Every Democrat in the country, except Jawless Joe Lieberman is scrambling to get tickets and important assignments at the Democratic Convention in Denver.

Not so on the Republican side in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Could it be that so many top party officials need to stay home to get their children off to class during the first week of school? Fat chance. Delegates and their friends normally would sell their children to stay close to the action.

Not this year. The water is poisoned.

1. The latest U.S. Senator to say he would like to decline is Norm Coleman. The only reason he has to attend, he says, is that the convention is in his home town of St. Paul.
2. Pat Roberts, the two-term senator from Kansas and former Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is skipping the convention because he says he needs to campaign. Odd. In any other year the convention is the place you can get your face out and you want to appear active and in the loop.
3. Susan Collins, Elizabeth Dole, Ted Stevens, Gordon Smith, and Wayne Allard. will also be no-shows because they perceive it will hurt their re-election chances.
4. Two more are rumored to be no-shows: John Sunnunu and Roger Wicker.
5. A few weeks ago Dick Cheney anounced he would not attend. He was apparently talked into attending after all, by an eager Republican intern in the White House. McCain responded immediately by placing the young intern under secret service protection from all of the other delegates. There was a awhile there when even George Bush wasn't coming. But lobbying by the Democrats resulted in a prime time spot for him and Howard Dean has suggested a theme for the Convention: Change Schmange.

But seriously, I don't recall a convention on either side that feels like a reverse magnet for wanna be national republicans. Maybe the 11 top Republicans who are not going or who are giving it some thought, should covince others to follow suit.

What the country needs is a fiscally conservative event where nobody comes. McCain could phone it in.

Doonesbury has been covering the upcoming Republican Convention.

<link>

We are voting against Obama.

Yes, Barack Obama supporters understand that.

I will listen to McCain speak at the Rep. convention just to play the McCain "My Friends" drinking game.

We got really drunk listening to him at Saddleback.

FYI: <link>

pwoxby,

You come across as a thoughtful, intelligent and well rounded person.

That said, I sometimes wonder if you've ever had a single day of fun in your whole life.

Sigh, is my wry humor too subtle? I'm suggesting that a "My friends" drinking game in particular might be hazardous to one's health. Get it? Heh, heh, heh. Well, if I have to explain it...

It had me laughing. :)