The Republican Party has ratified its platform outlining the G-O-P’s stand on a variety of issues, and Paula Dierenfeld of Johnston was a member of the committee that reviewed and approved the document. Dierenfeld says she’s surprised the process went as smoothly as it did and there wasn’t a lot of controversy. Bush campaign operatives drafted much of the document, which calls for constitutional bans on gay marriage and abortion and limits on stem cell research as well language praising the President’s handling of the economy and the war on terror. Dierenfeld says there was a focus on what she called “the President’s accomplishments” and she says “generally, there was just a real commitment on the part of the people involved to get this president re-elected.” Dierenfeld, a former staff leader for Iowa Senate Republicans and now a lobbyist, is married to David Roederer, the Bush/Cheney Iowa campaign chairman. Each state had two members on the platform committee. Iowa’s other member was Reverend Morris Hurd of Marengo. Hurd says the document is consistent with past platforms “so I guess all of us understand what it means to be a republican.” Hurd says a big part of the platform spells out the President’s record on the war on terror. Hurd’s hoarse this morning as he thinks he had to talk louder than normal to be heard during the hours he was on the convention floor yesterday.