The Tenacious Trio

No matter. The Denver Three say, in a memo they're distributing, "ALL ARROWS POINT TO WHITE HOUSE."

The White House says that's bunk. But a series of similar events have left the administration vulnerable to such charges. In February, a Bush spokesman blamed an "overzealous volunteer" for a 42-person blacklist used at a Bush event in North Dakota. Complaints have also come this year from New Hampshire and Arizona, and during the campaign, event participants were once required to sign loyalty oaths for admission.

The Denver Three have won both sympathy and fame at home; thanks to that, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers from Colorado are fawning.

After their visit to the White House on Monday, their first meeting yesterday is with the chief of staff to Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.). After the three leave, the congresswoman issues a statement demanding to know "who kicked three of my constituents out of a taxpayer-funded event."

They trek across the Capitol grounds to the office of Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.). Fox News is playing, and there's a photo of Bush's inauguration on the wall -- not home turf for the Denver Three. But Chief of Staff Sean Conway is solicitous, taking notes and nodding. "I think they're entitled to some answers," Conway says after they leave.

Next stop is the office of Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-Colo.), where Chief of Staff Sean Murphy, behind closed doors, complains that they're making the issue partisan. But in public, it's all sympathy. "We regret that it happened to them," spokesman Jordan Stoick says.

The Denver Three hurry onward; they have four more offices to visit, and they're late for a news conference with Udall -- who has already written three letters demanding answers. "These three are tenacious," he says.

And in demand. Barely out of Udall's office, they get two more calls -- from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chairman Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) -- asking to meet the famous threesome.