WASHINGTON - National Republican leaders, led in part by U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, today will unveil a Web site encouraging national participation in shaping the GOP's 2008 party platform.

The platform site, which is at www.gopplatform2008.com, will create an online community allowing anyone with access to a computer to offer ideas and comment on others' ideas. People will also be able to submit videos explaining their views.

"I feel certain we'll get some great ideas," Burr said in an interview Thursday. "Will that be the majority? I have no way of gauging."

The Winston-Salem Republican is co-chairman of the Republican platform committee alongside U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California.

The all-inclusive online effort comes as presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain continues his work to keep the party's most conservative and religious members inside the GOP fold and engaged through the November election.

The site also will hand the Republican National Committee a ready-to-go database of contact names for future fundraising. Users will be required to register in order to comment.

The use of online blogs, videos and sharing communities has increased phenomenally with the 2008 presidential election. But Republicans tout their Web site as more "grass-roots" than the Democrats' platform approach.

The Democratic National Committee announced this week that it will hold town-hall meetings in all 50 states to get residents' ideas.

"Platforms are difficult when you do them in the dark," Burr said. "We've brought a tremendous amount of sunshine."

Party platforms are usually voted on at the party's conventions, and they set the stage for the issues Democrats and Republicans will focus on in the presidential race.

The GOP site opens with video remarks from RNC Chairman Mike Duncan, McCarthy and Burr. The message of inclusivity comes through right away.

"This Web site is really about you, your ideas, your issues and most of all your aspirations," Duncan says.

Still, Burr, in his video, offers a warning to users to keep discussions respectful.

And in an interview, he added, "We realize there will need to be a screening process for things that aren't appropriate to be on there. We're going to have to be very vigilant on that."