Howard Dean

A 50-state strategy will be impossible for the Presidential nominee Barack Obama and the Democratic Party, Stephen Fehr of Stateline.org reported today. Instead, the presidential race will come down to 20 states.

Maine isn’t on the list.

When former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean took over as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, he said the party would compete in every state – even those that are traditionally red.

Check back next week to view my Convention Sketchpads from the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.

The fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention will be called to order at 5:00 PM EST on Thursday, with a theme of "Change You Can Believe In."

The final day's events will take place at INVESCO Field at Mile High, where over 70,000 people are expected to attend.

Featured speakers will include Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D), former Vermont Gov. and Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean (D), New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), U.S. Rep. and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D), former Vice President Al Gore (D) and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D).

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the Democratic presidential nominee, is scheduled to address the convention at 10 p.m. EST.

The full schedule is below.

Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Bangor) and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen (D-Portland) will be 2008’s “Lincoln Chafee race.”

Dean, who had dropped in on the Maine delegates’ breakfast Tuesday morning, was referring to the 2006 race in Rhode Island where the popular Republican Sen. Lincoln Chaffee lost his seat in the wave of anti-Republican sentiments.

“He (Allen) is one of the best campaigners and the best Congresspeople in the country.”

DNC Day 2 Breakfast: Tom Allen holds up the Maine delegation's t-shirt. Politicker photo.

See below for more photos.

DENVER -- The opening speaker at the Maine delegation’s breakfast this morning was interrupted when Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, made an unannounced visit.

He discussed the need for grassroots involvement in Maine, and also said Tom Allen will prevail in the Maine Senate Race this fall.

Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean speaks to the Maine delegation: Politicker PhotoDENVER -- Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean interrupted this morning's Maine delegation breakfast to make some remarks and declared that the Democrats will be able to oust Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in the fall. The former Vermont governor and 2004 presidential candidate predicted that U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, who is trailing Collins in the polls, will in the end unseat the incumbent by a few points.

"Susan Collins is politically adept, but we all know she's a secret Bush clone," Dean told the crowd.

Democratic National Committee Chairman  Howard Dean came to Maine this week to mobilize volunteers for the Democratic Party.

Thursday he spoke at a Portland rally, click here for the Portland Press Herald’s report. Today he helped kick off voter registration drives in Waterville and Lewiston.

Lewiston saw a small crowd of about 40 -- a third of them were elected officials and press. They crowded around the gazebo in Kennedy Park, and Dean spoke without a microphone or a podium. See below for video.

Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean plans to stick around Maine Friday to attend voter registration drives in Waterville and Lewiston.

Dean will be speaking at a rally this afternoon in Portland.

Dean will kick off voter registration at 9 a.m. at City Hall in Waterville, appearing with state Sen. Lisa Marrache, Reps. Marilyn Canavan and Pam Trinward and legislative candidate Henry Beck. All are Democrats from Waterville.

After the registration drive, he will visit Atkins Printing, a Waterville business. There he will meet with union workers and

At 10:40 he will meet with legislators and legislative candidates at Kennedy Park in Lewiston for another voter registration drive.

Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean plans to stick around Maine Friday to attend voter registration drives in Waterville and Lewiston.

Dean will be speaking at a rally this afternoon in Portland.

Dean will kick off voter registration at 9 a.m. at City Hall in Waterville, appearing with state Sen. Lisa Marrache, Reps. Marilyn Canavan and Pam Trinward and legislative candidate Henry Beck. All are Democrats from Waterville.

After the registration drive, he will visit Atkins Printing, a Waterville business. There he will meet with union workers and

At 10:40 he will meet with legislators and legislative candidates at Kennedy Park in Lewiston for another voter registration drive.

Thursday will be a busy day for the Democrats.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean will be in Portland at 3:15 that day for a “Vote for Change – Our Time is Now rally” at Longfellow Square. See the party’s Web site for more details.

Earlier that afternoon, at 2 p.m. in Kennebec County Superior Court, the Democrats will face off against the Secretary of State’s office over a recent decision to allow independent U.S. Senate candidate Herb Hoffman to stay on the ballot.

The Democrats hope to remove Hoffman from the ballot, claiming that a number of his qualifying signatures are invalid.