Come to Denver for the beer, food and kayaking

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Diane Carman, columnist at the Denver Post, makes the case for Denver to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

Denver has it all. Or at least most of it. Despite global warming, Colorado is still strictly BYOO (Bring Your Own Ocean). But we do make up for the water shortage in other ways.

"Denver brews more beer than any other city," says the Convention & Visitors Bureau website, and now with a Democratic brewpub owner as mayor, delegates needn't stress about contributing to the coffers of the Heritage Foundation and the Independence Institute through the Coors family of brewers.

We also have more tamale kitchens, taquerias and big-burrito joints than the other three convention contenders combined, providing unlimited photo ops for candidates who want to get ethnic with the hot, sought-after Latino vote.

And with local Democratic icons former Gov. Dick Lamm, former Mayor Federico Peña and Sen. Ken Salazar weighing in variously on immigration, we've got every side of that issue covered.

Denver also is perfect for a party that wants to be on all sides of women's rights at all times. Here the Dems can showcase Rep. Diana DeGette and/or Bill Ritter, depending on which way choice is polling at the moment.

And with any luck, the bevy of anti-gay-rights initiatives coming out of Colorado Springs this year won't pass and the party's gay-rights activists will still be willing to spend their money here.

Forget windsurfing; John Kerry can appeal to the Gen-X voters by kayaking through Confluence Park. Al Gore will find it's easy being green with Rep. Mark Udall. Barack Obama can shoot hoops with former Mayor Wellington Webb and Carmelo Anthony. And Hillary Clinton can take a meeting with James Dobson to solidify her born-again conservative street cred.

...

Look at the galas we threw for the baseball and basketball all-star weekends and the Summit of the Eight. All we need is a few celebrities riding around town in limos, and we can make it till midnight, honest.

And with hundreds of bars, nightclubs and restaurants in the city, visitors can party like rock stars and hardly ever worry about being shot - singer Marc Cohn and Nuggets guard Julius Hodge being the notable recent exceptions.

(A note to the Democratic National Committee: Denver offers a unique opportunity to reach out to the NRA.)

We'll be whatever we have to be to get your support.

I know you'll feel right at home.