Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean told the United Jewish Communities' General Assembly (GA) in Tennessee that the Republican party (GOP) is religiously and racially exclusive. He spoke after a University of Tennessee basketball coach told the GA delegates that as a Jewish student in public school, he felt uncomfortable when prayers invoking the name of Jesus were said before games.

Dean followed by accusing the Republican party of leading the United States towards a theocracy. "The Democratic Party believes that everybody in this room ought to be comfortable being an American Jew, not just an American, that there are no bars to heaven for anybody... No child or member of a football team ought to be able to cringe at the last line of a prayer before going onto the field."

American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to address GA on Tuesday. American President George W. Bush and Democratic House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi turned down invitations to attend.