Utah County Democratic Party officials say that the hiring of Glenn Beck - a CNN talk show host with outspoken conservative views - to serve as an M.C. sends a loud political message that may not be shared by everyone attending the event at Brigham Young University's LaVell Edwards Stadium.

And in so doing, Democrats argue that Stadium of Fire organizers have once again crossed the partisan line. Fox News conservative firebrand Sean Hannity hosted the event in 2003 and 2004.

"It was a pretty clear implication on the part of the organizers that Sean Hannity, a partisan, a very shrill and partisan voice of the right, was somehow now representative of the values of the Stadium of Fire and the organizing committee," said Larry Brown, vice chairman of the Utah County Democrats.

"And by implication, anybody who disagreed with those political views was not represented there."

But Stadium of Fire organizers dispute the idea that any political message is being sent. Rather, they say, it is Beck's passionate backing of U.S. troops that drew event officials to him. Tonight's concert and fireworks show is being broadcast to military posts in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

"We cast Glenn Beck specifically because he's been very supportive of the troops and as we're broadcasting our show to the troops and [because] he's specifically hosting the segment where we are speaking to the troops, he was selected," said Brad Pelo, the Stadium of Fire's senior executive producer.

Pelo says organizers are sensitive to charges of partisanship.

After Hannity hosted the event for two straight years, event officials switched to a multiple-host format because "we recognize that perception creates reality in the mind of the public."

Beck will share M.C. duties with actress Regina Taylor and comedian Fred Willard when the festivities begin at 8 p.m. tonight.

Still, Utah County Democratic Party chairman Richard Davis says the Stadium of Fire could easily dispense of any partisan flavor simply by bringing in hosts who have no political strings attached.

Basically, Davis said, "we wanted to blunt the idea that a particular ideology had a monopoly on patriotism, on the celebration of American values," he said.

On that much, Stadium of Fire producer Pelo says he agrees.

"It should be a day to unite us as a community," he said. "It should be a day to celebrate what we have in common, which is our heritage."

If so, Davis, a political science professor at BYU, says that the sentiment will have to wait until next year. He remains unconvinced there were no political motives attached to this year's M.C. choice.

"Glenn Beck has been invited. There is no way to change that," he said.