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DENVER — Former President Jimmy Carter will not speak to delegates at the Democratic convention but he will be on stage as a recorded presentation is played.
Officials at the Democratic convention initially declined to say whether Carter would speak or not, deferring to the published podium schedule, but a spokeswoman said that Democrats wanted to "acknowledge his tremendous efforts to help the [Katrina] hurricane recovery." But later convention spokeswoman Natalie Wyeth said, "his speech to the delegates will go through that video package." "He will be on the stage tonight," Wyeth noted. Carter was an announced speaker in the run-up to the convention, but on Monday, the podium schedule seemed to exclude the former president. The schedule said "remarks" above the names and titles of other confirmed speakers on Monday's schedule, which was provided by the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC), but for Carter, there is no such indication. Instead, the podium schedule says: "President Jimmy Carter Segment; Jimmy Carter/New Orleans Video; Acknowledgment of President Carter." The decision to have Carter speak through a recorded delivery will likely be met with skepticism by Republicans since the former president will be in attendance at the convention. Any Carter remarks would be watched closely by the Republicans; his speech at the 2004 Democratic convention was seen as out of line by some because of its harsh bashing of the Bush administration. Carter, speaking in Boston on Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) behalf, repeatedly talked of the "extremist" actions of the United States, and broke with tradition in the level of intensity he employed in criticizing President Bush. |
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