Detroit drops out

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

In a suprising development, Detroit announced that they won't be submitting a bid to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. From the Detroit Free Press:

The Democrats are out, but the Republicans may still have a future in the city of Detroit, at least for the 2008 political convention season. A city official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Thursday that Detroit won't make today's deadline to bid for the Democratic convention.

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But Detroit still may try to make a case for the Republican National Convention, which will run Sept. 1-4, 2008, said the official, who didn't want his name revealed until the city decides on the GOP convention.

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Monday is the deadline to apply to host the GOP convention. Republicans generally require fewer hotel rooms for a convention.

Citing Michigan's and the city's struggling economy, Detroit couldn't get the financial commitments needed to meet today's deadline for the Democratic convention, the official said. Costs to host the convention range from $30 million on up, said Ed Sarpolus, a political consultant and pollster from Lansing. Most of that money traditionally has come from corporate sponsors. "How do you raise money for a partisan issue?" Sarpolus said. "It's not a question that the city can get dressed up for it. They proved that during the Super Bowl."

I would bet they don't make a bid for the Republican convention either, but are giving themselves the weekend to make sure.