DENVER

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

Denver will be the site of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The Hotline has the news:

The labor pains were hard, but the DNC finally has its 2008 convention city locked down: Denver
A Democrat who was briefed said that chairman Howard Dean made the final decision yesterday, weeks later than planned. DNC comm. dir. Karen Finney declined to confirm the choice.

Congratulations to Denver. An excellent choice!

From the DNC Press Release:

"I am delighted to announce that the city of Denver will host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. I congratulate Governor Ritter, Mayor Hickenlooper, Senator Salzar and the members of the Denver Host Committee for assembling an outstanding bid that demonstrates the community's commitment to organizing a first-rate national convention that will put our nominee on the path to victory in 2008.

"There is no question that the West is important to the future of the Democratic Party. The recent Democratic gains in the West exemplify the principle that when we show up and ask for people's votes and talk about
what we stand for, we can win in any part of the country. Additionally, we have a number of strong Democratic leaders in the West who will be a part of showcasing the vision of Democratic leadership for America as we introduce the next Democratic President in the Rocky Mountains.

"New York is a wonderful city but in the end, it was the strength of Denver's bid that made it the best choice. From the state-of-the-art facilities to the commitment of community leaders to hosting an outstanding
event, Mayor Hickenlooper and the host committee made clear that the Denver convention will be a great one. We thank the team for its hard-work during this process and look forward to working with them over the next year and a half to put on the best Democratic convention in history."

"I would like to thank Mayor Bloomberg, the members of the New York Host Committee, and the rest of the team who organized New York City's bid to host the convention. Together, they made this an enormously difficult decision. I know how hard they worked, and appreciate all of their efforts."

National labor in talks to resolve Denver standoff

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

The AFL-CIO is working on trying to find a solution in the standoff between Denver's bid to host the 2008 Democratic Convention and a local labor leader:

The union leader at the center of a dispute that threatens Denver's bid for the 2008 Democratic National Convention said Wednesday that a resolution is being negotiated at the national level. Jim Taylor, who heads International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local No. 7, objects to Democrats' hosting the convention in the Pepsi Center - a nonunion facility. He has refused to sign an agreement promising not to strike during the convention.

Taylor said that he has not spoken to the host committee for days and that discussions were taking place at the highest levels of organized labor. "I know that our international union is working on it," he said. AFL-CIO president John Sweeney "is there as well. ... I think that the AFL-CIO is looking for common ground somewhere."

Just where that common ground would be is unclear. Taylor said he was not sure, but he mused that "something is going to end up coming into play sooner or later."

City Councilwoman and host committee president Elbra Wedgeworth said there had been no discussions locally with Taylor this week - largely because of a focus on inauguration ceremonies for Gov. Bill Ritter. "We've always remained open to talk to Mr. Taylor," she said. "If he has a proposal that he would like to discuss with us, we are more than willing."

But it does seem strange that nothing is being discussed locally - sounds like the two sides just gave up in trying to resolve the issue at that level.

Rumor: Announcement Thursday. Reality: Not likely

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

There's a rumor going around that the convention site will be announced later today (Thursday). But others think this is unlikely, as it would step on new Colorado Governor Bill Ritter's first week, as he was inaugurated on Tuesday and has his first state-of-the-state speech today. Now, if the winner was going to be New York, Bill Ritter's activities wouldn't matter too much, now would it?

Update: Guess those rumors were pretty solid!

Don't believe reports of more delays

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

There's an AP story on some sites, for example, here on MSNBC, which says:

"The Democratic National Committee is pushing back a decision on the site of its 2008 national convention until next month."

But looking closely at the story and the distribution on various new sites, including some dated a few days ago, I believe this is a copy of the December story about the delay into January, not a new delay into February.

Update: The Rocky Mountain News confirms that the story is bogus. (Hattip to Corinne in the comments):

A report on MSNBC's Web site Tuesday said the decision on where to hold the Democratic National Convention might be postponed until February, but a Democratic spokesman said that wasn't true.

"The report is erroneous," said Damien LaVera, spokesman for the Democratic National Committee. He said he would ask MSNBC to remove the story.

LaVera said Democratic Chairman Howard Dean still intends to choose this month between Denver and New York City to host the convention.

Not surprisingly, the story is still up on MSNBC's web site.

Jim Taylor vs the Democratic Convention

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

Jim Taylor's issues with Denver's bid to host the 2008 Democratic Convention is starting to strike some nerves, as seen in the comments below. Here's an overview from Time:

The talk of Denver is how the 2008 Democratic Convention, which would be a perfect showcase for this newly left leaning region, may be thwarted by a local labor leader so passionate he once picketed a Bruce Springsteen concert. That concert was being held in the city's Pepsi Center, and Jim Taylor, head of Local No. 7 International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, thought that the Boss shouldn't perform in an arena that refused to sanction unionized workers. The Pepsi Center still doesn't have union labor — and it is the proposed site of the Democratic Convention

Denver is the current favorite for the convention because the only other serious candidate, New York City, seems to be making only a half-hearted bid.
...
Nevertheless, Denver's effort to win the '08 convention has been stalled because of Taylor's refusal to rule out demonstrations at the convention if he is not allowed to organize at the Pepsi Center.
...
Debbie Willhite, executive director of the Denver 2008 Host Committee, says, "[Taylor feels he] should be able to get into the Pepsi Center to be able to organize. Pepsi Center is privately owned. He's trying to get some leverage." Taylor ' s protestations have also highlighted the way Republicans will profit from a Democratic convention in Denver. The Pepsi Center is is owned by Kroenke Sports Enterprises, a.k.a. Stanley and Ann Walton Kroenke. She is the niece of Sam Walton, the conservative Republican who founded Wal-Mart. The couple, residents of Columbia, Mo., have contributed generously to individual Republican campaigns as well as to the Republican National Committee. Denver Mayor Hickenlooper, while acknowledging the Kroenkes' Republican ties, defended the choice of the Pepsi Center, saying the enterprise "showcases our unique spirit of collaboration."

Taylor and Local No. 7 are the only labor hold-outs to a deal. Says Willhite: "Mr. Taylor let me know from early on that he had some issues about the Pepsi Center. After Denver's labor federation voted to support the convention, we thought that took care of that, and all the unions would be supportive. But as we got down to the final parts of the package, one of them being a labor agreement signed by the unions that would be involved in the build-out and actual conduct of the convention, Jim said he couldn't sign it. We're now working with Mr. Taylor and other union officials to come to an agreement that Mr. Taylor will be able to sign." National labor leaders are reportedly leaning on him hard. "Jim's not talking to the press," said Taylor's office.

Hardly anyone wants to lose out on a convention that could generate hundreds of jobs and more than $150 million for the local economy. Denver officials hope to have everything straightened out by the end of the month. But first it has to get Jim Taylor to bend.

And the Denver Post has more:

In 1999, a gleaming new Pepsi Center was about to open, and concert promoter Barry Fey delivered union leader James Taylor's bid to win work for his stagehand union to the arena's managers. Union members assumed they would win the contract for the venue, which replaced McNichols Arena, where the union was entrenched, said Jeffrey Fey, Barry's son and a former member of Local No. 7 International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Instead, a nonunion company - Phoenix-based Rhino Staging - was chosen.

The outcome still rankles Taylor, said Barry Fey. "He believes he was done wrong, that he had as good a bid. He really believes he should have got it," Fey said.
...
Those who have worked with him say Taylor, 58, is an old-school labor leader who is willing to go out on a limb for his members and is willing to compromise in dealing with employers. "A union can be very disruptive, and that's not him at all. We have been like partners," said Barry Fey, who has worked frequently with Taylor.

There doesn't have to be a loser here. There are smart people working this issue, and they need to find a way to resolve this for both the good of Denver's bid and the good of Denver's labor movement.

Willhite: Significant Progress

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

Denver's Debbie Willhite says negotiations are making progress:

A decision on where to hold the 2008 Democratic National Convention is not expected for at least another week, but local organizers are more optimistic that an agreement can be reached on labor issues that have held up Denver's bid.

Debbie Willhite, director of the Denver 2008 Host Committee, said Thursday "significant progress" has been made in reaching an agreement with national labor leaders. But Willhite said the swearing in of several new Democratic governors next week - including Colorado Gov.-elect Bill Ritter - will probably delay a decision for at least a week.
...
Denver's bid has been delayed by the local stagehands union's refusal to sign a pledge not to strike or picket during the convention. Members of the union would handle all setup during the event but objects to working in the nonunion Pepsi Center, where it likely would be held.

National union leaders, including AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, are now involved. "I think that the national union leadership wants to be cooperative and helpful," Willhite said. "I don't think they want the decision to be made based on the unions not being cooperative. "I think we'll get this worked out."

Denver by default

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

I just don't see how the convention can go to New York after this:

Referring to Denver as the city “which everybody says is the odds-on favorite,” Mr. Bloomberg emphasized the difficulty of raising enough money to cover the costs of playing host to the convention, sounding very much like a man reluctant to win his own bid.
...
“I have no idea what they’re going to do,” Mr. Bloomberg told reporters, referring to Democratic officials. “As I said, we’d love to have them, but I don’t think the city can put itself on the line in this day and age to guarantee” the $80 million to $100 million needed for such a convention.

and this:

Bloomberg told a radio audience Friday that New York couldn't make the same financial commitment to the Democrats that it did to win the Republican convention in 2004. He said that, at the time, New York was still trying to recover from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and needed a boost, but doesn't have those problems now.

"Today, the hotels are full, the restaurants are doing well and the conventions don't bring the kind of economic activity they used to bring," Bloomberg said. "The city just can't afford to go on the hook."

and

New York has plenty of money and hotel rooms, but top officials have shown a lack of enthusiasm. Bloomberg, who in August flew to a DNC meeting in Chicago to woo convention organizers, has since committed to other ambitious fundraising obligations, including $350 million for the World Trade Center memorial.

It may take a while for Denver to resolve its issues, but unless New York changes its tune, the convention will be in Denver.

No decision until later this month

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

From WNYC:

New York and Denver are neck and neck in competition for the Democratic National Convention, in 2008. But both cities face fund raising challenges, so Democratic party chairman Howard Dean has said he'll hold off announcing the winner until later this month.

Denver labor leader not facing reality

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

I'm sorry, but you can't believe how amusing I find it that Jim Taylor, the local Denver labor leader who is holding up Denver's bid to host the 2008 Democratic Convention, is at this extremely late date trying to get Denver to switch its proposed site from the non-union Pepsi Center (but which will have union staff during the convention) to the union Colorado Convention Center:

"The big spaces there could work," said Jim Taylor of Local 7 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
...
The last Democratic convention to be held at a convention center was in 1984 at San Francisco's Moscone Center. Debbie Willhite, director of the Denver 2008 host committee, said problems with that convention led the Democrats to insist on holding the gathering in a large arena.

"A basketball arena already has tiered levels and suites," said Willhite. "Otherwise, it's cost prohibitive to put all the structures in."

You have to build the seating bowl, as well as the skyboxes/suites, used in a convention both for media and VIPs. They have to be totally created in a convention center. I was at the Moscone Center during construction of the seating bowl and suites - it's a lot of extra work that is just wasted money at a time when both cities are scrounging for funds. The Denver Post has more on the problems:

Democratic National Committee bid specifications called for at least 650,000 gross square feet of space, and seating with unobstructed views for 18,000 people. The convention center's largest space, the exhibit hall, has 584,000 gross square feet.
...
The convention center already is booked during the weeks surrounding the DNC event. To accommodate its complicated setup and tear-down, the convention center would have to displace eight groups worth a total of $150 million in business, including the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association expo.

I was going to write a detailed post back in the spring about how convention centers were no longer feasible for use as sites for political conventions, but after Orlando dropped out, there didn't seem to be a need for it. In any case, Denver and the DNC need to figure out how to get this all resolved, and I think they will.

Denver and union leader still talking

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

The latest on Denver's negotiations with it's local labor leaders. From the Denver Post:

Negotiations to ease labor issues and save Denver's bid for the 2008 Democratic National Convention have made little progress despite a decision on which city will host the convention expected soon. Denver and host committee officials have been in contact with local stagehands union leader Jim Taylor for about two weeks. But Taylor still objects to holding the convention at the Pepsi Center, another union official said.
...
Leslie Moody, president of the Denver Area Labor Federation, said Taylor and national labor officials want to hold the convention at the Colorado Convention Center.

"Jim is actually really curious about the convention center and why it hasn't been seriously considered as the venue," Moody said. "He is really looking into that and looking at the bid and figuring out why they have written off the Colorado Convention Center so much."

But host committee officials said the convention center is simply not an option. The Democratic National Committee specifically asked for a basketball arena for the convention, said Debbie Willhite, the executive director of Denver's host committee. And host committee president Elbra Wedgeworth said switching to the convention center would amount to creating an entirely new bid in the 11th hour.

She added that the convention center is booked during the weeks needed for the 2008 convention. "Unless they are willing to raise millions of dollars, there is just no way it could be held over there logistically," said Wedgeworth, who is also a Denver councilwoman.

Mr. Taylor is clearly not a reader of this blog. As I wrote back in February:

The Democrats haven't been in a "convention hall" setting since San Francisco in 1984, and they don't want to go back. There's less seating, bad sightlines for any far-away seats, and no existing skyboxes to entertain the VIPs.

And from the Rocky Mountain News:

A local labor official received a call Tuesday from AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, asking what it would take to overcome union objections to bringing the 2008 Democratic National Convention to the Pepsi Center.

The call was the latest sign that a labor dispute that has held up Denver's bid for the convention is now being worked out in Washington, D.C.
...
Steve Adams, president of the Colorado AFL-CIO, said he thought the dispute would be settled in Washington. He said national labor officials have authority to negotiate a deal on behalf of local affiliates. "I have a sneaking suspicion something will happen here at the very end," Adams said.

Getting the national labor folks involved is very smart, and looks like it might be the resolution to this whole thing. Now the Hotline thinks this is all "Not a Good Sign for Denver", but I disagree. The Hotline assumes Dean is making a decision this week, but Dean is in no rush, and if he can get labor to sign off on a Denver convention, he should have no problem waiting a little more for that to happen.

How we got here

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

There have been a lot of new readers since this blog started over a year ago, so here's a summary of how we got to two cities, Denver and New York, both vying to be the host of the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

I started the blog on November 7, 2005, just after DNC Chairman Howard Dean announced that the convention would be held Aug 25-28, 2008, just after the Summer Olympics, which was a great date both for both financial and political reasons, and eventually forced the GOP to start their convention on Labor Day. New Orleans was the first city openly discussed, but Denver, as they have all year, was first in expressing interest, forming a Host Committee, and accepting an invitation to bid for the convention. But even by late November, 2005, questions about Denver's labor issues began to surface. By mid-December, 35 cities were invited to bid to host the convention.

Although other cities such as Anchorage were proposed, the real players soon emerged. First to accept a bid were Denver and Orlando, soon followed by Anaheim, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York City, Phoenix and San Antonio, with Denver, New Orleans and New York considered the front-runners, although the netroots supported Denver and New Orleans. Some cities started slowly: Detroit couldn't agree whether it had accepted the bid, Dallas was more concerned about the Mary Kay convention, and San Antonio was worried about feasibility and costs. By mid-April, Orlando was expressing concerns about the cost. Phoenix was the first to drop out, and Orlando and San Antonio soon followed.

The DNC held their spring meeting in April in New Orleans, which brought front and center the good and bad about having the convention there, and where the general feeling was that Denver had the bid all locked up, although the first signs of problems from local Denver union officials began to surface. Anaheim dropped out in early May, soon followed by Dallas, and then, surprisingly, Detroit, thought to have a good chance to host the convention, and finally Las Vegas, which realized it could make more money with their normal convention schedule than with a political convention. This left four cities which were reported to have made bids to host the convention: Denver, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans and New York.

Or maybe not. Questions about whether New Orleans really made a bid started to surface, as no site visit had been scheduled, and in mid-July, it was official - New Orleans dropped out, saying the cost of holding the event after Hurricane Katrina last year was too massive. This was a controversial decision, with some feeling the DNC should have lessened the financial requirements for New Orleans due to its special situation.

In June, the Site Selection Committee started its visits, visiting New York, Denver and Minneapolis/St. Paul. July saw Denver trying to raise money from other states, the DNC focusing on the St. Paul Xcel Center for the Twin Cities bid, and Denver hiring a "heavy hitter" to run its bid. August started quiet, although Denver, New York and St. Paul all hosted receptions at the summer DNC meeting. But by the end of the summer, money and labor issues were impacting Denver's bid.

Denver's efforts bottomed out in early September, when its bid was called "disastrous". But the bid improved, and when the GOP preemptively chose St. Paul as the site of their convention, Denver was a contender again, Then Denver's Convention Headquarters Hotel was unionized, which was considered a "huge deal".

Denver's roll continued with reports that New York was having problems raising money, and then Democrats won the Governor's race in Colorado. And while Dean expressed concern about Denver's ability to raise money, Denver seemed to answer those concerns.

Denver was confident that would get the nod in a early December decision, but New York made a last-minute push, and by mid-December it was 50-50, with a decision considered imminent. But then a Denver union leader refused to sign a no-strike pledge, New York had more issues raising money, and finally the DNC announced they were delaying a decision until January.

So where does that leave us? With the following questions:

Where does Hillary Clinton really want the convention?
Where does New York mayor Mike Bloomberg really want the convention?
Where does Denver's Local No. 7 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees really want the convention?
And finally, the only question that really matters, where does DNC Chairman Howard Dean really want the convention?

Denver making progress with union

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

Denver is making progress in resolving the labor issues that are hampering its bid to host the 2008 Democratic Convention, although the weather is delaying things:

The blizzard that struck Denver Thursday may delay negotiations that are crucial to Denver's hopes of winning the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Denver's bid has been held up by the refusal of the local stagehands union to pledge not to strike or picket during the convention. The union, Local No. 7 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, has objected to working in the nonunion Pepsi Center. DNC rules require unions to sign off before Denver can win the convention.

Debbie Willhite, executive director of the Denver 2008 Host Committee, said progress had been made in reaching a deal with the union, but said the blizzard might prevent an agreement this week.

If a deal is reached, that could cinch the convention for Denver.

Should Hillary go for the Macy's walk again?

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

There's a great comment over at Room Eight on a post on why New York's political leaders aren't pushing hard for the convention. The main post is good, covering ground I've already discussed, but I love the comment the poster added:

You can see why Hillary might want it here, even if she's reluctant to cheer too hard for nyc to get it. Remember that night in 1992 when Bill Clinton went to the Garden to make his big appearance, and he, Hillary and young Chelsea walked hand in hand through the closed lower level of Macy's to get to the Garden. It was a great visual. You think they wouldn't like to relive that scene fourteen years later? Bill, Hillary and the now grown Chelsea walking hand in hand through Macy's to the Garden, as Fleetwood Mac plays "don't stop thinking about tomorrow" Then they arrive across the street from the Garden, Bill and Chelsea kiss Hillary and she leaves them and walks alone into the Garden and onto the stage to accept the nomination. Deja vu all over again.

I was on the floor of the Garden when the Clinton's did their televised walk, and it was an amazing scene. After Clinton's 'issues' during the primary campaign, it was done partly, or even mainly, to highlight Chelsea, since polling showed that a large part of the population didn't even know the Clintons had a child, but it was also just an amazing way to bring in the candidate. Doing it again would drive the convention crowd absolutely wild. Something worth considering by the Clinton campaign as they think about where they really want the convention to be. (Then again, if you ask John Edwards where he would like the convention, you wonder if New Orleans shouldn't try to get back into this thing).

Update: Turns out the walk in 1992 was on Wednesday night, not for his speech (on Thursday), but to, in effect, "accept" the nomination, after the voting on Wednesday. Also, the idea was not original, but was also done by Kennedy in Los Angeles in 1960. I added a nice picture of the '92 convention floor.

Denver getting boost from New York's money issues?

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

Denver is looking to capitalize on New York's money problems:

Advocates for bringing the 2008 Democratic National Convention to Denver were heartened Monday by persistent news reports that rival New York's power brokers are souring on that city's bid. But Denver boosters made it clear they're keeping their eye on the prize: working nonstop to heal an 11th-hour union rift that could kill the city's bid before Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean picks the convention winner next week.

"Sure, we should be encouraged by it," Denver 2008 Host Committee Executive Director Debbie Willhite said of the latest "tea-leaf- reading story" out of New York City. "But what we should really be encouraged by is all the strides that Denver has made to put this city into the competition. "What I don't want people in Denver to think when we get this convention is we got it because New York didn't want it. There has been enormous hard work put together to keep this bid moving forward. "It will not be a default victory."

Still, it didn't dampen Denver's hopes when a New York Daily News political blog reported Christmas Day that the Empire State's biggest political players and money-raisers were losing interest in ponying up the estimated $90 million needed to put on the presidential nominating bash.

Headlined "City may break with convention," the story cited anonymous sources saying city leaders were in "a coy standoff" with Dean and all but ready to give the party chairman a Bronx cheer.
...
Willhite pondered another possibility: that New York, which was lobbying hard just weeks ago to crush its smaller rival, could be exploring a graceful exit. "They probably didn't expect this to be such a fight," she said.

Somehow I think this is about more than a graceful exit for New York.

New York's money problems

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

According to the New York Daily News, New York officials continue to say they will not be able to raise the money the DNC requires to host the 2008 Democratic Convention:

Mayor Bloomberg made it known last month that he is too busy with other fund-raising, and none of the other likely candidates to lead the bid - Sens. Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton, and Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer - has rushed to take the helm.

"Chuck has made it abundantly clear that his commitment is raising money for the [Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which he chairs], and Hillary's commitment is to herself," said someone involved with the bid. "Eliot Spitzer has decided he needs to govern the state."

Meanwhile, the city's big Democratic fund-raisers "don't like Dean, and they don't like his staff," the source said. Indeed, one top New York Democrat, Maureen White, quit as DNC finance chairwoman this year. "The old institutional New York DNC players are no longer at the table," he said.

Dean said in November that money was Denver's biggest obstacle. Maybe not so much anymore? When reports of New York's money problems first surfaced in October, it was seen as a ploy. But continued stories make it clear that this is a significant issue for the New York bid, and with Bloomberg being a Republican who may be running for President, there may just not be the political power to get New York's issues resolved.

Novak: New York was selected, leaked, and pulled back

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

Now Robert Novak has a history of not always getting things right, but he does have a new and interesting take on last weeks events:

Denver lacks sufficient hotel facilities, a suitable arena and labor union support, not to mention adequate financing. But when New York was leaked as the site, the reaction was so negative that Dean delayed a decision. Party members complained that it would be the fourth out of the last nine Democratic conventions scheduled for New York. Backers of Hillary Clinton don't want her nominated in her place of residence. George H.W. Bush and John Kerry lost elections when nominated in their respective hometowns of Houston and Boston.

First, nowhere else was there any mention that New York was selected, the choice leaked, and a negative reaction received. When you think about it, it makes no sense. Dean knows exactly how everyone feels about the sites, and knows that a large majority of Democrats want the convention in Denver. The scenario Novak paints just doesn't hold together.

But second, and much more interesting, is his thesis that Clinton backers don't want the convention in New York. Publicly, of course, Clinton is backing New York. But I wrote in November, and the Rocky Mountain News followed up earlier this month, that Clinton would be better situated with a Denver convention. And now Novak just makes the statement without caveat that the Clinton team wants Denver? Welcome to the bandwagon, Novak!

And finally, Novak didn't go back far enough on the hometown conventions. Here at 2008 Democratic Convention Watch, I cover these things months before the MSM get to them, and from my post back in March, there have been 4 home-town conventions in the last 60 years, and all 4 candidates lost:

Stevenson: '52, '56 - Chicago
Bush: '92 - Houston
Kerry: '04 - Boston

There were also two conventions at the opponents home site, and both times the candidates won: Eisenhower in 1952 in Chicago, and Kennedy in LA in 1960.

Looking back at 1988

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

Kerri Rebresh over at Colorado Confidential has a look back at the site selection for the 1988 Democratic Convention. After the GOP chose New Orleans, Houston and Atlanta were the final two, and the DNC chose Atlanta for political reasons not unlike the arguments for Denver in 2008.

For more on the 2004 site selection, see my post here, and Democracy in Action's overview here.

Update: Her take on 1996 is now up. Interestingly, she mentions that it was originally proposed that the final night of the 1996 GOP convention be held outdoors at the baseball stadium. At one point, a similar proposal may have been part of Denver's bid this year, although I wrote in March that I thought it made no sense.

Update: 1992 and 2000 are now available

Does the delay help either side?

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

Does the delay in the announcement of the host of the 2008 Democratic Convention help either city? Most reports think the delay works to Denver's advantage:

Denver was granted critical time to settle an 11th hour labor beef that could sink its 2008 Democratic National Convention bid when Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean announced today that he'll delay picking whether Denver or New York City host the event until after New Years.
...
While some state party officials saw Dean's deadline reprieve on the decision that was expected to be made this week as an early Christmas present for Denver, DNC officials weren't commenting further.

and

The Democratic National Committee's decision this week to wait until the new year to decide where to hold the party's 2008 national convention is good news for Western Dems who want the convention to be held in Denver. So says Mike Stratton, a Colorado political consultant, lobbyist and political adviser for Gov. Bill Richardson.

but from the New York Daily News:

I may be wrong in seeing the hand of Chuck in delaying the Democrats' convention selection decision until next year, but it is probably good for the New York bid.

While I agree that the delay gives Denver time to resolve its outstanding issues, I think the fact that there had to be a delay at all was not good for Denver. I think it's clear that Dean wants to give the convention to Denver, but that fact that he couldn't do it this week, even though Denver has had all summer and fall to work on these issues, was not a good sign for Denver. Denver's best chance to get the convention may have been this week. Denver may still get the convention, but I think New York's chances increase with every passing day, even if Bloomberg no longer wants it.

Could a Bloomberg presidential run be undermining New York's bid?

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

I've been wondering what's behind Bloomberg's continued concerns about New York's ability to raise money for a bid for the 2008 Democratic Convention:

"How do you, in this day and age, go and pay for these conventions when a lot of
people would like to give their money to specific candidate races or candidates
rather than to the convention itself?" Mr. Bloomberg said yesterday during an
appearance in Queens.

The article does go on to say that with New York candidates such as Clinton, Giuliani, and even Pataki, potentially running for president, that would drain a lot of the "New York money". But I wonder if another problem is an independent Bloomberg run for president. If he decides to run, that would be a big conflict of interest for him as his city would be reponsible for hosting the Democratic candidate. Maybe his advisors have asked him, do you really want to put the you and the city in that position?

Decision delayed until January

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

The DNC announced they would delay their decision on a site for the 2008 Democratic National Convention until January:

“Because of the holiday week and at the request of both cities, we will announce the convention city in early January,” spokeswoman Stacie Paxton said.

The delay is actually giving a little relief to Denver’s advocates, as a quicker DNC decision might have boded better for New York City. That is because Denver has been buffeted of late with public comments casting some doubts about the city’s viability as a convention contender.

After weeks of bouyantly promoting Denver as the front-runner to host the 2008 Democratic convention, that city’s boosters have hit a snag with organized labor — one that has depressed their hopes that Colorado’s capital will be able to outbid New York City as the convention site. Debbie Willhite, executive director of the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee, told the Denver Post that the city’s efforts to attract the convention had been dealt a blow when Jim Taylor, the head of the local stagehands union, declined to sign a “no strike” agreement with the national Democratic Party.

Taylor took issue with the convention’s main location, the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver. Taylor said his union regards the arena, home to the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, as a non-unionized venue.

But Willhite was quoted as saying the union’s resistance to the no-strike pledge is “probably a deal breaker” for the DNC, the organization that will choose the site for the Aug.25-28, 2008 convention site. Though the party is closely allied with the organized labor movement, Democratic officials have less than fond memories of a labor dispute between Boston officials and the local police union that complicated preparations for the party’s 2004 convention in that city. Union officials did not drop their threat to picket the Democratic convention site until that June, when prospective nominee John Kerry refused to cross a police picket line to attend a Boston meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

And although the Times surprisingly doesn't mention it, New York's bid also has it's problems:

Party officials have been negotiating for months with host committees for New York and Denver, but a series of problems with Denver's bid — and a significant cooling of interest from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg — led Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean to seek more time to make a decision.

While New York's host committee has pledged to raise the money necessary to hold the convention, Bloomberg said Tuesday that the fundraising would be significantly more difficult than he once believed.

"The city can't go on the hook for a convention unless they're reasonably sure they can raise the money," he said, noting that New York had financed the 2004 convention entirely through private fundraising."We'd like conventions to come here and spend money and be a net positive for this city, so while it was in the last case because we financed it all privately, I'm not sure we could do that again," he said.

If Bloomberg has been a Democrat, I wonder if he would be so concerned about raising money for the Democratic Convention.