In a secretive brick building off an alley in Northwest Denver, behind a metal gate secured by a guard, top Republican operatives have gathered to bash the Democrat National Convention across the river.
The Republican National Committee’s “war room” will be the nucleus of their rapid response operation during an intense four days when the spotlight will be on the other party. The Republicans have dispatched a couple dozen staffers here to keep their eye on all the action inside the D.N.C., compiling opposition research and sending out e-mail blasts.
The RNC operation, at 2801 N. Speer Blvd., off an alley between Bryant and Firth streets, has a satellite truck parked out back to blast responses worldwide instantly. A black stretch limo pulled into the alley at about 4:00 p.m. Monday, likely disgorging tonight’s “surprise visitor,” kicking off a line-up that will include failed Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney on Tuesday and Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday. VP contender Tim Pawlenty, governor of Minnesota, is slated to show up Thursday.
Quippingly dubbed “The Ministry of Truth” by unrepentantly foul-mouthed GOP state boss Dick Wadhams, the operation has a cool, counter-terrorism feel, according to according to Tim Hoover of Politics West, who toured the site Sunday:
In the center of the ground floor and behind glass-and-metal doors is the space Republicans actually call the “war room.” Television monitors throughout the room keep watch on news coverage, and staffers sitting around a large table work on laptop computers.
The war room looks a little like the set of the “Counter Terrorist Unit” headquarters on the TV series “24,”
One product of the Ministry, Not Ready ’08, highlights “news” of the day touting Democratic discord and an elaborate video board featuring DNC speeches and Republican responses. So far, the daily talking points hadn’t risen above the level of school-yard taunts (“One Nation? Look how divided you are! What about Hillary?”), but should be well worth continued visits to see how Republicans spin the DNC.
Democrats plan a similar “war room” in St. Paul during the Republican National Convention.
Comments are closed.