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The ever-popular bar/bat mitzvah location for my friends of middle school days, the Jewish Community Center on Dahlia St. takes a break from such festivities to host John McCain today starting at 10 am.

McCain is in town holding a town hall meeting to discuss his health care plan. McCain’s position on the issue contrasts sharply with his Democratic rivals who have both called for differing levels of universal health care coverage—Barack Obama advocating mandatory coverage for children while aiming for universal insurance, Hillary Clinton requiring insurance for everyone. Both would pay for their plans by rolling back President Bush’s tax cuts for households making over $250,000 a year. McCain believes in the competition of a free-market system and encourages tax credits for individuals to purchase their own plans. He insists that a tax increase will not be necessary.

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This is our past eight years in American political quotes. No commentary, no comedy, no frills. Just the statements themselves, the situation in which they were said, and the people who said them. Twenty-three lines that have come to shape America in the twenty-first century:

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A video recap here of the Bob Schaffer saga, as reported by Veracifier and Talking Points Memo, with a bit of refresher on the Marinas Islands labor situation, provided by a Bill Moyers documentary from 2006.

The blowup over Schaffer’s dubious 1999, Jack Abramoff-funded trip to the islands, and his subsequent dubious handling of its fallout on the ’08 campaign trail, have been watched with much glee by national Democrats who see retiring Wayne Allard’s senate seat as a key pickup in their quest for the ever-elusive 60-seat majority. With 60 blue chairs, Dems can block filibusters and swing a big stick on Capitol Hill. The last time they had such power was from 1977-79 with 61 seats and Jimmy Carter in the White House.

The prospect of moving the open CO seat from “contested” to “in the bag” is a tempting proposition for Dems. In all, they have 12 seats to defend in ’08, and most are secure. Republicans have almost twice as many, 21, and have definite weaknesses in New Hampshire (Sen. John Sununu is down 14-20 points to challenger Jeanne Shaheen, former NH governor, in some polls), Alaska (84-year-old, corruption-investigation-plagued incumbent Ted Stevens edging Anchorage mayor Mark Begich 46-45 percent in a recent Rasmussen Report poll) and Minnesota (Sen. Norm Coleman battling within the polling margin of error with Saturday Night Live alum and Air America gabber Al Franken). Retiring Republicans also have left vulnerable seats in New Mexico and Virginia.

With recent polls showing John McCain holding national leads over squabbling Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, a strong Congress might be the last Democratic bulwark for any nastiness come November. 2004 was supposed to be the year Colorado went from purple to outright blue, but 2008 yields another chance to elect a Democratic president and another senator, rounding out the state’s “big four” (two senators, governor and vote for president) without a hint of red.

-- Joe Horton

Preston Peerman continues to hunt for Senator Larry Craig in the bathrooms at DIA. Here's his latest report:

Damn! Wrong on all accounts. Budget Rent-a-Car desk clerk on bathroom break. -- Preston Peerman

Should Denver be hosting the Republican National Convention, too?

Assuming the Democrats can get their collective act together and actually nominate someone for the presidency, John McCain’s looking for a blue boost. Beyond the impending delegate-deadlock and superdelegate fiasco, another ominous sign for the Dems has appeared on the horizon. A recent Gallup poll, conducted with daily tracking from March 7-22, suggests that whoever emerges on top the donkey pile may be gifting voters to McCain. Because 19 percent of Democrats supporting Obama said they would vote for McCain over Hillary if Hillary was the nominee. Fully 28 percent of Democrats supporting Hillary said they would vote for McCain over Obama if Obama was the nominee.

So should McCain make a stopover in Denver next August to collect his cadre of vengeful voters?

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Preston Peerman just checked in with his latest investigation of DIA's restrooms, and his ongoing search for Larry Craig:

Location: DIA men's restroom across from the shoe-shine stand in the B concourse (just as you come up the escalator from the train). Due to the fact that I arrived two hours early for my flight, I had an ample amount of time to select a prime stall for potential "Larry viewing."

No other activity to report. ~ Preston Peerman

Presumptive GOP nominee John McCain will make a Mile High stopover on Thursday, visiting the Denver Athletic Club for a meet and greet with his Colorado Finance Committee.

“Finance Committee” means “rich and/or powerful donors,” and “his” committee means “Romney and Giuliani’s.” It’s an old truism that Democrats fall in love with a candidate while Republicans fall in line, and no case is cut clearer than McCain’s hodgepodge, vagabond Colorado GOP contingent.

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Tracy Morgan, of all people, finished it.

It, of course, being the political controversy surrounding Saturday Night Live's supposed support of Hillary Clinton. At least we can hope so, after a long round of puffed-up news surrounding the late-night institution and its supposedly sincere political soapboxery. We're years into an unnecessary war, the dollar's in the tank, people are losing their homes all over the place, and FOX News is still referred to as "news". And we have to spend time objecting to SNL?

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Ever since the Idaho Statesman revealed that Senator Larry Craig had made the moves on a fellow Idaho politico at Denver International Airport, our Mr. seX, Preston Peerman, has been keeping his eyes open on his frequent trips out of DIA. Here's his latest report:

LOCATION: Main Concourse at DIA: I heard a "shuffle" that was of concern. Turns out to be a false alarm, as this gentleman suffers from Restless Leg Disorder. Hopefully he can ask his doctor what prescription options are available..

Over and out.