Warning to Southern delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver: It will be a no-fry zone.
As part of the effort to make the Aug. 25-28 convention the greenest ever, the Democrats' guidelines for catering include one that strikes at the heart of Southern cuisine: no fried food.
No fried chicken. No fried catfish. No fried green tomatoes. No fried okra. No fried anything.
In promoting healthy eating habits, the Democratic guidelines say every meal should be nutritious and include "at least three of the following colors: red, green, yellow, purple/blue and white."
"It's the new patriotism," said Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, the driving force behind the greening of the Democratic convention.
However, if presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain starts gaining in the polls on Barack Obama, who will accept the Democratic nomination in Denver, the Democrats may find they've got bigger fish to fry --- uh, make that --- bake.
Copyright 2008 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution