And then there were 7? Yes - Anaheim is out

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

I find it amusing that sometimes the most interesting and important information (from my viewpoint) is buried at the bottom of a news article that focuses on something else. For example, the Orange County Register was the first news organization in the country to break the list of the original 11 cities who expressed interest in hosting the 2008 Democratic Convention, and they had the information at the bottom of an article on the GOP convention.

Well, buried in the middle, and then clearly listed at the end, of today's Denver Post article on Denver's union issues, is a new list of the cities bidding for the convention, and there are only 7: Denver, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, New Orleans and New York. In addition to the officially departed Orlando and San Antonio, Phoenix and Anaheim are not on this list. This is the first published report by a newspaper that Phoenix and Anaheim are out, but I would still like to see some confirmation from the city or the DNC.

Update: Two different sources, both persons with knowledge about the convention selection process, have stated that Anaheim has dropped out of the bidding for the convention. While there's nothing official from Anaheim or the DNC, as far as I'm concerned, Anaheim is out.

Is Anaheim out?

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

Democracy in Action 2008 has a note that Anaheim has dropped its bid to host the 2008 Democratic Convention, but there's no reference cited, so I can't confirm.

Minneapolis and Anaheim updates

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

Minneapolis is definitely submitting a bid for the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

Lee Henderson, a spokesman for the Greater Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association, said Tuesday that the city would be submitting bids for both the Democratic and Republican conventions.

And Anaheim is the second city known to form a Host Committee:

The nonprofit Anaheim 2008 Convention Host Committee, headed by Republican strategist Jeff Flint, has funded the lobbying effort with corporate donations and money from the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau.

Anaheim update

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

Anaheim is always mentioned on the list of cities supposedly vying for the 2008 convention, but the only references I could find were from the 2004 convention(s).

From an Anaheim hotel site in September 2004:

Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle and a delegation of city officials will visit the Republican National Convention this month to lobby on behalf of Anaheim for the 2008 convention. A similar effort took place at the recently concluded Democratic Convention in Boston.

But whether it’s worth the effort is a matter of debate. Anaheim’s image would get a boost from hosting a political convention, said Charles Ahlers, president of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau. “All that media coverage with a dateline ‘Anaheim’ is good,” he said. “One of the problems Anaheim has is that we’re not a household name to those who make decisions in the corporate board rooms.”
...
When Los Angeles hosted the 2000 Democratic Convention, the entire jewelry district shut down for a week because of street closures in the area, said Jack Kyser, chief economist with the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. Though some cities now raise private funding to bid on and host major events like political conventions, Kyser doesn’t think the cost is worth it. “The city has to put up a lot of money for dubious economic impact,” he said.

And from a July, 2004 NY Post Cindy Adams note via Kitty Litter:

And while we're into this Boston mindset, I saw a flier that says: "Save the date: Friday, July 30, 8:30 a.m., join the City of Anaheim, California as we kick-off our bid to host the Democratic Convention in 2008." Anaheim?! What happened to those other exciting citadels like Biloxi, Kookamunga and Tuscaloosa?! Anaheim?! 2008?! Boy, will Hillary be thrilled!