Tuesday, December 26, 2006
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.
Posted by Matt at 10:56 PM 
