WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, November 5) -- The City of Brotherly Love will have an influx of Republican pride in the summer of 2000, as the GOP has chosen Philadelphia as the home of their next national convention.

The Republican Site Selection committee is recommending Philadelphia to host the party's 2000 presidential nominating convention. The entire Republican National Committee has to approve the selection of Philadelphia but it is a virtual certainty it will.

An announcement of the GOP decision was expected later Thursday or Friday.

The decision makes it near certain that Los Angeles will be chosen to host the Democratic National Convention.

Philadelphia was a favorite of the GOP site selection committee not only for its facilities but also for its political importance: President Bill Clinton carried Pennsylvania and neighboring New Jersey in both the 1992 and 1996.

And the historical city of Ben Franklin and the Liberty Bell is no stranger to Republicans, having hosted GOP conventions in 1856, 1877, 1900, 1940 and 1948. Democrats convened there twice as well, once in 1936 and again in 1948.

San Antonio, Texas was the second GOP choice. Other contenders for the Republican convention were Indianapolis, New Orleans and New York.

The Democratic search committee had narrowed its choices to Philadelphia and Los Angeles, according to a Democratic Party official familiar with the search process. This source said it was now near certain the Democrats would choose Los Angeles because the party does not want to be in the same city as the Republicans for both political and logistical purposes.

Indeed, sources tell CNN that Democratic National Committee National Chairman Steve Grossman called Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell and told him Philadelphia was being dropped from the Democrats' list.

Boston and Denver are still technically in the running for the Democratic convention, but several sources say Los Angeles is the top choice.

CNN's John King contributed to this report.

Thursday, November 5, 1998

• Philadelphia will host 2000 Republican National Convention
• Speaker reaching out to members to gauge dissatisfaction
• Clinton-Jones settlement talks break off
• Clinton asked to 'admit or deny' Starr report facts
• Clinton turns to health care bill
• Clinton-Gore contributor indicted

Election '98
• Measure to boost California's cigarette tax still undecided
• Democrat Wu wins last undecided House race
• Ex-baseball player Hrbek turned down Ventura offer
• Texas Gov. Bush stays mum on presidential run
• Voter turnout was about 37 percent
• Moseley-Braun won't run again

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