AFL-CIO threatens to ask Dems to move convention

I have an even better idea. How about we all slap ourselves silly? The AP reports:

Stung by Gov. Bill Ritter's veto of a bill that would make it easier for unions to organize, the AFL-CIO threatened to recommend the Democratic Party move its 2008 convention from Denver.

Meanwhile, Ritter goes about his business. From the Rocky:

Water court judges, for the first time, will be able to consider environmental impacts and water quality along with water quantity as part of the determination on larger permanent transfers in a bill that Gov. Bill Ritter will sign Monday.

UPDATE: Ritter takes a strong stand in the Rocky:

"I don't have any reason to believe it's going to move," Ritter said today of the national convention slated for Denver in August of 2008. What's more, Ritter showed no inclination to bow to the AFL-CIO's threats and revive the fight over House Bill 1072, the Colorado Labor Peace Act.

As if the convention doesn't make us relevant enough...

...we may move our caucuses up.

Are you ready for the convention?

It's going to be a riot.

The award for Saturday's most misleading post

The conservative blog The Outlander wins this one far and away with this unsourced piece of foolishness:

Molly Hughes, blinded by her sycophantic love and adoration for Bill "Slick Willie" Ritter, let it slip that the security for the forthcoming DNC in Denver will cost at least 35 million dollars. This is in addition to the upfront payola to the Democratic Party of at least fifty million dollars.

Which means, even before anything is done the taxpayer is expected to pay almost one hundred million dollars for this nonsense. Yet the Democrats complain endlessly about how much the war in Iraq costs. Furthermore, there is no way the City and County of Denver can break even on this waste of money and resources.

I would've liked to respond to this on The Outlander, but comments there are closed to people without blogstream IDs. I hate linking to posts this flawed, because I don't want to give them any blogxygen. But I have no choice. Because I really want to point out just how silly the right's arguments have gotten:

1. Colorado is spending $85 million - not "almost one hundred million" - to get an event that will inject $150 million to $200 million into the Colorado economy. This is what's known as an investment. The tourism industry is ecstatic. In the unlikely event the convention loses the city money, it will still promote the city to conventioneers across America.

2. The taxpayers did not pony up all the money spent to win the convention. See The Rocky Mountain News:

In late September, the Denver host committee submitted a detailed final bid document. Denver's ability to raise the $80 million needed to put on the convention was the big question mark. Just a few weeks later, though, Qwest announced it would commit more than $5 million to support the convention... Fundraising quickly picked up, with Xcel Energy, Molson Coors and other companies making commitments.

3. The $85 million it cost us to land the convention is nothing like the $9 billion a month we're spending in Iraq. It's not even remotely close. At all. Even a little.

I expect spinning and partisanship in the blogosphere. Heck, I participate in it. But Colorado's rightwing blogs - with a few notable exceptions - cross the line into deceit with disturbing regularity.

Three ways to get into the 2008 Democratic convention

You can be a delegate. Or you can volunteer. Or you can be one of these folks.

Dem convention comes to Denver

Haley and Hotline say it's a done deal.

UPDATE: State party first vice-chair Dan Slater has some good information on the decision at DemNotes.

The Coloradolib screenplay generator

Want to write a screenplay, but don't know where to start? Coloradolib makes it easy.

Step 1, pick a bogeyman:

1. Bob Beauprez, radio talk show host.

2. Exxon Mobil, master of the cover-up.

3. Mike Coffman, man of many secrets.

Step 2, pick a hero:

1. Andrew Romanoff, mild-mannered leader.

2. Three U.S. Senators who aren't afraid to keep digging.

3. A heroic but vaguely dweeby liberal blogger.

Step 3, pick a conflict:

1. The DNC is perilously trapped between the Convention Center and the Pepsi Center!

2. The JeffCo party is torn between Herb Rubenstein and Vince Todd!

3. A mystery virus begins to turn crucial parts of America a deep shade of red!

Somebody call Hollywood. I smell box office gold.

National labor officials get involved in convention dispute

It feels like the Democrats really want to hold the 2008 convention in Denver. They've delayed their decision, apparently to give Denver more time to raise money. And now big labor is trying to end a holdout by the Denver stagehands' union:

Progress was made Thursday on breaking an impasse that has held up Denver's bid for the Democratic National Convention.

The Denver stagehands union, which would handle much of the inside construction at the convention, thus far has refused to sign a pledge not to strike or picket during the gathering. The Pepsi Center ordinarily uses nonunion crews, and the union has said it won't sign an agreement unless the Pepsi Center management agrees to negotiate.

Now national labor officials in Washington, D.C., are trying to find a compromise between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local No. 7 and Denver's host committee.

Denver 1 for 2 so far

So we got Allen Iverson. But we won't know about the convention until January.

Allard, DNC and Hickenlooper make tough decisions. (Or not.)

Wayne Allard hasn't decided if he wants to run for re-election. And the DNC still can't decide where to hold the 2008 convention. But Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has launched his re-election campaign.

A second term should be a sure thing. The mayor's audacious plan to end homelessness may save the city about $1.5 million. And he's still in the middle of Greenprint Denver.

The only black mark on his resume is last month's election fiasco, when thousands of people left the polls without voting due to long lines and crashing software. That shouldn't be enough to inspire a challenger. The Rocky reports:

Hickenlooper, who has maintained favorable poll numbers in his first term in office, may end up running against himself.

Pat Waak, chairwoman of the Colorado Democratic Party, said she hasn't "heard a whisper" about anybody challenging Hickenlooper.

"I think that people who are thinking about running (for the office) may decide this is not the appropriate time to do it," she said.

"But who can tell?" she added. "Politics is very strange. The minute you say something like, 'Nobody would dare run,' somebody pops out of the woodwork."

Even if someone does decide to run, Hickenlooper's chance of winning re-election are a "near certainty," said Denver pollster Floyd Ciruli.

It doesn't look like the mayor's campaign website has been updated for quite awhile. So if you have questions, his official page might be a better bet.