Doin' It With DeGette

 Brandon MacGillis, communications director for Congresswoman Diana DeGette, insists that his boss understood the risks when she agreed to be interviewed by Stephen Colbert for the 25th in a series of interviews with all of the United States representatives for The Colbert Report. "She knows the show and watches it," MacGillis says. "Not religiously, but she's very well aware of it, and knew going in not to fall into the classic traps he sets."

Nevertheless, Colbert managed to trap DeGette on several occasions during her "Better Know a District" segment, which debuted on June 22 -- the week after Colorado's quarter made its appearance at the Denver Mint, an august occasion that did not go unnoticed by Colbert. In addition to being home to the largest money-maker in the country, the Comedy Central star noted, "Denver boasts one of the nation's largest populations of single people and brews more beer than any other city in the U.S. Combine those two, and you have more walks of shame on Sunday morning than anywhere else." He also revealed that the champion steer from each year's National Western Stock Show "is brought to the Brown Palace Hotel, where he drinks water from a silver bowl -- and then it's up to the Presidential Suite for a night of noisy animal husbandry."

Introduction over, Colbert threw a curveball at DeGette: "Are you a member of the Mile High Club?"

"No," she said.

"If you'd like to be a member of the Mile High Club, I can hook you up with some people," he continued.

"Get me the application," DeGette replied, "and I'll see what the requirements are."

"Okay. I think they're pretty simple," Colbert responded -- then turned to face the camera, an I-can't-believe-anyone-could-be-that-clueless expression on his face.

Later in the segment, DeGette seemed unsure if she'd sponsored a bill to protect Asian elephants -- "Do you just protect foreign animals willy-nilly?" Colbert wondered -- and was maneuvered into an exchange about a possible Condoleezza Rice presidential bid.

Colbert: "So you don't think qualified people should be president just because she's a woman?"

DeGette: "I don't, I don't think -- that's right."

Still, MacGillis gives DeGette high marks for her performance. "My overall sense was one of relief," he maintains. "I mean, it's Stephen Colbert. He's cut to shreds so many other members of Congress. If the only thing people say is, 'Does she really not know what the Mile High Club is?,' I'll take it and laugh."

Along with the rest of her constituents.

Reach for the stars: A delegation from the Democratic National Committee hit town last week to evaluate whether Denver should be the site of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Denver City Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth was instrumental in putting together the bid, a ten-pound pitch that went off to the DNC last month and earned Denver finalist status. The other cities still in the running are Minneapolis, New Orleans and New York City -- and judging from an item that appeared on page six of the New York Post on June 21, the DNC's first morning in Denver, the Big Apple is pulling out the big guns:

"The local Democratic machine turned out its heavy hitters the other night to convince Democratic National Committee exec director Tom McMahon that New York is the best place to hold the party's national convention next summer. The lobbyists at Rockefeller Center's Top of the Rock observation deck included Jessica Seinfeld, Charlie Gibson, Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal, David Dinkins, Mario Cuomo and Barbara Walters, who vowed she'd take McMahon out after the party and get him loaded...."

Although the DNC frowns on one contender denigrating another, at least Denver knows that the next Democratic convention to nominate a presidential candidate will be in the summer of 2008 -- not next year. And the Top of the Rock can't hold a candle to being on top of the Rockies...or even in the foothills at the Fort, where the DNC reps dined Wednesday night after a few of them made a quick, helicopter fly-by of Red Rocks. (Not a Widespread Panic groupie in sight, fortunately; Denver has enough of a Deadhead/jam-band rep as it is.)

And what the celebrity-starved Denver lacks in star power -- although former senator Gary Hart, who addressed the dinner group, might counter Cuomo, and a Wellington Webb drop-in outweighed Dinkins, where was Survivor star/Playboy poser/LoDo barrista Ami Cusack to balance out the Seinfeld spouse? -- we more than make up for with alcoholic opportunities. (See Stephen Colbert item above.) No telling how long McMahon would have to drink to get a snootful with Walters, all the while hearing about The View and the loss of panty-fearing Meredith Viera to Katie Couric's old Today slot, and whatever Star Jones did to lose that weight. Meanwhile, here in the Mile High City, liquor works quicker.