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Two of the biggest moments of Barack Obama’s presidency–at least so far–will be associated with Denver. First came his nomination at the Democratic National Convention. Now comes his signing of the massive $787 billion stimulus bill meant to jump-start the nation’s ailing economy and to extend tax relief.
As The Denver Post reports, Obama will take the unusual step of signing the bill on the road at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in City Park, also giving a speech about the economy to an invitation-only crowd.
George Sparks, the museum’s director, is excited, supposing the president picked the museum because of its extensive commitment to solar energy.
Why Denver? Governor Bill Ritter cites Colorado’s commitment to pursuing “new energy” jobs, according to the Rocky Mountain News.
It looks like with this opening presidential visit, Colorado “is going to stay on the radar screen for the entire four years” as a gauge of Obama’s performance, pundit Floyd Cirulli tells 9News.
Posted at 9:15 am by Michael de Yoanna
DNC, Economy, Panorama, Politics
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Street artist Shepard Fairey, the guy who created those iconic Barack Obama “Hope” posters (as well as the August 2008 cover of 5280), tells National Public Radio about his detention in Denver’s “mini-Guantanamo” during the Democratic National Convention (hat tip to Westword).
Fairey recently postered the Boston Phoenix building, while the alternative newspaper shot video.
Posted at 8:45 am by Michael de Yoanna
5280, DNC, Panorama
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The confrontation between police and protesters near the 16th Street Mall during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in August was not instigated by the actions of an undercover officer. That’s the conclusion of Denver’s independent police monitor, Richard A. Rosenthal, in a letter to an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, according to The Denver Post.
The ACLU had alleged that an undercover officer staged a confrontation with police Cmdr. Kris Kroncke in order to escape the crowd, in turn inciting the mass. But Rosenthal wrote that the officer’s action was “reasonable” and says that he will take no action, adding that police believe an “immediate risk to public safety” justified their actions.
The ACLU has also filed a series of complaints regarding the mass arrest on August 25 on 15th Street near Civic Center, claiming police lied, in sworn statements, about giving a dispersal order and the crowd ignoring it, according to the Rocky Mountain News. The ACLU says police have withheld 15 minutes of audio dispatch tapes that would clear those facing trial of wrongdoing.
Back in November at 5280.com, I looked at four reasons why the trials of the activists arrested at the DNC are not good for Denver’s image.
Posted at 9:26 am by Michael de Yoanna
DNC, Panorama
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Over the last few months, we’ve watched a drama unfold surrounding the Democratic National Convention. The plot has nothing to do with President-elect Barack Obama or even the Democratic Party. Rather, it centers on how the City and County of Denver has treated the peace and justice activists who took to the streets during August’s convention.
More than 100 activists were arrested on August 25, and since then their cases have dragged on in the courts. Denver has been relentless in pursuing the dozens of individuals who didn’t immediately plead guilty. But prosecutors aren’t racking up many convictions. One snapshot: Of 10 cases that had recently gone to trial, there was just one conviction, according to this Rocky Mountain News tally.
As defense lawyers ask in vain what Denver is spending on the prosecutions, there is a less quantifiable issue: What effect are these cases having on Denver’s image? After all, each week seems to bring new negative headlines.
Here are four reasons the city’s handling of the DNC protesters is not good for Denver. » Continue reading this entry…
Posted at 9:01 am by Michael de Yoanna
DNC
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Many of the 154 protesters arrested during last week’s Democratic National Convention appeared in court yesterday to enter pleas of guilty or not guilty. Those who pleaded not guilty were set for trial in October.
The Denver Police Department is proud of their officers’ conduct during the convention. Nonetheless, The Denver Post reports:
Denver police said Thursday they have opened three internal investigations stemming from officer conduct at the DNC. All three involved arrests caught on videotape and were perceived as excessively violent.
I’m wondering how many people were arrested who weren’t protesting. For example, late Thursday night during Senator Barack Obama’s speech, a large motorcade of police motorcycles, cars, and SUVs came barreling down Lawrence Street past the 16th Street Mall with sirens blaring. Of course, everyone ran up, trying to see what was going on. It was the Obamas being driven back to the Westin. » Continue reading this entry…
Posted at 1:33 pm by Jeralyn Merritt
DNC
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Pueblo native Amber Tozer was invited home to Colorado last week to perform a stand-up routine for a DNC-related fundraiser, but the current L.A. resident is sticking around for a few more performances over the next week.
To be fair, Tozer is a longtime friend of mine (”since we were fetuses,” as she has noted on my MySpace page), but determine for yourselves whether you share her sense of humor tonight during a “Future Legends” show at Improv Comedy Club and Dinner Theater, 8246 E. 49th Ave. #1400 (Northfield at Stapleton). Jokes start at 7:30 p.m.
Here’s the intro clip to Tozer’s appearance on a recent episode of “Last Comic Standing”:
Posted at 12:18 pm by Vanessa Martinez
DNC Events, Entertainment & Nightlife, People
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Pictured: Al Jazeera’s studio at the Pepsi Center during the DNC
Golden–”Where the West Lives”–grabbed some unexpected attention before and during the DNC when it became the locale of Arab news network broadcasts. When Al Jazeera English announced plans to base its convention coverage out of the city for the week, some citizens bristled at the association.
Then, when Golden’s city manager agreed to host a pork-free backyard barbecue, so the network could show its viewers a typical neighborhood gathering around the convention, tempers flared higher. Some residents assumed that the city was endorsing some kind of Islamic agenda.
The city and the network survived the hubbub and vitriol, and in the aftermath, we came up with a five-step community-prep program, informed by Golden’s mayor, Jacob Smith, for the next time Al Jazeera rolls into a local city.
Posted at 11:32 am by Joshua Zaffos
5280, DNC, Media
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Hands down, my favorite hangout during the Democratic National Convention was Brooklyn’s, across the street from the Pepsi Center and commandeered for the week by CNN, which recast it as the CNN Grill.
First, it’s an excellent and inviting space, with great light, huge ceilings, and many different kinds of seating. In addition to stools that run the length of the ample bar, there are also both bar and regular height tables and booths. The outside patio was roomy and festive. At night, crowds gathered round to watch the big TVs.
Second, CNN hired the regular Brooklyn’s staff to serve the guests, and they rose to the occasion, making a great impression on the guests. In addition to taking orders, serving food, and mixing drinks, they engaged in conversation, offered suggestions, and never lost their cool, even at the most hectic times. Almost every request was met with “of course” or a similar positive response. They answered the same questions from guests over and over as if for the first time. » Continue reading this entry…
Posted at 8:45 am by Jeralyn Merritt
DNC
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So, we got up this morning and realized that Denver isn’t famous anymore. Where’s Rachel Maddow, perched downtown, giving us sharp and independent analysis? Where are the stormtroopers circling the protesters? Where are the rumors that Oprah is eating with J-Lo at the Hard Rock Café?
Well, it’s over. And we’re all feeling the let down. Even the Palin stuff hasn’t really buoyed our moods yet. Don’t worry, folks, we’re all in this together. And that’s why we’ve put together a few things to do this weekend to deal with your post-DNC depression:
Posted at 3:29 pm by Jennie Dorris
DNC, Entertainment & Nightlife, Fun
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Never mind that the rational thing to do was climb into bed. After the Barack Obama Bowl at Invesco, we made a late-night Bonfire-of-the-Vanities-esque drive to a warehouse for the shindig of the DNC: The Vanity Fair-Google party. (Note to celebrities who were in Denver last night and were not at this bash: You might want to rethink your careers, or at the very least, reconsider your publicist.)
VF throws the hot-ticket Oscar Party, and last night, editor Graydon Carter’s magazine imported Hollywood for the elite D.C./Denver/DNC set, taking over the Exdo Event Center on the 1300 block of 35th Street.
Outside were the red carpet, paparazzi, black Chevy Suburbans, suited security with the earpieces; inside, plenty of potent cocktails and conversation, bars sculpted of ice, Wii games, sweet tunes, and beautiful (though in some cases only moderately attractive yet very powerful) people.
Posted at 3:24 pm by Maximillian Potter
DNC, DNC Events, Entertainment & Nightlife, Media, People
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First things first when it comes to gushing about how great the Democratic National Convention was for business in Denver.
“It’s anecdotal,” says Rich Grant, a spokesman for the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. Still, to Grant and a large number of city leaders, it was “the homerun of all homeruns” for business.
It seems the cheerleaders are right, and the sky-is-falling press got it wrong. But just to be sure the daily crush of delegates, celebrities, activists, tourists, buskers, and others translated into ka-ching, I called one of the city’s best measures of pedestrian traffic: LoDo’s Tattered Cover Bookstore, at 1628 16th Street.
“Yes,” indeed, the store saw “nice bumps” in sales each day, it rented some space, and, oh, don’t forget book sales the day House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a signing event, says Heather Duncan, the store’s marketing director, eager to share more.
Erza Swartwood, the banquet captain for Baur’s Ristorante at 1512 Curtis Street, says business in the casual but elegant establishment was “quadruple” the norm. No, he corrects himself. “Quintuple.”
Posted at 2:07 pm by Michael de Yoanna
Business, DNC
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One of the looming questions coming into convention week was whether the protest movement would catch fire in Denver. Looking back now, it’s probably safe to say that ‘68 was not quite re-created. But that doesn’t mean activists failed to show up, be heard, and rankle The Man. Here’s a rundown of the week in protest.
Posted at 1:21 pm by Joshua Zaffos
DNC, Politics
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For the fourth and final night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver 5280 Magazine’s Naughty Pierre took it to the streets of Lower Downtown in search of reaction to Barack Obama’s acceptance speech.
Posted at 10:42 am by Daniel Brogan
DNC, DNC Video, Entertainment & Nightlife, Politics
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Yesterday, while purchasing some Obama buttons as souvenirs for friends, I must confess that I bought one for myself. The pin holds a doctored image of Jimi Hendrix’s Axis: Bold as Love album, with Obama’s face superimposed on the body of the guitar hero.
There’s an imperfect analogy between Hendrix’s arrival onto the American music scene and Barack Obama’s speech last night. » Continue reading this entry…
Posted at 9:17 am by Joshua Zaffos
DNC, DNC Events, People, Politics
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On a cool, clear night in Denver, Barack Obama accepted his party’s nomination for president and spelled out his vision for the country should he get elected. A stadium full of delegates, media, politicians, celebrities, and guests–many from Colorado–were in attendance to witness history.
Photos by Jeff Panis include Barrack Obama, Michelle Obama, Al Gore, Gavin Newsom, Jennifer Siebel, Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, David Gregory, Anderson Cooper, George Stephanopoulos, Donna Brazile, Wolf Blitzer, John King, Bob Schieffer, Chaka Fattah, Charlie Gibson, Tom Brokaw, Andrea Mitchell, Harry Smith, Yolanda Renee King
View additional DNC photos:
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 2 Evening | Day 3
Posted at 8:18 am by Jeff Panis
DNC
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2. If we have any free time, we’re gonna do The Wave.
3. We have a distinct lack of rhythm.
We start strong (see item #1), but we don’t last long. Often, within two iterations of “Yes we can,” we have managed to stray from the beat. Sections would split off, sometimes in that canonic “Row, row, row your boat” way, and sometimes they would take off bravely on their own sense of beat, all ending in chaos that we’d fix by just giving a finale of “Wooooooh!”
4. If you give it to us, we will wave it in the air.
They gave us flags. They gave us posters labeled “Change.” Each time we gamely shared them with our section and hoisted ‘em above our heads. Oh, did you want us to wave those monster American flags three times our size? No problemo, just give us a second to stretch our lats. However, even as us more cynical Dems heard the speeches, saw the sunset, listened to the music and the cheering, we realized we may be kinda excited to wave our flag a few times, too.
Posted at 7:46 am by Jennie Dorris
DNC, DNC Events, Entertainment & Nightlife
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With the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado politicians were given a unique opportunity to show off their blue-trending state. In exchange, they received prime speaking slots with a national audience. Here, in order of their Thursday night speeches, we look at what they choose to speak on, how their speeches went, and where their future lies.
Posted at 11:44 pm by Patrick Doyle
DNC, Politics
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Thursday afternoon offered a lesson in that lesser-known physics axiom: The longest distance between two points is an incredibly crooked line. Around 2:30 p.m., I parked my car near my Highlands home–for free, on the street, despite some misguided dude offering $20 spots several blocks farther from Invesco–and walked down Bryant and Clay streets, arriving at the north gate of the stadium within 15 minutes.
Okay, I couldn’t actually do that. (But John Elway totally could, bro!)
Almost an hour and about two miles later, I finally got inside. The security perimeter around Invesco was so broad that I had to segue over to Federal and back toward the processional that snaked along the stadium lot, bending and twisting like an amusement park queue run amok. I did save some time by skirting part of the line with several flashes of my press pass. (Sorry, fellow citizens, but them’s the perks.) Once inside, rumors circulated that some folks were standing in line for close to four hours to to get into the historic event.
Honestly, this is the closest thing to a complaint I heard all week. As the DNC approached, locals and outsiders fretted that this sleepy little burg would be ill prepared for such a bum rush of delegates, security, and media, and that a bigger, “realer,” more experienced city would’ve been the wiser choice.
Posted at 10:15 pm by Luc Hatlestad
5280, Community, DNC, DNC Events, Environment, General, People
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Barack Obama is set to give his historic speech at Invesco Field in about an hour. Want a sneak peek at what he’ll say? You know you do.
The following excerpts were provided to the press by the Democratic National Convention Committee (they flowed to me via e-mail from NationalJournal.com and were popping up online).
“Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story – of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren’t well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.
“It is that promise that has always set this country apart – that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.
“It is why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women – students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors — found the courage to keep it alive.
“We meet at one of those defining moments – a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more. » Continue reading this entry…
Posted at 6:36 pm by Michael de Yoanna
DNC, DNC Events, People, Politics
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As presidential nominee Barack Obama prepared to rally fellow Democrats to close out his party’s national convention, billboards that claim Martin Luther King Jr. was a Republican are lining Denver’s major arteries.
The Illinois senator’s highly-anticipated speech, which comes at the 76,000-seat Invesco Field tonight at 8 p.m., also coincides with the 45th anniversary of King’s famed “I Have a Dream” speech, painting a hopeful picture of American racial equality and harmony. The convention’s opening moments on many national news channels featured a video tribute to King.
The National Black Republican Association has bought 50 billboards throughout Denver, including in minority neighborhoods, that simply state “Martin Luther King Jr. was a REPUBLICAN” alongside a photo of King and the association’s contact information. » Continue reading this entry…
Posted at 5:25 pm by Michael de Yoanna
DNC, Politics
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