« Going to Phoenix? | Main | Details on Al Franken Event »
November 04, 2005
Gov. Dean / DNC Comment on Colorado Election / Nat'l Convention Note
This week, DNC Chair Howard Dean and the DNC issued a statement on the passage of Referendum C in Colorado. From the DNC's press release:
Facing a budget crunch that would have put criminals back on the streets, raised tuition at state universities, cut funding for health care for the poor, and closed down state parks, the voters of Colorado voted this week to give up $3.7 billion in tax refunds over the next five years. In stark contrast, Republicans in Washington moved forward today with a package of harmful budget cuts designed to slash programs vital to hard-working families while preserving tax breaks for oil companies and special interests.
Also, Governor Dean had his own statement about the comparison between Colorado's courage and the national GOP cowardice:
The Republican leadership in Washington has created a false choice between rebuilding the Gulf Coast region and funding the very programs that serve many of those displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Republicans in Congress could learn a lot from the American people. The voters in Colorado showed the same solidarity so many other Americans showed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina by making personal sacrifices to help each other out. Instead of asking their special interest cronies to make sacrifices, Congressional Republicans want to gut important programs.Sadly, the Republican leadership continues to prove that you can't trust them with taxpayers' money. America can do better.
Finally, in a somewhat-related note, Governor Dean and the DNC have announced the dates for the 2008 Democratic National Convention: August 25, 2008 through August 28, 2008, right after the Summer Olympics.
From the Hotline:
Cities that have expressed interesting in hosting the convention include Anaheim, CA, and Denver, CO, as well as several others. Dean and the DNC decided on the date after consultation with ex-WH nominees, ex-convention officials, DNC members and other party leaders.Republicans familiar with RNC planning say it's too early to tell what Dean's announcement means for GOPers. Such an early announcement caught some Republican officials by surprise.
Why will the Convention be later than normal? Here's part of the explanation from the DNC:
The convention will occur following the Olympics, at a time when the public is most interested and ready to focus on the general election. American families have completed their summer vacations and most children have returned to school, and Democratic candidates will be able to make their case to an attentive public.The so-called “post-convention bounce” traditionally enjoyed by candidates after the intense media coverage of the campaign will occur just 68 days before Election Day giving our candidates the opportunity to hit the ground running.
The “federal general election grant” for the general election period will only have to fund the campaign for 68 days. (In 2004, federal matching funds for the Kerry-Edwards campaign had to be spread over three months, preventing the campaign from launching an aggressive paid media campaign immediately after the convention – even as the campaign’s primary election bank account contained a surplus.)
Seems like the stage is set for a perfect convention in Denver on a sunny August week in the mountains...
Posted by dslater at November 4, 2005 03:40 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://WWW.demnotes.COM/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/248