Florida demands a recount

Not over the 2000 election but this news.

TAMPA - Blame politics and blame the hurricanes.

The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held in Minneapolis-St. Paul, not Tampa. The decision shocked some, disappointed others and prompted theories about how politics factored into the decision.

"Maybe they figured they need to bolster up Minnesota," said Al Austin, the GOP fundraiser who led the effort to bring the convention to Tampa. "Florida didn't need help."

Tampa first expressed interest in holding the event a year ago. Since then, local Republican leaders joined forces with the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg to showcase the Bay area as the ideal spot for the convention. They prepared a detailed bid, promised trips to Busch Gardens, and wined and dined a site selection committee that came to scout the town last month.

For the second time this decade, however, Tampa came up short. It lost its 2004 bid to New York, because it was the sentimental favorite to host the first convention after the Sept. 11 attacks, and Republicans wanted to invade traditional Democratic territory.

This time, Tampa was convinced the party was coming to town. Instead, Austin received a phone call Wednesday from Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman, telling him the party was going elsewhere.

The site selection committee voted to recommend Minneapolis-St. Paul. The vote was not unanimous, but sources would not elaborate.

Minneapolis over Tampa? If a state's political leanings were used as a determining factor, we know what city would have been chosen.

For the GOP going to Minneapolis for a convention is like the Democrats going to Salt Lake City.

Anyone remember what was the only state to give Walter Mondale a majority in the 1984 presidential election?

Anyone remember what was the state to send Paul Wellstone to the US Senate twice? If not for Wellstone's death, he would have most likely been returned to office a third time.

I know at least one blogger is happy with this choice. Ed makes no mention of the points I raise above.

Was a reason given for Tampa not getting the convention?

Jo Ann Davidson of Ohio, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee's nine-member site selection committee, wouldn't give a specific reason why Tampa, Cleveland or New York wasn't chosen.

"We discussed all the attributes of the various cities," she said. "Some had more strengths in one particular area. All four cities did a wonderful job in hosting the committee [and] put in excellent bids."

Davidson said the only motion the committee considered was one to approve the Minneapolis bid, so it never discussed the other three cities.

The convention is scheduled for Sept. 1-4, one of the most active parts of hurricane season.

Yes Florida has hurricanes. We also have pythons, alligators, sinkholes and bad drivers.

Minnesota has loads of Democrats who just may have the time of their lives protesting outside the convention. Remember the MSM prefers to controversy in comparison to staged events.

Was Minneapolis a good choice for the 2008 GOP convention after all?

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