Sen. Ken Salazar met with Howard Dean for 30 minutes yesterday and came away with big doubts as to whether Denver will get the nod to host the 2008 Democratic Convention. The final decision is up to Dean as Chair of the DNC and the hang-up appears to be money. Will donors step up to pay the costs, estimated at $80 million. We're still a contender however. As the Host committee Chair notes,

Host committee executive director Debbie Willhite said Denver still has every reason to be confident. "It has always been 50-50," she said. "But the tie will go to us. There has always been this perception that New York can raise the money very, very quickly - and maybe they can. But you don't have to raise it very, very quickly."

I really hope we get the convention. We could shed the remants of our "cow-town" image once and for all. I think Denver is ready and would shine in the spotlight. Let's hope the Mayor and the Host Committee come up with some convincing final arguments. The decision could come any day now.