Official Convention Web Site

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The DNCC (Democratic National Convention Commitee) finally has the official convention web site up and running:

Today, the Democratic National Convention Committee unveiled its website for the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver: www.demconvention.com. The website provides up-to-date information on the convention, which will be held from August 25-28, 2008. The 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver will help put the Democratic Party's presidential nominee on the path to victory for the November 2008 election.

Looks like they'll have lots of good stuff here, including video (still under construction) from the last 6 conventions.

Dean: Denver "a little risky"

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Democratic chairman Howard Dean:

"Denver is a little risky. But if you don't take risks, you don't win."

Dean's visit to Denver

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Lot's of news about DNC Chairman Howard Dean's visit to Denver on April 12. Dean was supposed to meet with AFL-CIO President John Sweeney to discuss the convention labor situation, but scheduling issues are causing problems:

A labor showdown over the 2008 Democratic National Convention to be held in Denver might have to wait a bit. A possible meeting next week to address a rift between labor leaders and the Democratic National Committee remained up in the air Tuesday because of scheduling challenges.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney initially planned to meet with Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, who will be in town April 12 on convention-related business. But Sweeney also wants to meet with Gov. Bill Ritter, who will be out of town at the time. "As of this afternoon, he (Sweeney) has not made a final decision," Esmeralda Aguilar, a spokeswoman in the AFL-CIO's national office, said about a possible Denver trip. "It sounds very tentative."

While Sweeney was among the labor leaders who earlier assured Dean that labor disputes could be worked out ahead of the 2008 convention, the AFL-CIO later went on the attack after Ritter vetoed a pro-union bill. Sweeney and other leaders in the labor federation have threatened to pressure Democrats to move their convention to another city.

Regardless of that meeting, Dean will also be holding a public rally. Dan Slater has the news:

Some of you may have heard by now that DNC Chair Howard Dean is coming to Colorado next week to help celebrate the award of the Democratic National Convention in 2008 to Denver. Here’s the best part: you’re invited!

The DNC issued the formal press advisory this afternoon, announcing the details of the event, and how you can get your tickets to attend. Here’s that advisory:

Washington, DC - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean will join Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, and Denver 2008 Host Committee President Elbra Wedgeworth in a community celebration of the Denver 2008 Democratic National Convention on April 12th. The event will be open to the public and tickets can be picked up beginning Monday at the Colorado Democratic Party and Denver 2008 Host Committee offices listed at the end of this advisory.

Let’s be sure to give Governor Dean a great Colorado welcome! It is so important that we show him exactly how enthusiastic we are about the DNC coming to Denver next summer — if you’ve talked about wanting to volunteer, or to help out the Convention effort, well, this is the first thing you can do: show up. It is always a great day when Governor Dean comes to Colorado, but this is even bigger — it’s about the Convention. See you there!

See DemNotes for all the meeting details.

Hoffa: Labor issue could "blow up"

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In another sign that Denver's potential labor issues are not getting closer to being resolved, Teamsters union leader James Hoffa Jr. said to Colorado Governor Bill Ritter that if key labor issues for the 2008 Democratic Convention aren't worked out, "it could blow up":

Teamsters union leader James Hoffa Jr. joined the debate over Denver's selection as host for the Democratic National Convention by confronting Gov. Bill Ritter at a Washington dinner and promising the issue could "blow up" next summer if Colorado doesn't become more labor-friendly.

"We're very upset about it," the International Brotherhood of Teamsters president said of the Democrats' decision to stage their convention at the nonunion Pepsi Center. In an interview Monday, Hoffa also mentioned Ritter's veto of a law that might have made it easier to organize unions in Colorado. "All of labor is upset," Hoffa said.

Hoffa said it is "ironic" that the Republicans are planning their convention in heavily unionized Minneapolis-St. Paul. "Maybe we should flip it and let the Republicans come to Denver," he said.

Hoffa expressed his displeasure personally to Ritter on Saturday night in Washington at the annual Gridiron Club Dinner, where politicians mingle with the media. He said he told Ritter that if he and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper didn't work out some key issues, the convention could be plagued with protests and picket lines.

"It could blow up," Hoffa told Ritter.

Hoffa said he agrees with the president of the AFL-CIO, John Sweeney. Last month, the AFL-CIO said it would ask the Democratic Party to move its convention to another city if a law like the one Ritter vetoed wasn't enacted.
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"The governor is confident that all of the issues can be worked out and that we will have a successful convention in 2008," said Ritter's spokesman, Evan Dreyer.
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It is not unusual for labor to use the leverage a national Democratic convention brings, observers say. At the 2004 convention, national Democrats helped mediate a labor dispute between police and the city of Boston that stopped a picket line and gained the police a new contract and big raise.

But this time Democrats tried to craft an agreement meant to get past the Pepsi Center's nonunion status. So far unsigned, the agreement would promise that only unions would be hired to do the work at the Pepsi Center in exchange for a promise by unions not to protest.

The Democratic National Committee said Monday that it remained optimistic that differences could be solved. "Labor is an important partner," said DNC spokeswoman Stacie Paxton. "We will continue to address concerns and work with all of our partners toward a mutually acceptable agreement and successful convention."

You would at least like to see some conciliatory talk going on, some sense of finding a common ground. I'm sure it will happen at some point, but not yet.

Hotline on AFL-CIO Convention Threat

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Hotline On Call is a great blog, but they're strangely 2 weeks late in reporting on the AFL-CIO's threat to ask to move the convention away from Denver. But they do advance the story:

Privately, senior labor officials have re-assured Denver's host committee that it shouldn't read too much into the AFL-CIO's collective expression of disappointment.

Not that the convention was going anywhere even if the AFL-CIO did ask it to be moved.

Boston: Denver planning "incredibly advanced"

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Denver is hoping to learn from the past:

Organizers of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver discussed transportation, the homeless, communications and other issues Monday with organizers of the 2004 Democratic convention in Boston. Denver is "incredibly advanced" in its planning, Steve Kerrigan of the Boston committee said afterward.

About 150 people met with Kerrigan and four other Boston representatives who helped plan the 2004 convention, said Katherine Archuleta, senior policy adviser to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.

Traffic was one of the Boston event's major issues. While organizers had to shut down a highway and relocate commuter train service for their convention, Denver's Pepsi Center -- surrounded by parking lots -- will not face the same issues, Kerrigan said. "We're jealous," Kerrigan said.

Denver just has to worry about an amusement park. Not a bad tradeoff.

Update: From the Colorado Democratic Party's new blog, Voices of the Colorado Dems:

Committee chairs met last Friday. A larger meeting took place yesterday. It started with a welcome by Mike Dino, CEO. Then Katherine Archuleta discussed the values that are being placed on the convention planning and execution. 1) They want it to be a “wow” experience; 2) Inclusiveness is really important - delegates will be taken care of, others want to be involved; 3) It will be a “green” convention; 4) It is possible that the nominee for President or Vice-President will be a woman, an African-American or a Hispanic and this provides for great educational opportunities.

There was a presentation on having a green and sustainable convention with a guest speaker who is working on the Olympics to do the same. Beth Conover introduced this section. She is working on sustainability in Mayor Hickenlooper’s office. (She is also married to my former assistant, Ken Snyder).
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After the breakout sessions, my committee on organizational outreach met. Co-chairing this commitee are Ramona Martinez and myself. Our major goal is “to communicate with all national, state and local organizational stakeholders to seek input into the 2008 convention planning.” We will be taking information to the upcoming Association for State Democratic Chairs meeting and the Western Regional Caucus. I am also contacting other state chairs for input. In addition, we will begin putting out regular information to county chairs so that we can get volunteers involved locally until the convention is ready for them. There is much work to be done.

What I find most interesting is that all this organizing is being done by the Host Committee, and not by the Democratic National Committee, who is actually in charge of the official convention activities. I haven't even seen a mention of whether any representatives of the DNC are even attending these meetings.

CBS station to show report on convention

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CBS's affiliate in Denver, KCNC, is planning to show a special tonight at 8:00 called: "The Road to Denver: The 2008 Democratic Convention". From the program listing:

The factors that lead to Denver's selection as host city for the 2008 Democratic National Convention are explored. Also: examining the city's preparations for the convention.

If any readers see it, please tell us about in the comments. Assuming, of course, that it doesn't get bumped for NCAA coverage.

Update: Well, it's 8:27 in Denver, and the games are still going on, so the convention special has gotten bumped. I'll keep on eye on the TV listings to see if it gets scheduled again.

Denver requests $50 million for security

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These things just cost a huge amount of money:

Rep. Diana DeGette has asked the House Appropriations Committee to set aside up to $50 million for security costs for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. The request still must go through a lengthy approval process, and is being made in conjunction with an identical request for Minneapolis, host of the 2008 Republican National Convention.

The $50 million per city figure is twice as much as congressional leaders originally requested for the convention host cities of Boston and New York City in 2004. Boston eventually spent $35 million on security for that year’s Democratic National Convention and New York city spent $50 million for the Republican National Convention, DeGette spokesman Brandon MacGillis said.

DeGette said she requested the higher amount because, "What I don't want to be doing is coming back in a controversial supplemental (spending) bill and trying to get this money after the fact." The money would not be given to the cities' host committees directly, but instead would create a pool to reimburse local agencies for security costs.

For those who question why holding a political convention is any different than holding a large trade show, this gives you some idea.

Dems legally obligated to stay in Denver

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The contract signed by the DNC requires the convention to be in Denver, regardless of threats to ask to move it:

Two hard facts have emerged that suggest last week's move by the AFL- CIO to win support for pro-labor legislation by threatening Democrats' 2008 national convention is destined to raise tensions, if nothing else.

The Democratic National Committee says it is legally bound to hold the convention in Denver.

The sponsor of the pro-labor bill at the center of the big labor threat says he won't carry it again because he fears another veto by Gov. Bill Ritter.
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The Democratic Party says it's too late to change track.

"We're contractually obligated, period," said Stacy Paxton, DNC spokeswoman, adding the party would be liable to city and Pepsi Center officials if it decided to move.

A copy of the contract reviewed by The Denver Post supports her position.

The convention is not going anywhere.

AFL-CIO Threatens To Ask To Pull Convention

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While I followed the specific labor issues concerning the 2008 Democratic Convention, Colorado is having other labor issues, and today it spilled back on the convention:

Stung by Gov. Bill Ritter's veto of a bill that would make it easier for unions to organize, the AFL-CIO threatened to recommend the Democratic Party move its 2008 convention from Denver.

In an unsigned letter Thursday, the AFL-CIO's executive council said it planned to seek reintroduction of a bill that would make it easier to set up all-union workplaces and seek a commitment from Ritter that he would sign it.

"Union members and working people will make up more than a quarter of the delegates to the Denver convention," a statement from the union said. "Unless we can be assured that the governor will support our values and priorities, we will strongly urge the Democratic Party to relocate the convention."
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Denver's bid for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, nearly collapsed because the leader of the stagehands union balked at signing a pledge not to strike if the convention were held at the nonunion Pepsi Center. A compromise was negotiated to staff the Pepsi Center entirely with union labor for the duration of the convention.

For more on the specific labor issues involved, SquareState.net has good coverage. I understand labor has concerns, but the reality is that no other city could take the convention at this point, so the DNC is not moving the convention anywhere. The Denver Post agrees:

The union could have a hard time getting the convention moved, however. Denver was chosen after the Democrats ruled out other cities, and New York City, which also made the short list, said it was unable to raise the money needed for the event.
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Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, said Democrats aren't going to be eager to move the convention. It would make the party look too beholden to labor. But he said labor has enough influence to force the issue.

Governor Ritter responds:

Gov. Bill Ritter is confident that the Democratic National Convention will be held in Denver in 2008 despite threats from labor leaders to get the convention moved unless Ritter backs a pro-union bill in the Colorado legislature.

"I don't have any reason to believe it's going to move,'' Ritter said today of the national convention slated for Denver in August of 2008.

This is what can happen when the convention goes to a "purple" city. From CQ:

The wrangling between Ritter and labor is the kind of headache the Democratic National Committee had been hoping to avoid. Party officials have interacted with city, state and labor officials in an effort to deter a dispute that might threaten to take the shine off their Aug. 25-28, 2008 convention — such as the one between Boston officials and the police union during the run-up to the 2004 Democratic convention in that city.

The contract the Democrats signed with Denver officials includes labor negotiations, and DNC press secretary Stacie Paxton stressed that the convention’s main venue, the Pepsi Center, “will be staffed by union labor during the convention.

By the time next summer comes around, it will be clear Denver was the right choice for the convention. But there will be some pain along the way.

Host Committee names CFO

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Continuing its focus on raising money, the 2008 Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee named Melissa Koenigsberg as chief financial officer and finance director:

Currently serving as finance director for Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley... in her role as CFO, Koenigsberg will implement and manage a plan to raise $40 million in cash necessary to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

"Fundraising is our number one priority and Melissa's qualifications make her the ideal candidate to lead the Host Committee in our efforts to raise the funds necessary to host a great Convention," [Committee member Steve] Farber stated. "I couldn't be more pleased that Melissa has agreed to join our team for this exciting endeavor."

Previous to working for Gov. O’Malley, Koenigsberg served as finance director for Sen. Salazar and as southeast regional finance director for Sen. John Edwards' 2004 presidential bid.

Volunteer update

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The 2008 Democratic Convention will need 10,000 volunteers:

The newly installed top officer of Denver's host committee stressed Thursday that he wants to organize quickly enough to manage the thousands of volunteers asking to help. "It's a big task," said Mike Dino, who was formally announced as the host committee's chief executive at a news conference Thursday. "Everybody knows this is the biggest thing to come to town in a heck of a long time."

The Denver native and longtime Democratic strategist said he wanted the expected 10,000 volunteers to find a place. "We don't want to lose sight of the fact that we want to elect a Democratic candidate for president," Dino said. But when it's time to take down the bunting and sweep out the confetti, Dino said he hopes volunteers "feel like it was very worthwhile."

Volunteering at a convention is extremely rewarding, no matter what your role is.

Denver hoping for a green convention

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Denver has always had a image as environmentally friendly, and they're hoping to continue that image with the 2008 Democratic Convention:

Mayor John Hickenlooper's senior adviser Katherine Archuleta said Friday the Host Committee will talk with Xcel Energy about using clean electricity, such as wind-generated power, as well as looking at alternative methods of transportation for delegates and using recyclable materials.

Alternative methods of transportation? Bicycles? Sailboats? I'm just not getting this one.

Denver introduces Host Committee head

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Mike Dino is the new chief executive of the Democratic National Convention's Host Committee:

"Our first task really is raising [$35 million] and building the foundation to be able to host the best event that Denver has ever seen," Dino said. "It's a big task, everybody knows this is the biggest thing to come to Denver in a heck of a long time."
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Dino served as executive director of the 1997 Summit of the Eight task force, managing a $4 million budget and activities for the meeting of leaders of industrialized nations. He also advised Webb on the completion of Denver International Airport, which opened in 1995.
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Aside from raising the money, Dino said his other focus will be ensuring that the city and the Rocky Mountain region benefit from hosting the convention, both economically and through increased visibility.

"One of our big goals is to make sure that the city comes off shining as brightly as possible and the community feels proud off the effort that was put forth and the result that came about from hosting the convention, and that people who wanted to be a part of it were a part of it," he said. "A big part of our task is that we put a good plan in place that showcases the city as brightly as possible."

Dino was part of the effort to lure the Democratic convention to Denver in 2000, but said the timing wasn't right. Since then, the city has added hotel space and proven that the Pepsi Center is capable of hosting large events such as the convention.

"It's going to be the best convention they've ever had in their life," said Host Committee president and Denver Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth. "We have the best infrastructure, the best bid and more importantly we have wonderful people."

They've raised $23 million in pledges so far, but have a ways to go.

Pepsi Center to get $15 million makeover

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As with any convention hall, Denver's Pepsi Center will undergo some major construction to get it ready to host the 2008 Democratic Convention:

In preparation for the Democratic National Convention, they'll likely yank out lower-level seats, knock down luxury suite walls, haul in massive amounts of steel to reinforce the ceiling, erect a huge building in a parking lot to accommodate the media, and bring in new technology and miles of wire and cable.

Then, once the spectacle is over, the presidential hopeful has left the building and Denver's time in the international spotlight is up, they'll swiftly restore the home of the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche to the way it was before. All in 10 weeks. The estimated cost: at least $15 million.
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The time-consuming process is already in motion, however, and the Pepsi Center can expect to make many changes that the Boston site underwent in 2004. "The NBA All-Star Game probably was the largest thing we've had, from space to logistics to all the moving parts, and this is 10 times that," [Pepsi Center vice president and general manager of arena operations Dave] Jolette said.

The work will begin in early July 2008 and will finish in mid-September. The convention is set for Aug. 25 to Aug. 28 and could draw 35,000 guests to the region. The timing is good. Kroenke's Nuggets and Avalanche, as well as his Colorado Mammoth lacrosse club, will have finished their seasons by then.

The construction still will have a disruptive effect. The Pepsi Center will not be able to host any other events, like concerts or religious gatherings, over that span. But Kroenke Sports Enterprises will be able to maintain its offices for hundreds of employees, and its billionaire owner will not have to worry about drilling or dust in his penthouse atop the arena.
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Workers also will have to alter the arena to provide at least 50 production and staff offices, 20,000 square feet for candidate offices, 5,000 square feet for space used by police, Secret Service and other security, "holding rooms," and makeup and dressing rooms, among other areas, according to a document outlining the Democrats' convention expectations.

A 220,000-square-foot edifice, with everything from air conditioning to carpets, will be set up beside the Pepsi Center to handle the 15,000 media members expected to arrive en masse.

If Mr. Jolette thinks the convention is only 10 times the work of hosting an NBA All-Star game, then he doesn't know his job very well. He has some time to learn, but he better get going.

Convention helps to cancel car race

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Convention preparations require full and exclusive access to the arena for 6-8 weeks before the actual convention, so any previously scheduled events have to be canceled. One casualty of the 2008 Democratic Convention: the Grand Prix of Denver:

The Champ Car World Series on Thursday removed the Grand Prix of Denver from its schedule, ending a five-year run of the street race around the Pepsi Center. The event had been scheduled for Aug. 19. "It's a tough event for the city to lose, and especially hard for race fans," Pepsi Center spokesman Brian Kitts said. "They had a couple of good runs, and it's always tough to lose a marquee event like that."
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The Grand Prix has been in trouble for about a year, since race co-owner Bob Sutton, then CEO of Centennial-based Centrix Financial, withdrew as a local promoter of the event because of business problems. Centrix also bailed out as title sponsor. Champ Car ran the race last summer without a title sponsor, and was unable to find a replacement for this year. In a release, Champ Car cited date conflicts for this year's race, but Kitts said the race had already been booked. Pepsi Center officials, however, informed Champ Car that the 2008 date needed to be changed because of the Democratic National Convention. Champ Car said there would be no Denver race in 2008.

"We were in the process of identifying existing Champ Car promoters to step in and run the event or work with someone else," Champ Car spokesman Eric Mauk wrote in an e-mail. "With the 2008 date unquestionably being taken away from us by the convention, it was proving difficult for someone to be enthusiastic to come in and do the race for one year."

A political convention is a behemoth, and there will be other casualties in the future.

How much money will the convention bring Denver?

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Whether a political convention is a plus or minus on the local economy is always a subject for debate, and goes to the heart of whether cities are going to bid for future conventions. Past conventions have been a boon for hotels and caterers, but local businesses near a convention arena often see a loss of business. What is Denver expecting?

Denver officials, who went all out to win the four-day convention, hope it will deliver as much as $200 million in economic benefits. But some economists think real world dollars will be much lower.

National political conventions aren't always the economic boons local officials anticipate, economists said. For one thing, higher security costs in the post-9/11 era detract from bottom-line benefits. Also, increased traffic congestion, protests and other disruptions often lead local residents to avoid businesses near convention sites, offsetting some profits.

As a rule, economists like to take economic predictions by local boosters and move the decimal point one slot to the left. That would put the net value of Denver's convention closer to $20 million. "If a city does in fact do well with a political convention, it's just dumb luck," said University of Chicago economist Allen Sanderson, who studies large-scale events. "They rolled the dice. It wasn't careful planning."

Local economic development officials envision hotels and restaurants packed with thousands of delegates, plus more tourists and subsequent business gatherings that they say the exposure of a national political convention will draw long after the delegates go home.
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In Boston, security measures closed miles of highways, disrupted rail service and included random bag checks on subways. Customers stayed away from many businesses near the convention center, and some stores and restaurants closed or reduced hours of operation. Halftime Pizza across the street from the FleetCenter, where the convention was held, closed for the week after security fences and other restrictions made the area difficult to access. A sign was posted outside that said, "Say!!!!! D.N.C. Thanks for Nothing!!! Go Bush."

"Even the businesses that stayed open really didn't do that much at all," said the restaurant's manager, Derick Mains. City officials estimated a net gain of $163.3 million in both direct and indirect benefits as a result of the convention. But the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University in Boston, a public policy think tank, calculated a much lower gain -- $14.8 million. The difference stems from a disagreement over costs associated with events that were canceled because of the convention, such as a parade of tall sailing ships.

For a city like Denver, which is looking to make a name for itself, Denver will be happy if they just break even. But as I've said, the economic equations may have to change in 2012 or the DNC (and RNC) may not have any cities bidding for the 2012 convention.

New CEO for Denver Host Committee

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More news on Denver's Host Committee's reorganization:

Two sources familiar with the selection process say that lobbyist and longtime Democratic activist Mike Dino has been selected to become chief executive officer of the Denver host committee for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. An announcement is expected soon, the sources said.

Dino is a veteran of Colorado Democratic politics. He ran Wellington Webb's upstart 1991 campaign for mayor. As a senior aide to Webb, he organized the Denver Summit of the Eight gathering of world leaders in 1997, and also worked on the opening of Denver International Airport and the redevelopment of the Lowry Air Force Base.

Willhite out, Dino in.

Update: And now it's official:

Mike Dino, a lobbyist and senior policy adviser for the Patton Boggs LLP law firm, was chosen executive director of the host committee, which is retooling after landing the convention last month.

Debbie Willhite, who was executive director while the committee worked to bring the convention to Denver, said last week she planned to leave to make room for a "heavy-duty" fundraiser.

Denver reorganizes convention preparations

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In a somewhat controversial move, Denver has formed a new committee to continue preparations for hosting the 2008 Democratic Convention:

An executive committee has been appointed to oversee preparations for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, leaving some members of the original organizing group unsure of their role in planning for the event. Katherine Archuleta, senior adviser for policy and initiatives to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, confirmed Monday that the city's highest Democratic elected officials have been named to an "executive committee" for the convention.

The new group is made up of the mayor, U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, Gov. Bill Ritter, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, City Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth - the president of Denver's host committee - and fund-raiser Steve Farber, who was a co-chairman of the host committee.

Archuleta said the group will "take a look at how you implement the bid that was successfully won. "First and foremost is the fundraising. That is the one thing that is on their minds right now because we need to get that money in."

Which leaves Debbie Willhite out of the loop:

"I am not a heavy-duty fundraiser," said Debbie Willhite, executive director of the Denver Host Committee, which led the effort to land the convention. "For the next year, job number one is raising the money," she said.
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Wedgeworth said the Host Committee had done its job by landing the convention, and now the new committee will lead some of the same volunteers. "We're just basically evolving to the next phase of this process," Wedgeworth said. "I do think every member of the original steering committee would move heaven and earth to make this event a success," she said.

Other members of the new committee include Sen. Ken Salazar, Rep. Diana DeGette, Gov. Bill Ritter and Mayor John Hickenlooper. Willhite said she would be willing to stay on in some capacity. One of the committee's first tasks will be to hire a director. Neither Wedgeworth nor Hickenlooper adviser Katherine Archuleta would speculate on who that might be.

While this could easily have gone on in the past, I'm not aware of Host Committees being "disbanded" like this. Once the fundraising is over, will they reorganize again to provide all the host city functions that are needed during the convention itself?

Progressive bloggers get organized for convention

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Plans are in the works to get bloggers and other progressives organized for the 2008 Democratic Convention:

ProgressNowAction and America’s top progressive blogger—Markos Moulitsas, founder of DailyKos.com--have teamed up to convene ProgressCon2008, a national convening of bloggers, internet organizers and non-profit leaders during the Democratic National Convention in Denver, August 25-28, 2008.

“The Convention is coming to our hometown of Denver and we're teaming up with Markos to host our friends in the progressive community in style,” stated Bobby Clark, Deputy Director of ProgressNowAction, Colorado’s largest online progressive organization.