Cross posted from DemConWatch
When I started working on DemConWatch in early December it seemed like August would never come. Now we're one month away from the opening gavel of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.
We've built up a great team with the additions of DocJess and Mr. Super and will continue to bring you all the latest news on the convention and the upcoming elections.
What we're working on:
* DCW Convention Calendar - The most comprehensive calendar of Democratic National Convention events from official meetings to concerts to protests.
* Presidential Forecast - A compilation of various sources' projections which gives you a big picture of where the Presidential election stands
* Senate Forecast - A compilation of various sources' projections which gives you a big picture of where the Senate elections stands
* House Forecast - A compilation of various sources' projections which gives you a big picture of where the Senate elections stands
Invesco Field Ticket News:
Great article today from the Rocky Mountain News that gives us some more info on tickets.
People who get tickets to see Barack Obama at Invesco Field will be required to show they can get there and plan to attend the event themselves, officials said Thursday.
Jenny Backus, Obama's senior adviser to the convention, said with thousands of people wanting to go, the Obama campaign wants to make sure all tickets get used by the people who requested them.
"When we distribute the tickets, one of the only prerequisites for tickets is — since they're free — is that you have to tell us how you're going to get there," she said. "You need to give us a plan on how you're going to get there and you'll have to check back in with us a couple of times along the way."
Convention news
- Not everyone is excited for the convention... Utah congressman Jim Matheson has announced that he won't be making the trip to Denver next month.
Utah's top-ranking Democrat will skip the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Denver next month.
Rep. Jim Matheson tells The Salt Lake Tribune that the event will mostly be pageantry because Barack Obama has effectively secured the party's nomination for president. - Local News 8
No huge surprise here... he's never been to a convention.
- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson may have to miss the convention
A slow moving legislative session could cause Gov. Bill Richardson to skip the Democratic National Convention next month.
Richardson said Thursday he wouldn't attend the presidential nominating convention if the Legislature was still meeting in a special session.
"I'll stay here. This is my priority," Richardson said at a news conference. - Las Cruces Sun-News
- While there are a couple possible no-shows from the Democratic side, the Republicans are saying no thanks en masse.
Nine of 12 targeted Republicans running in the most competitive Senate races this fall are either skipping the Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn., or have not decided whether to attend.
Among those who will not attend are Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, who is not close to presumptive presidential nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who is a McCain loyalist. Stevens and Collins will use the convention week to focus on their campaigns.
Also sending regrets is former Rep. Bob Schaffer of Colorado, running for the seat being vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Wayne Allard. - CongressDaily
- Springsteen Watch: From the
RMN:
Brown told me that (NJ Governor) Corzine has asked Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi to come to the DNC. No word on whether they've accepted the invite.
- We've Come a long way...
The Colorado Independent has a great article focusing on racial issues during Denver's 1908 Democratic National Convention
A hundred years ago, Denver hosted its first Democratic National Convention, an event that put the city on the national map. But unbeknownst to many convention-goers at the time — and more than likely to attendees at the upcoming DNC — Denver was also at the center of a heated debate among the nation's black political activists, a debate that helped launch the migration of African-American voters from their traditional home in the Republican party to the Democratic party.
And finally... Matt points out this interesting coincidence. The song Please Come to Boston, originally released by Dave Loggins in 1974, mentions 3 cities: Los Angeles, Boston and Denver. The last 3 Democratic National Conventions? Los Angeles, Boston and Denver.
One of the first things I learned about Matt is that he has a memory like a steel trap.
Here's Kenny Chesney covering Please Come to Boston