Howard Dean off to Europe ~ Will announce '08 Dem Convention location upon return!

Wait for Dems' choice may be brief
By Mike Soraghan
Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated:12/03/2006 02:17:00 AM MST


Washington - Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean could announce a decision within two weeks on whether his party's 2008 national convention will be in New York or Denver.

But he's not tipping his hand on what the decision will be.

"I am not leaning any different way," Dean said in a brief interview Saturday after a party executive committee meeting in Washington. "I have to go to Europe next week, and when I come back, hopefully, we'll be ready to announce it."

The final decision belongs to Dean, but Colorado Democratic officials say much of the party's upper echelon supports Denver.

Ramona Martinez, a member of the executive committee that met Saturday, said she thinks Dean also might be leaning Denver's way. "I think Dean is giving Colorado time to get everything ready," Martinez said.

She said she has heard concerns from fellow Democrats that delegates might be put in hotels too far from the convention site, "but I tell them, Denver's not L.A."

Democratic National Committee officials visited New York and Denver last week, and officials of Denver's host committee have another meeting scheduled for this week.

At Saturday's meetings, the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee reviewed the rules for such a convention, wherever it might be. It also endorsed a plan to stop the front-loading of the presidential primary season by offering more delegates to states that keep late primaries or even move them back.

Under the plan, Colorado would add two delegates to its current 48 if it keeps its presidential primary April 8.