CNN/AP: Problems in New York, Denver leave Democrats scrambling for a Convention city

[DeepModem Mom]

Friday, January 05, 2007
Problems in New York, Denver leave Dems scrambling for a city

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It wasn't long ago that cities were clamoring to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention, eager for the media attention and economic windfall such high-profile gatherings typically produce.

But Democrats now face a nearly intractable dilemma, choosing between Denver -- whose bid is fraught with logistical and financial problems -- and New York, whose billionaire mayor, Michael Bloomberg, has cooled to the convention and is refusing to underwrite its costs.

He reiterated his reluctance Friday, telling a radio audience: "We'd love to have them, but I can't commit the city to pay for a convention."

With the party desperate to reclaim the White House after eight years of Republican rule, Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean is under pressure to mount a glitch-free gathering that will showcase its presidential nominee.

Dean has repeatedly delayed a decision on the convention site to let each city refine its bid, but officials say neither has resolved the myriad problems that have forced Dean to postpone the selection. A decision was originally expected in December, but organizers say it's unlikely to come before mid-January.

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/01/problems-in-new-york-denver-leave-dems.html

[BattyDem]

1. I know it's impossible, but ...

New Orleans would be a nice choice. :-)

[Mike Niendorff]

7. Agreed. New Orleans would *by far* be the best choice.

Both symbolically and for the economic benefit to the city, it's a slam dunk.


MDN

[ellisonz]

17. Houston probably has the facilities and...

Many of the Katrina refugees are there...and who knows, it just might put Texas in play.

Atlanta? Phoenix? St. Louis, MO?

[Bucky]

59. God herself couldn't put Texas in play. Sorry. But Houston has a GREAT Democratic mayor.

We'd put on a good show. I'd think picking a city that would highlight the Bush administration's neglect of our country's urban infrastructure would be a better choice: St. Louis, KC, or Detroit.

[ellisonz]

66. JFK won Texas and then LBJ. So it's not that farfetched...

I want a landslide, none of this "divided" shit. Plus the point would be that we would be able to play host to the Katrina refugees.

[AZBlue]

49. It's NOT impossible!

They are able to host many conventions already. I would really like to see it happen - this would send a definite message to Americans about what the Dem Party is about.

[illinoisprogressive]

2. Why not some other city. If bloomberg doesn't want them then,

daley probably will and chicago is big enough. on the lake and lots to do.
Or some other western city like vegas or seattle
I agree that new orleans would be a boon to a recovering city and if there is enough hotels and places and it can do it imagine what the windfall of cash would do for the city and it's businesses.

[Vincardog]

5. If NYC can not underwrite the expence how can The Big Easy?

[Auntie Bush]

65. How about Albany? Spitzer might just like that and steal Bloomberg's thunder.

Who would want to get stuck in that NYC traffic anyway?

By the way...Whos city are the Rethugs going to pollute/corrupt with their dirty money aka a Rethug convention? Who's willing to put up with them?

[Bjorn Against]

34. Considering how many New Orleans residents are still without homes...

I don't know that they can handle the lodging and accommodations for all the delegates. They just do not have the resources they need right now unfortunately.

[w4rma]

64. Having a convention there might spur development to do just that. (nt)

[Diane R]

3. SEATTLE! The west coast is bigger than just California.

[Cascadian]

69. Seattle? I have three letters and one word for you.

W.T.O. and RIOT. I do not think people in Seattle would want a repeat of what happened there.



John

[madfloridian]

4. Kind of funny..

Probably will be Denver, but New York is playing the "we didn't want it because we think it is going to Denver and don't want to be too eager" game. A GOP mayor discouraging it, none of the big Dems in NY saying much.

It is like a game. The unions are working on it now for Denver. They are making it sound like no one wants them...and that is silly.

We didn't want it anyway....that kind of thing

[SmellsLikeDeanSpirit]

6. I vote for Cleveland.

[nuxvomica]

23. Good idea

It might be the hometown of the nominee anyway -- one can dream at least. It also might help Ohioans to know we don't just ignore them until the last few hours of election day. ;-)

[Nite Owl]

8. Maybe there is some truth to

the rumors that Bloomberg wants to run as an I? Why would he want to host the Democratic Convention, or any convention, if he himself were going to run?

[madfloridian]

10. There is something going on there.

Bloomberg worked to get it, met with the DNC, then backed off. Remember Al From met with him recently? Why would he discourage a convention unless he knew Dean was aiming for Denver, and he was running for something.

http://www.qando.net/details.aspx?Entry=4599

[NYC]

9. When it was the GOP, Billionaire Bloomberg

said it would generate money for the city. When it was all over, he had to admit that it didn't.

Seems he has changed his tune.

[madfloridian]

11. After he met with Al From about running for something.

http://www.qando.net/details.aspx?Entry=4599

It's a right wingish blog, I think, but it gives an idea what I am saying.

[paulk]

25. this was discussed endlessly before on DU

I'm sure you remember the details.

There is absolutely no proof - NONE - that Al From met with Bloomberg to "advance", as the article you link to states, a Bloomberg candidacy.

It's all rumor and conspiracy mongering on the part of certain left wing bloggers and posters like yourself, who daily spread insinuations and, often, outright lies, in their constant efforts to denigrate and divide.

That you would link to a right wing site says a lot about you and your tactics, madfloridian.

[madfloridian]

31. Stop accusing me of lying. I am not going to take it anymore.

This is a personal attack on my honesty. This is what you wrote.

It's all rumor and conspiracy mongering on the part of certain left wing bloggers and posters like yourself, who daily spread insinuations and, often, outright lies, in their constant efforts to denigrate and divide.

That you would link to a right wing site says a lot about you and your tactics, madfloridian.

That is smearing my character. I will keep a record of these smears from now on. At least I will have the record of it. This makes me angry.

Here are 4 liberal sites, one of which has an interesting quote.


http://politicalwire.com/archives/2006/09/15/bloomberg_considers_presidential_bid.html

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/11274669/bloomberg_08_can_a_republican_mayor_of_new_york_take_the_white_house/print

" And in August, Bloomberg had dinner with Al From, the head of the Democratic Leadership Council and the centrist kingmaker behind Bill Clinton's run for the presidency. (Bloomberg, long a Democrat, switched parties to run for mayor.) This summer, when I met Bloomberg in his office, he told me in no uncertain terms, "I won't be announcing any candidacy for any office - sorry to disappoint." But one of his senior advisers, a few minutes later, walked up to me and said, "You're in for '08, right? You're on the bus?"


http://cbs5.com/national/topstories_story_258190124.html

http://forums.therandirhodesshow.com/lofiversion/index.php/t97062.html

I have no clue whether Bloomberg is running, but it is fact he met with Steinhardt and From.

[paulk]

54. if you think it's a personal attack, then alert the mods

and, deleted or not, I will stand by my post.

[madfloridian]

55. I don't alert.

.

[paulk]

58. then don't make posts accusing others

of personal attacks.

[madfloridian]

63. Paulk, I have a question about which media you think is honest and true.

You said this about me:

It's all rumor and conspiracy mongering on the part of certain left wing bloggers and posters like yourself, who daily spread insinuations and, often, outright lies, in their constant efforts to denigrate and divide.

You said you stood by what you said about my lying, and there is nothing I can do about that. I guess that is your right. It is too bad you think that, but I know better.

But I said I was quoting from a right wing blog, I mentioned it right up front, though I had seen the same at left wing blogs...and proved it to you with 4 links.

So you were angry because I quoted from a right wing blog, then you said what you did above.

So I wonder which blogs, left wing or otherwise, you consider legit and honest. I think that since you attacked my character, it is a very fair question. Which media, give details, would you consider reliable? Newspapers, magazines, which?

[snowbear]

29. MadFloridian.. you don't have to go to a rightie blog, there's a site that has ALL the info!

And believe me... it is NOT a rightie blog!!!

Matt's website "2008 Democratic Convention Watch" has followed the convention from day one... He's got it all in one nifty spot and is much more reliable than any source on the web:

http://demconwatch.blogspot.com/


Go Matt!! ~~~

[madfloridian]

32. Thank you.

I didn't really go to a "rightie" blog on purpose. It was getting late, and I just saw it first.

I should never have posted it because I got accused to lying. I am sick of it.

That's a nice site about the convention.

[msn]

47. Bloomberg

I don't know if Bloomberg is running, but I'm pretty convinced the possibility that he might is keeping him from going all out to get the convention. Thanks for the kind words on the blog. - Matt

[madfloridian]

51. That was sort of my point above.

That something is going on there. Nice site about the convention, BTW.

I have always wondered if Republican pressure in Florida...of which there is a whole lot...caused Orlando to back out of bidding on a Dem convention.

It was Tampa or Orlando, I think Orlando. It's just too much trouble for a city with Republicans in charge to host the Democrats. That's the feeling I'm getting.

[NYC]

37. Thanks for that link. Excerpt:

...Seems Al From from the DLC attended a meeting in which NYC Michael Bloomberg apparently explored the possibility of running in the '08 presidential race as an independent...

I can't imagine Billionaire Bloomberg would win, but I said that when he ran for mayor.

[Cha]

27. Yeah, that's the "purple bandaids"

repugs for ya..generating shit.

[Blue_In_AK]

12. Come to Anchorage...

We're in the process of building a brand-new convention center. :)

[northofdenali]

13. You read my mind, Blue!!

The delegates would be awed, and we can always party with 'em at Alyeska. Too bad Mr. Whitekeys shut down!!!

THIS I'd gladly spend time in Anchortown for!!! But I'd stay in Wasilla.....

[ellisonz]

18. Come to Hawaii!

We built a new convention center.



Waikiki has plenty of hotels...and Barack Obama is a native son.

:hi:

[Cha]

30. What about

Portland, Ore?

[ellisonz]

38. That would be sweet.

I go to school in Portland. But I'm not entirely sure we can't find a more swing state place...as Harry Truman once said, "Carry the battle to them. Don't let them bring it to you. Put them on the defensive. And don't ever apologize for anything."

Atlanta?
Tampa?
Houston?
Phoenix?

I was being facetious about Hawaii (home for xmas), the time distance would be a boondoggle, not that TV covers conventions.

[Cha]

39. Lucky you , living in

in Hawaii(Oahu?). I wish we could all go there to the Dem Convention and wear leis and get R&R in the Pacific. B-)

[ellisonz]

41. There is a local saying here:

"Lucky you live Hawaii"

My stepmother's family were Japanese immigrants, my caucasian father remarried and we live on the old property in a rebuit house up the hill from Waikiki and within spitting distance of Diamond Head.

There is a tourist liscense plate for sell in the schwag: "I got Lei'd in Hawaii." LOL.

Time to go walk the dog. B-)

[Cha]

56. Hey, hey, hey! I was "Lucky" for awhile..

I lived on Kauai from '92 to '98 and I'm goin' back in 3 1/2 years, when I retire, and live my Golden Life. My son is a newly married, surfer dude, carpenter, who's been there since '85 and actually wants to have his mum around. B-)

We need a little smiley with a lei around his/her neck!

And my daughter lives in Portland, Ore! :)

[msn]

46. Anchorage has the mo

There was a convention site discussion back in January, and there was this http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2342063">comment:

And the candidate gives the acceptance speech with Denali in the background! The roll call is held under the midnight sun! The delegates can catch salmon! The nominee can fly into Fairbanks, have a "whistlestop" tour on the Alaska Railroad down to Anchorage, and then begin the campaign tour by heading down the Inside Passage on the Marine Highway.

Talk about striking deep into red territory...

[Blue_In_AK]

50. Oh, yeah, my buddy Ken Burch in Juneau. :-)

I think it's a great idea. It would sure energize Alaska's Democrats. You guys would LOVE us.

[niceypoo]

14. Put the bitch under oath

bwahahaha

[IndianaGreen]

15. Come to Chicago!

The finest city in the Midwest!

[illinoisprogressive]

16. I agree! Chicago!

[Bucky]

60. "Won't we please come to Chicago--we can changed the world"?

Amazing as it seems, on so many different levels, we still live in the shadow of 1968.

[Radical Activist]

67. Imagine if the party nominated a pro-war Democrat in '08.

It would be the '68 debacle all over again. It seems that some of the moderates didn't learn that lesson of history.

[Telly Savalas]

70. Moderates?

People that support the war are right-wingers. Some of them might fancy themselves as moderates, but that doesn't make it so.

[Reader Rabbit]

19. Portland (Oregon)! It's brilliant in the summer!

Plus, we're super-lefty, so we can surely draw big crowds!

[pdxmike]

21. pdx can't do it

I'd love to see my team come to my town. But Portland doesn't have the requisite convention facilities, and not enough hotel rooms in the central area. I also think that NOLA would be nixed for the foreseeable future for the same reasons (post Katrina). The Dems probably wouldn't want to mess with Seattle after the GTO kerfuffle. They don't want any chance of a repeat of '68 Chicago. How about San Antonio?

[windbreeze]

20. Seattle OR Portland

I am right between the two....and I am sick and tired of the PNW, or the W.Coast being totally ignored....it's like we don't exist...do we or don't we vote in all elections??? does our vote count, or doesn't it??? Then WHY are we treated as though we are non entities...unimportant to all???
..New Orleans would be my choice otherwise, and I think it would only be fair, IF they could handle it..only worry would be, that the convention is held during hurricane season....
windbreeze

[NCarolinawoman]

28. Hurricanes would worry me too.

Even if the hurricanes are just in the middle of the Atlantic, or near the islands, you start feeling on edge. You then have to decide whether or not to evacuate, sometimes early, whether the hurricane hits or not

I can already imagine the Republicans rooting on a hurricane to come close enough to effect airports, roads, electricity, etc. Even a tropical storm can bring disruption without makng a direct hit.

"W" would still be in charge.....I don't feel comfortable with this.

[phattyt]

43. Portland, OR!

It's true that the Pacific NW is largely ignored. Come on Dems! Head on over to Oregon!!!

[MasonJar]

22. I wish New Orleans would reconsider and that Dems would foot the

bill themselves. I know NO cannot absorb the cost. What a wonderful thing for the dems to do!

[SaveElmer]

24. How about somewhere different....Richmond, VA

Don't know if they could handle it...

My first choice was Minneapolis...


But with things turning blue here....might be a good time to take advantage!

[Moloch]

57. What about Norfolk/Virginia Beach?

There are certainly enough hotel rooms around here for the convention. There's also a large population of military voters who are disenchanted... to say the least.. at the neoconservative agenda.

A convention here could definately turn this state blue once and for all.

St. Louis would also be a great choice... Missouri is another state than can easily become blue. I definately agree with you that its time to take advantage of blue tide.

[Cha]

26. It will all work out in spite of cnn and ap's

handwringing. "Must make decision now!" "bloomberg doesn't want us"! Oy Freakin' Vey!

"Dean's under pressure"! :scared: :scared: Nothing Dean isn't use to, sparky.

[Guaranteed]

33. Crawford! nt

[windbreeze]

44. Now that would be some kind of justice wouldn't it?? n/t

[Bjorn Against]

35. What about Cleveland, Cincinnati or Miami?

Any of these cities could give us a boost in states that have been proven to be crucial, and we could bring attention to the election fraud issue.

[ContraBass Black]

36. DC!

[cmd]

40. Cleveland - the plan is in place

It would be a perfect choice.

[dsc]

42. Only if they have built hotel rooms recently

a lack of hotel space is why Cleveland couldn't get 92 or 96 both of which it tried to get.

[msn]

45. Cleveland didn't even try this year for the Dem convention

Although they were in the final 4 for the GOP convention.

[cmd]

61. The plan for the republican convention was to use outlying hotels.

The planners had actually booked all the hotels in the Cleveland-Akron area. It can be done. I hope the city goes after it.
edit: especially after the republicans turned them down.

[Generic Brad]

48. They should come to St Paul, MN

They could upstage the Republicans a few weeks in advance of their convention. There would be a pronounced difference in the types of opposition protests held for each convention along with how those people were treated.

I think the contrast between the parties would become more pronounced if the conventions were both held in the same city.

[krispos42]

52. Minneapolis is calling!

Have it the same week as the Repubs in St. Paul. Let the protesters really go at it!

That would be most intersting indeed... :evilgrin:

On a more serious note, they could probably have it a week after the Repubs. St. Paul will already be set up for the convention lockdown, so might as well kill two birds with one stone.

[divineorder]

53. Cleveland or Detroit

Would be perfect. The infrastructure is already there, it's a blue city, and both could use the income. Detroit has already hosted two Super Bowls, so hotel rooms should be no problem. And if there is a problem despite my assertion, I'm sure Canada would be happy to provide the extras. It would be a good exercise in the cross-border cooperation that Shrub has smashed.

[steelyboo]

62. Have to throw in my hometown, Louisville, KY

We were once considered a bastion of liberalism, even mentioned in the same breath as Boston (though it has been a while)
We are a Dem city in a red state.
Kentucky was a lock for Dems forever until 1994ish
Louisville is considered both a Midwest and Southern city (2 places we need pick up some momentum)
We handle one of the world's largest sporting events every year, so I think we can handle the logistics
We have a Rethug governor(first since Nunn from 67-71) that is the walking definition of "fuck-up". Wouldn't be hard to convince the state that the Rethugs are a horrible choice again.
Close to OH too.

[Cascadian]

68. New Orleans would be an ideal, symbolic choice.

It would not just highlight the convention, it would highlight one of the many colossal failures of the Bush Administration. I would even suggestion a theme word for the Democratic Convention....RENEWAL.


New Orleans would be my choice.


John

[mrgorth]

71. It needs to be in Denver

Better work something out. The mountain states are our future. We need to be there not NYC.