats' platform will include references to God and to Jerusalem being the capital of Israel, after all. Republicans, including Mitt Romney himself, had seized on the absence of both in the platform that got adopted yesterday. This afternoon, the party added both in a floor voice vote at the convention, though it took three tries, and even then many in the audience seemed skeptical that the two-thirds threshold of "ayes" had been reached. (The Guardian says the convention was "plunged into chaos" at the move.) Most wire services cite sources who say President Obama himself ordered that the references be reinserted. (AP, Fox News, CNN, and Politico agree on that.)
"Why on earth would that have been taken out?" Obama reportedly said, referring to the removal of a reference to God. The restored version reads:
- "We need a government that stands up for the hopes, values, and interests of working people, and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential."
- The Jerusalem reference now reads that "it is and will remain the capital of Israel. The parties have agreed that Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations. It should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths."
