Dean Chooses Denver

Hotline reported The labor pains were hard,

Did Dean yell yeeehaww during the labor pains?

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. Colorado is a marquee states for Democrats, who have, in the past two years, gobbled up the governor's mansion, control of the state legislature, and two congressional seats. But Denver's bid was shot through with holes from the start. The first technical submission was greeted with dismay by party regulars; revised bids were better. Labor unions threatened to balk unless Denver began to unionize its hotels;

If Denver had been smart they would have pulled out then. Why raise their hotel costs due to unions, and cut into their tourist and future convention business just to get the Hillary Inauguration.

others wanted to extract compromises from the DNC and the state about union participation. The DNC worried about whether Denver could raise the $50 million necessary to stage the marquee event for the '08 Dem nominee.

Hillary can pay that out of petty cash, but why tick New Yorkers off by not spending it in NY

Promises by out of state governors to raise millions were greeted skeptically. It was not immediately clear what made Dean comfortable that Denver had settled these issues. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg was once enthusiastic about the prospect of a DNC convention, even opening City Hall for meetings of top Democratic financiers. But Bloomberg turned soured about the prospect the more he dealt with the DNC.

They got too greedy

New York City would have been the safe choice, logistically and financially. But it would have been a political nightmare and set Dean apart from his Netroots allies

who are not in Colorado either

and virtually every strategist, presidential candidate and office holder in the party.

None of them trust Dean anyway.

But Dean aides have said that he was not prepared to risk holding a convention in a city that was not prepared to handle it.

In other words Dean asked for too much, and Bloomberg said no.