Lake Buena Vista, Fla. ? Rekindling bitter memories, Democratic leaders and presidential candidates accused President Bush of stealing the 2000 election in Florida and pledged Saturday to avenge that loss next year.

“Florida is the place where America’s democracy was wounded,” White House hopeful John Kerry told 5,000 delegates at the state party convention.

The Supreme Court halted the 2000 recount of Florida ballots after five weeks, with Bush ahead of Al Gore by just 537 votes out of 6 million cast. The state’s 25 electoral votes put Bush in the White House.

Democratic leaders hope memories of Gore’s narrow defeat inspire liberal voters to turn out in record numbers against the GOP president. Republicans say voters will reject the strategy of political vengeance.

Meeting amid the resorts and amusements of Disney World, the Democrats heard from Kerry and five other presidential candidates: front-runner Howard Dean, retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, of Arkansas, Sen. John Edwards, of North Carolina, Reps. Dick Gephardt, of Missouri, and Dennis Kucinich, of Ohio.

Carol Moseley Braun cited illness for missing the event and Al Sharpton skipped it to be host of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” Sen. Joe Lieberman, Gore’s running mate three years ago, intended to tell the group today that Bush “stretched the truth” to get his way in 2000.

Clark, a former four-star general, told delegates he fought for democracy in Vietnam and Europe, then witnessed “the taking” of the presidency by Republicans in 2000.