Matheson no 'rubber stamp' Democrat

Rep. Jim Matheson spends a lot of time reading — reading bills, constituent correspondence, newspapers. But he hasn't read a 31-page document you'd think he'd have some interest in — the Democratic Party's national platform.

"I haven't read it. I don't know if I will. I'll probably get around to it," Matheson, D-Utah, said Tuesday as 4,500 delegates to the National Democratic Convention in Boston debated and voted for the platform.

At the request of the Deseret Morning News, Matheson later "perused" the 37-page document, outlining some areas where he agrees with it, others where he disagrees.

Matheson, officially a Utah delegate to the convention via his holding the 2nd Congressional District seat, stayed in Utah to spend what he calls critical time campaigning, raising money and talking to constituents and reporters. It's the second straight national convention he's missed. He didn't attend the 2000 convention, either, while seeking his first elective office.

Matheson joined about a dozen other prominent Democratic officeholders or big-race challengers who have close battles with Republicans in conservative states and stayed away from Boston, the Bloomberg news service reported.

"I don't know if I would have voted for (the platform) or not" in Boston, said Matheson, who acknowledged that he has not even read the Utah State Democratic Party's platform, adopted in May. "I don't play follow the leader. I don't care what's in either party (Democrat or Republican) platform."

Matheson says he's not ashamed to be a Democrat, nor to be seen with other Democrats. He says had he gone, he would have felt welcome at the national conclave — even though a group of 50 gay-rights supporters stood up and turned their backs on him during his speech before the Utah State Democratic Convention last May. They are upset over Matheson's support of an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment.

But Matheson's re-election effort likely wouldn't be helped and could have been hurt if he were seen, quoted and video-taped in the Fleet Center this past week.

As one politico observed: It would be ill-advised for Matheson to provide the Republicans and GOP challenger John Swallow with an automatic video clip of him standing and cheering Kerry or other speakers from the convention floor.

Matheson believes he doesn't fit a Democratic mold. At least two nonpartisan publications rank him as a moderate Democrat — maybe even a conservative one by some standards.