Kerry touts convention showing, hints at Iraq plan

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- After a week of criticism that his Democratic convention yielded neither a new plan for Iraq nor a bounce in the polls, presidential nominee John F. Kerry sounded a defensive note on both fronts yesterday, saying he would play "big cards" to draw other nations into the postwar effort and that he was pleased with his postconvention standing.

Asked about Bush's Iraq policy during an economic event here, Kerry bristled slightly in recalling news accounts that suggested he "hasn't spelled out" his vision for rebuilding Iraq and bringing home US troops.

" I have spelled it out, and let me make it very clear, ladies and gentleman, very clear," Kerry told about 350 voters and business leaders gathered here. "Statesmanship means something. Leadership in building alliances means something.

"The truth is, it is not just the United States of America that has an interest in not having a failed Iraq, in not having a base of terror now, in not having an instability in the Middle East. The world has a stake in that outcome, and the Arab countries above all have a stake in not having a civil war right in their neighborhood. The Europeans have a stake in not having a complete breakdown, and greater anger in the Muslim world, because they have Muslim populations. And yet none of them are at the table. Nothing could underscore more the failure of diplomacy of this administration," Kerry said.

The Democratic presidential nominee repeated his proposal to appoint a high commissioner who would have a hand in Iraq's reconstruction, to appeal to other nations who do not want to serve American interests or masters in Iraq, and also restated his belief that a new US president is needed to "restore America's credibility" with global leaders who believe that Bush went to war in Iraq under false pretenses, such as the existence of weapons of mass destruction.

"I will do the diplomacy necessary, and I have heavy cards to play -- I'm not going to lay 'em all out on the table, no future president, no president should negotiate this in public. But let me tell you, I've got big cards to play to bring people to understand the stakes here," Kerry said.

"I will reduce the number of troops that are American, and I will get the world to share in this effort because the world has a stake," Kerry added, drawing his only standing ovation from the audience yesterday.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, in an interview with Fox News Channel, disputed Kerry's claims, citing the presence of 31 countries in the US-led coalition, and said "we are going to solicit additional help."

In a separate television interview yesterday, Kerry disputed a reporter's statement that he did not receive "much of a bump" in the polls coming out of last week's Boston convention. Most polls have showed Kerry tied or slightly ahead of Bush after the convention -- results that were not statistically significant when compared with polls before the convention. Some leading Democrats, including party chairman Terry McAuliffe, predicted before the convention that Kerry would win a bump of between 5 and 10 percentage points.

"You're absolutely wrong about the bump issue: No candidate for president of the United States out of a convention has ever been running at 48, 49 and 50 percent," Kerry said, citing his own current standings.

Patrick Healy can be reached at phealy@globe.com.