GOP's firewall

Critics who say the high-dollar private donations made to modern-day political conventions are an enormous campaign-finance loophole are being treated to a perfect test case in Denver, where the local host committee must raise $55 million for the Democratic National Convention. See the multimedia report below on the shift — since 1980 — from public to private financing of conventions.

Hillary Clinton's odds of winning the Democratic presidential nomination are akin to the improbable run of the Colorado Rockies into the World Series last year.

That's according to a Chicago Tribune story today that used baseball as a metaphor - and quoted a Denver-based consultant - to explain the state of the race between Clinton and Barack Obama.

"The Colorado Rockies won 21 of 22 games last year to claim the National League wild card and roll into the World Series. A Middlebury College professor put the odds of that feat at more than 190,000-1," wrote Jim Tankersley. "Clinton 'is probably facing something of that magnitude' to win the nomination, said Rick Ridder, a Democratic political consultant—and Rockies season-ticket holder—in Denver, who directed Clinton's Arizona primary campaign."

Legislation that would bolster embryonic stem-cell research shouldn't be used as a political pawn in November's election, the Republican sponsor of the bill said Thursday in response to Diana DeGette suggesting it could be a Nov. "wedge issue."

According to an article by Denver Post reporter Anne Mulkern, Rep. Mike Castle of Delaware, who is teaming with Rep. Diana DeGette on new stem-cell legislation, said he'd oppose a new vote simply to challenge President Bush.

"I pointed out to Diana on the (House) floor that I hope we wouldn't do this for political reasons," Castle said. "We need to keep taking positive steps and not steps that have a political result."

DeGette said she didn't expect to seek a vote on the bill, offering it instead to measure colleagues' support.