Monday, July 14, 2008

Convention News

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

A quick roundup of Democratic Convention news:

  • The New York Times profiles Steve Farber, lobbyist, and chief fundraiser for the 2008 Democratic Convention.
  • Denver and St. Paul "are hoping to cash in for many years to come".
  • But local businesses in Denver are seeing little work from the convention.
  • Qwest Communications, which will provide telecommunications services at the convention, and its largest employee union have started talks on a new contract. The current contract expires just before the convention starts.
  • More on the Big Tent
  • The anarchists are getting organized
  • And protesters in Denver and St. Paul are unhappy and in court
Below is a little video history of the 1984 convention in the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The narration is not so great, but the video provides some great looks around the convention hall. Note that this was the last Democratic Convention held in a convention center, as opposed to a sports arena. The space, long, rectangular and short, is just not friendly to providing good sightlines for 20,000 people.