It's a beauty! Only driven on Sunday by a little old lady.

Posted at 2:57 PM on June 26, 2006 by Bob Collins

So the bathing suit competition began today as the Democratic National Committee has arrived in town to check out Minneapolis-St. Paul for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

The Republicans will be here in August for a similar look-see.

Both sides (that is, the parties themselves), according to Mark Zdechlik's story, seem to be downplaying the political meaning of the region as a significant criteria. Right. Boston hardly was a good pick for '04 given its cramped nature. And New York isn't friendly Republican territory (or did you Republican delegates actually enjoy running the gauntlet of protestors as you entered and exited the arena), but it did have a big smokin' hole in the financial district.

So Minnesota as a battleground state is a legit pitch, although Mayor Rybak may want to think twice about using that imagery in his pitch:

"If you think about what happens as you at the headwaters of the Mississippi nominate a president and then put that president, over the next few days, down the river as we think about Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, which is very much a state that's in play, and then right as the Republicans are convening, our candidate pulls into New Orleans. There's a strong, strong message that we can really send out of that and that matters."

Been there. Done that ('cept the New Orleans part). Remember the first place Gore-Lieberman went after the '00 convention?).

Should be interesting how Rybak sells the city when the GOP comes to town.

Or maybe they leave that to Tim Pawlenty.

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories