ad info

CNN.com
 MAIN PAGE
 WORLD
 ASIANOW
 U.S.
 U.S. LOCAL
 ALLPOLITICS
  TIME
  analysis
  community
 WEATHER
 BUSINESS
 SPORTS
 TECHNOLOGY
 NATURE
 ENTERTAINMENT
 BOOKS
 TRAVEL
 FOOD
 HEALTH
 STYLE
 IN-DEPTH

 custom news
 Headline News brief
 daily almanac
 CNN networks
 on-air transcripts
 news quiz

 CNN WEB SITES:
CNN Websites
 TIME INC. SITES:
 MORE SERVICES:
 video on demand
 video archive
 audio on demand
 news email services
 free email accounts
 desktop headlines
 pointcast
 pagenet

 DISCUSSION:
 message boards
 chat
 feedback

 SITE GUIDES:
 help
 contents
 search

 FASTER ACCESS:
 europe
 japan

 WEB SERVICES:
 TIME CNN/AllPolitics CNN/AllPolitics with Congressional Quarterly

Campaign 2000

U.S. presidency: The job that keeps on giving

By Andrea Sachs/Philadelphia

TIME magazine

September 20, 1999
Web posted at: 3:49 p.m. EDT (1949 GMT)

Guests at next summer's Republican National Convention in Philadelphia can start planning for the 55 different parties, lighted boat parade and fireworks that will spell out G.O.P. 2000. But they can't start planning where they're going to stay. Edward Rendell, the popular Democratic mayor of Philadelphia, instituted a tough "no whining" policy for local hotels to ensure that Republicans get a warm welcome. Rendell, who intends to run for Governor, needs the convention to go swimmingly. "They're not allowed to book anybody," says Rendell. "Every hotel has guaranteed 90% of its room block for that week. They're not allowed to take one reservation until the Republican National Committee meets next spring with the putative nominee."

Despite the edict, one room has already been booked. The guest? Former President George Bush. He was in Philly giving a speech and asked for the $1,400-a-night Presidential Suite at the Rittenhouse Hotel. Who could say no? Not David Benton, the tony hostelry's general manager, who has been taking "tongue-in-cheek flak" from his competitors ever since. But the rule that no rooms can be booked still stands, says Rendell, unless "the person asking to book the room is a former President whose son is the leading contender."

--By Andrea Sachs/Philadelphia

MORE TIME STORIES:

Cover Date: September 27, 1999

Search CNN/AllPolitics
          Enter keyword(s)       go    help





© 1999 Cable News Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.
Who we are.