Ryan also called the the removal of platform plank supporting Jerusalem as the capital of Israel 'tragic.' Ryan: Dems 'purged' God

GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan said President Barack Obama’s administration “purged” mentions of God from the Democratic Party platform Wednesday.

“I think it’s rather peculiar,” Ryan said on “Fox & Friends.” “It’s not in keeping with our founding documents, our founding vision. I’d guess you’d have to ask the Obama administration why they purged all this language from their platform. There sure is a lot of mention of government. I guess I would just put the onus and the burden on them to explain why they did all this, these purges of God.”


( Also on POLITICO: Durbin, Fox host duel over 'God')

While there are no mentions of “God” in the Democratic platform, it does contain a plank on religious freedom, opening with the declaration: “Faith has always been a central part of the American story.” “God” is mentioned 12 times in the Republican platform.

An April Gallup Poll found very religious voters favored GOP nominee Mitt Romney over Obama, 54 percent to 37 percent. Obama led among moderately religious and non-religious voters.

Ryan also called the removal of a Democratic platform plank supporting Jerusalem as the capital of Israel “tragic.”

“What is so tragic about this is this is one of the few issues where the Republican Party and the Democratic Party agree,” the Wisconsin congressman said. “Our two party platforms were emphatic about Jerusalem being the capital of Israel.”

The Democratic platform in 2004 named Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but official U.S. policy withholds that recognition, and the American Embassy is located in Tel Aviv, making it a tricky proposition for an incumbent to support. The Republican platform in 2004 named Jerusalem as the capital even as President George W. Bush was running for reelection.

During an appearance earlier Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel — who worked as a civilian volunteer for the Israel Defense Forces — dismissed the controversy over Jerusalem.

“This is a red herring if I’ve ever seen one,” Emanuel said. “The fact is Jerusalem has always been bipartisan, by all precedents, and it’s got to be part of the discussions between the Israelis and the Palestinians. … I’m the mayor of the city of Chicago, I didn’t write the platform, but I know what the president’s policy has been for the past four years, and I know a red herring when I see one.”