Far from delegates, scores of protesters clash with police

DENVER - Police in riot gear clashed last night with about 300 protesters about a mile from the site of the Democratic National Convention, and some of the demonstrators were hit with pepper spray.

Authorities said the confrontation erupted as police tried to disperse a crowd that was disrupting traffic near the Denver City and County Building, but one protester said police "were coming at us" with no warning.

Police said they could not confirm any arrests, but after the confrontation subsided, about 20 people remained behind in police custody, sitting on a sidewalk as officers took them away one by one.

Earlier, officers led at least two people away as the crowd chanted "Let them go!" Some of the protesters threw bags containing a colored liquid at police.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

DENVER - Mitt Romney, who is under serious consideration as Republican John McCain's running mate, will venture into enemy territory today to promote McCain's cause.

He plans to be in Denver for a luncheon with reporters sponsored by The Christian Science Monitor. Then, he is slated to hold a news conference at the Republican National Committee's "Not Ready '08 Response Center," about a mile from the Pepsi Center where Democrats are gathered for their convention. The RNC has a new slogan for its attacks on Obama, playing off the host city's nickname: "A Mile High, An Inch Deep."

Romney has been one of the most active and vocal surrogates for McCain.

But Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts yesterday offered some mild criticism of his predecessor when asked to comment on Romney's prospects to be the GOP vice presidential nominee.

"I think that Romney is a fine man, and he's always been decent to me, but I have a very serious concern and I think the people of Massachusetts had about his engagement in the job of governor of Massachusetts," Patrick told reporters after addressing the Bay State delegation.

"He spent, what was it, almost 300 days of the last year of his office out of state, and it was indicative of how little attention he was paying to us, and we've got some serious challenges. But let's just see what John McCain does."

Romney, the Globe calculated shortly before he left office, spent all or part of 219 days outside of Massachusetts during 2006, his last year in office.

He was exploring his presidential prospects, in part as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.

MICHAEL KRANISH AND BRIAN C. MOONEY

In a new TV ad out yesterday, Barack Obama's campaign uses a Sam Cooke standard to paint Republican rival John McCain as clueless on the economy and a close ally of unpopular President Bush.

The spot opens with McCain's much-repeated admission last December: "Economics is not something I've understood as well as I should."

Then, a male vocalist takes some liberties with Cooke's "Wonderful World (Don't Know Much)" by singing: "I'm not up on the economy. Don't know much about industry. Really can't explain the price of gas, or what has happened to the middle class.

"But I know that one and one is two," the vocalist continues, as images of McCain and Bush together appear on screen. "And if I could be just like you, what a wonderful world this would be.

"Do we really want four more years of the same old tune?" the announcer concludes.

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds responded: "You don't have to 'know much' to understand that Barack Obama's plans to raise taxes will hurt an already struggling economy. And it's particularly revealing that the Obama campaign feels forced to cast flimsy attack ads during his own convention - Barack Obama's politics of hope is waning."

FOON RHEE

DENVER - Given the number of votes cast in the hard-fought Democratic primary - and the massive voter registration drives that went with it - conventional wisdom has it that voter participation in November will be at a record high.

Doug Chapin, who studies voting patterns, said the turnout could be so heavy that - coupled with new voter identification laws that could slow voting - it could trigger serious problems for a system that isn't designed to handle it.

Chapin, the director of the Pew Center on the States' electionline.org, drove home his point by citing the famous scene from the movie "Jaws" when would-be shark hunters Quint, Hooper, and Chief Brody first get a glimpse of their massive prey.

"You remember that line - 'We're gonna need a bigger boat'?" Chapin told reporters. "That is what election officials and administrators are looking at. We're going to need a bigger boat."

Chapin noted that during the primary, several states and jurisdictions weren't ready for a large turnout.

Some places didn't have enough ballots to handle the crush, while other precincts didn't have enough poll workers.

Both kinds of glitches led to long lines, slow voter turnover, and lots of complaints.

But with new requirements on voter ID, the election system may not be able to handle the oncoming surge, he said.

JOSEPH WILLIAMS

DENVER - Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts said his remarks to the Democratic convention tonight will be about redeeming the American story and the American dream, which he described as being "at risk" in today's global environment.

Patrick, a close friend and confidant of nominee Barack Obama, said this is the first party convention he has attended as a participant.

Patrick is making a quick turnaround.

He left Denver last night to return to Massachusetts to attend a funeral this morning for a soldier from Mashpee, before heading back West this afternoon in time for his speech.

BRIAN C. MOONEY AND MATT VISER