Monday, November 28, 2005

New Orleans to host April DNC meeting

WE'VE MOVED! Democratic Convention Watch is now at http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com

Howard Dean has announced that the the DNC will hold their spring DNC meeting in New Orleans in April:

Today I am pleased to announce the Democratic Party's small effort to help rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. I look forward to joining Democrats from all across the country in a revitalized New Orleans for the 2006 DNC Spring Meeting.

Democrats are committed to rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and to rebuilding America's sense of community. Our nation was founded on the notion that we have a responsibility to each other, a shared investment in one another, and the belief that we should leave no one behind. The American people are heroes for coming together the way they did after Hurricane Katrina, and being extraordinarily generous in a time of crisis. We are honored to be a part of that. Together, America can do better.

The AP writes:

The group usually uses only union hotels but got a special dispensation from labor officials to book the downtown Sheraton, he said. Dean said the Sheraton was the only full-service hotel that was reserving rooms and could handle a convention that large.

The convention will be one of the first since the storm virtually shut down the city. The American Library Association, which must book years in advance because it brings about 20,000 people to its midyear conference, confirmed early this month that it will keep its June 24-27 date in New Orleans.

It will be interesting to see how the ALA conference goes. Hopefully it goes well and New Orleans starts to get its tourism business back.

Georgia comments:

I like that the DNC will be having its spring meeting there, and I take it as a signal they may not be planning to have the 2008 convention there. I say let the GOP have New Orleans in 2008. It'll be the best political theater in a while.
I agree. I still think the Democrats will stay away from New Orleans in 2008. It would be a distraction from what they need to focus on.